Frederick Taylor free essay sample

Finally continue to apply scientific principles when planning work, while workers actually perform the tasks. (Stewart, 2004) Taylor’s scientific management seemed logical however it did have some flaws. As much as it was logical it was very restricted. Taylor didn’t leave any room for thought for his employees there was only the â€Å"one best way† to perform a task and no other, there was no room for being creative or make suggestions in Taylorism. Taylor ignored the fact that what might be good for one individual might not work with the next. Moreover he ignored the fact that the economical interests of employees and managers are completely different and the rules he used when paying employees was often resented. This sort of resentment led to protest and arguments that Taylorism is dehumanising. This controversy led to an investigation of Taylor’s ways by the united state congress. (Briskin, 1996) Despite this clashes that some may have had, it was evident that when scientific management principles were applied productivity and efficiency improved dramatically. As there was elimination of the â€Å"rule of thumb† and increased numbers of specially trained workers working in specific areas, job productivity and efficiency had to increase (Gabor 2000). Although Taylorism may have faced problems and controversy it cannot be argued that scientific management changed the way people were operating in their work environment and how well scientific management impacted productivity and efficiency for everyone who adopted this new way of managing the workplace. Scientific management set a bench mark and showed others how productive and efficient a company may be, which led to more and more organisations adopting these principles and carrying them through time. So much so that scientific management can still be detected in operations of different organisations today. It may be said for certain that not all of his ideas and concepts are used today however his main principles remain the fundamentals for some organisations. In today’s workforce there can be no suppressing of opinions or restrictions on employees suggestions as there was in Taylors’ time, as that would be considered unethical. However the concepts that he developed such as definition of authority, responsibility, planning which is usually done by managers then carried out by employees, specific tasks for workers, managing the workers progress and working is specific fields are all part of the way organisations operate in society today (Schachter 2007). MacDonald’s a world known name still implements scientific management. This can be seen in many aspects of the way managers and employees operate within the company. MacDonald’s franchises are located in many cities around the word and in all countries there are certain things that do not change in the workplace. For instance in all MacDonald’s restaurants there are always certain number of employees that only focus on their particular area. Such as the â€Å"front crew† who work on the cash register and take the orders, the â€Å"back crew† who make the burgers, â€Å"dining crew† whose job is to clean the restaurant and of course the managers who are there to monitor and control their employees and make sure everything is going according to the rules. Moreover when Macdonald’s hires a new employee they teach him or her specifically in the area they will be working in. Furthermore they have specific instructions of how things should be done, to help employees remember there are labels colour codes and other tools to remind employees of how they should do their job. MacDonald’s is known for its fast service. This concept wasn’t developed by Macdonald’s for the satisfaction of its customers. This notion can be dated back to Taylor however it was adopted by Macdonald’s because the faster employees work the more customers they can serve thus increasing productivity and profit. This is an example of scientific management; each employee is assignment with a particular task which should be performed only in the way he was trained to do it – which leads to the assumption that that would be the â€Å"one best way†. Moreover there needs to be no creative thinking from the employee’s side as everything is already planned by the managers of the franchise. Furthermore it is evident that Macdonald’s is also focused on productivity and efficiency which it tries to improve day to day. There are many more examples of organisations that still adopt scientific management in the same way MacDonald’s does such as KFC, HUNGRY JACKS, apart from fast food stores a good example would be brand name retail outlets such as MNG or Armani, this is because they also similarly to MacDonald’s have specific guidelines of how they need to do their job. Moreover every employee has to reach a target set by the managers by the end of his shift; if they reach their target they are rewarded. This type of restrictions and rules in the workplace is scientific management even though some might call it something else. In conclusion it can be said with no doubt that Frederick Taylor influenced the practice of management today dramatically. He developed fundamental concepts in management that are used in organisations today on daily basis. Although scientific management has changed and evolved during the years to correspond with the changes in the world the main concepts and principles remain unchanged and very important and significant to management in our society today. Finally, the following quote by Robert Kanigel concludes this essay and further highlights the importance of Frederick Taylor: â€Å"We live in a world where common daily products are dirt cheap and part of that derives from efficient production. When we condemn his excesses, it’s important to remember we owe him some of our material prosperity. †