Scientific Management Example For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2254 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Critical essay Tags: Scientific Essay Did you like this example? As industrialization advanced rapidly across the world at the turn of the twentieth century, it transformed working practices and prompted theorists to consider how best to conduct business under such changed circumstances. The theory of scientific management has its roots in the studies conducted by F. W. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Scientific Management Example For Free" essay for you Create order Taylor during this formative period (see Taylor, 1911). There is much debate in the secondary literature about the synonymy of Taylorism and scientific management, which this paper does not discuss (for further details see, Caldari, 2007; Nelson, 1992). Rather, this paper positions Taylor as the defining early influence in a continum of scientific approaches to organizational management all of which fall under the broader definition of scientific management and management science that endures today. Section 1 of this paper undertakes a critical evaluation of scientific management theory before going on in Section 2 to discuss how and to what extent it is applied at the organisation, Microsoft. Critical Evaluation of Scientific Management Theory Taylor was one of the first theorists to consider management and process improvement as a scientific problem and, as such, is widely considered the father of scientific management. He proposed that a businesss economic efficiency could be improved by simplifying and optimising work processes, which would, in turn, increase productivity. Taylorism, as a philosophy, was the product of a series of experiments and observations, such as time-motion studies, designed to determine the most effective and efficient way to complete a task. Its fundamental and inter-related principles can be summarised as follows: Using scientific method to challenge habitual working practices and to determine the most efficient way to perform specific work tasks; Matching workers capability and motivation to the task requirements and supervising them according to the established rules and procedures; Establishing fair performance levels and develop a pay system that rewards, and therefore encourages, over-achievement; and Appropriate division of responsibilities to allow managers to apply scientific management principles to plan work and ensure workers are effective. Taylors work influenced a number of other contemporaneous theorists, such as Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, and, later, Henry Gantt, who also favoured empirical methods to determine the most efficient procedures. Indeed, his new scientific system of organisation was met initially with widespread support in the USA and Great Britain amongst theorists, politicians and economists alike (Nelson, 1992). However, Taylors scientific management was not without its critics, both at the time and subsequently. By the 1930s and 40s it had broadly fallen out of favour. The following section undertakes a critical evaluation of scientific management. It discusses the arguments of Taylorisms detractors and also explores its legacy in popular modes of management practice today. One of the most popular criticisms levelled at Taylorism is its perceived lack of human appreciation (Caldari, 2007). In the drive to increase physical efficiency, it considers the worker a part of the production process on a level equal to the tools s/he uses and, as such, strips him or her of all capacity to reason and act autonomously. All thinking and planning is taken over by management, and the workers role is reduced to the simple repetition of standardised and simplified work flows in accordance with productivity targets. By assuming that fair payment will motivate employees to perform optimally, Taylorism overlooks the individuals subjective motivation and their need to derive personal satisfaction from their work. On the one hand, standardised work instructions have been shown to improve quality, facilitate training and reduce waste. However, on the other hand, todays low skilled and highly rationalised roles, such as call centre or fast food jobs, workers are often characterised by high absenteeism and high turnover due to low job satisfaction. Since these are drivers of increased cost, it can be argued that the strict doctrines of scientific management actually run the counterproductive ris k of increasing costs and reducing productivity. A further point of controversy for Taylorisms critics is the theory that scientific process will eventually identify the one best way of carrying out a specific process of work to maximum efficiency (see Ralston, 2014). They argue that the implementation of one best way disregards individual talents and preferred working methods, thereby alienating workers and preventing them from developing an appreciation of their place or function in the entire industrial process. This, in turn, suppresses their initiative and the potential for discovering new and innovative ways of working. Instead, opponents of Taylorism advocate a plurality of methods for increasing productivity, which should be tailored to workers needs. Feedback should be encouraged and decision-making shared between workers and management to engender a greater sense of participation and ownership, greater engagement, and a stronger sense of collaboration between workers an d management. In the light of the above criticisms, it is perhaps unsurprising that employees views of Taylorism have tended to be unfavourable. In its pursuit of efficiency and productivity, Taylors scientific management principles divide labour undemocratically, in such a way as to empower managers, benefit employers and lower workers morale. Although Taylor advocated fair assessments of working hours, productivity and pay, his theory obliges the worker to depend upon the employers conception of fairness, and gives the worker no voice in hiring and setting the task, in negotiating the wage rate or determining the general conditions of employment. In reality, many employers implemented Taylors theories only partially, using strict control, punitive measures to drive maximal output. This not only caused significant additional mental and physical strain, but also increased the potential for accidents and work stoppage (Nelson, 1992). Furthermore, workers believed down-skilling and eventual automation were responsible for growing unemployment even if ultimately it might lead to lower prices and increased demand. They also objected to the fact that the gains of higher productivity were not shared with the workers. Rather, the major proportion was taken away by the employer in the form of higher profits. Such an imbalance of power and resultant dissatisfaction has the potential to polarise industrial relations leading to increased risks of strike action and disruption. Although there is much to criticise about Taylorism and its early implementation, it should also be acknowledged that its advent paved the way for many of the management theories and methodologies that are followed today. The division of labour into doers and thinkers is a dichotomy that continues to shape the separation of strategy and implementation in most organisations (Kanigel, 1997, Stoney, 2001)). Likewise, in most organisations management and labour continue to co-exist in an uneven r elationship which privileges intellectual work over manual skills. Likewise, the rationalization of processes into discrete, unambiguous units with defined work instructions has laid the foundations for knowledge transfer, automation and eventual offshoring (Drucker, 1981) strategies that continue to be implemented in many multinational corporations today as management theory, and management itself, evolves with changing times (Witzel and Warner, 2013). Incentive schemes are still widely recognized as an effective means to encourage higher performance and are a standard component of most sales compensation packages. Meanwhile, Taylorisms simplification of skilled work and the elimination of unskilled work represents a central tenet of business process engineering techniques such as Six Sigma and lean manufacturing (Head, 2003). By the same token, modern quality assurance, operations management and total quality management methodologies arguably have their roots in scientific manage ment. In this way, scientific management transcends the narrower confines of Taylorism by means of its direct and indirect influence on those subsequent evidence-based methodologies that also attempt to treat management and process improvement systematically as a measurable, scientific problem (Witzel and Warner, 2015). Discussion of how Scientific Management Applies to Microsoft Taylors original thinking was informed by the shop floor processes of heavy industry. As such, it would be easy to assume its principles would be largely irrelevant in an industry as complex, innovative and knowledge intensive as Information Technology. Indeed, Bill Gatess professed values of entrepreneurship, ownership, creativity, honesty, frankness and open communication appear to stand in opposition to the standardised work processes and strict division of labour that Taylorism champions. However, on closer examination it becomes evident that scientific management still exerts a significant influence within Microsoft and on how it conducts its business. As with all large multi-national corporations, specialisation and division of labour is very much in evidence at Microsoft. There is a clear division between functional specialists such as software developers, project managers, marketing, sales, HR, finance and legal. As Taylorism advocates, their roles have written job descr iptions with clearly defined skills and competencies to ensure employees capabilities and motivations are carefully matched to their position. Furthermore, their performance is supervised and measured regularly using SMART criteria (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Results-based, and Time-specific) in a way that echoes Taylors emphasis on monitoring and measuring. There are a number of colourful stories that depict the results-orientated culture that Microsoft has relied on historically in its drive for success (see, for example, Shaw, 2004). Until recently, Microsoft employed a controversial management system called stack ranking which measured performance using a standard distribution curve. Whilst those at the top received bonuses and promotions, those at the bottom were shown the door (for further details see B. R., 2012). Although this was intended to motivate performance, employees found it oppressive. Developers sought to avoid working with top performers, who threatened their own ranking, and as a result free thinking, innovation and collaboration stagnated. Microsoft abandoned stack ranking in 2013, but it is evident that performance reviews and systems such as these owe a debt to Taylors principle of performance incentivisation through pay and reward. Indeed, Bill Gatess comment on workers and their value points towards a scientific management heritage: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A great lathe operator commands several times the wage of an average lathe operator, Bill Gates points out, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“but a great writer of software code is worth 10000 time the price of an average software writer (Schumpeter, 2015, p. 1). Microsofts business model relies on scientific managements requirement to challenge received wisdom and to find new and better ways of doing things. This applies to Microsofts products and production processes in equal measure. Yet rather than pursue Taylors one best way and control it by means of strict hierarchy and managerial supervi sion, Microsoft has, historically, sought to empower employees at all levels. Instead of allowing workers strict need to know knowledge that relates only to their discrete part of a process, Microsoft runs an intensive induction programme for new recruits, which introduces them to the overall business model, and acquaints them with colleagues and support networks. This broader knowledge equips individuals with the context to make autonomous decisions that are nevertheless aligned with the organisations interests. This, in turn, lays the foundations for continuous improvement based on comparison, feedback and the identification of more effective and efficient work methods. Microsoft seeks to encourage improved performance not only by financial incentives, but also by considering more progressive drivers of employee motivation, participation and satisfaction. Thus, software programmers at Microsoft work long hours, but extra discretionary effort is encouraged by free food, relaxed dre ss code, comfortable offices, and playing games (for further details see Birkinshaw and Cramer, 2008). So, whereas Taylorism is criticised for its de-humanising tendencies, Microsoft arguably seeks to balance and blend the drive for enhanced productivity with a complementary appeal to the broader hierarchy of needs in its workforce. Conclusion This paper has offered a critique of Taylorism as the first and most influential theory that shaped a spectrum of subsequent management practices that fall under the wider umbrella philosophy of scientific management. The example of Microsoft shows how the principles of scientific management inform many practices that are still in use today. As a large, established, multinational organisation, Microsofts management practices are, almost inevitably, complex and contradictory and the brevity of this paper does not permit a more detailed investigation of how and to what extent scientific management principles inform the varied practices of different functions and divisions within the organisation. For example, the process of iterative product development owes a debt to scientific management as does project management and evaluation. Nevertheless, this paper has offered a broad overview of how Microsoft has appropriated, adapted and implemented elements of Taylors early scientific mana gement theory, such as division of labour, employee selection, training and supervision, pay and reward, scientific evaluation, and process improvement, to improve Microsofts productivity, quality, and economic performance todays fast-paced competitive environment. Bibliography B. R., 2012. Management the Microsoft Way, The Economist, 21 August Birkinshaw, Julian and Crainer, Stuart, 2008. Theory Y meets Generation Y, Management 2.0, 10 (December) Caldari, Katia, 2007. Alfred Marshalls Criticism of Scientific Management, European Journal of the History of Economic Thought 14(1) (March) Drucker, Peter, 1981. Towards the Next Economics and Other Essays. London: Heinemann Head, Simon, 2003. The New Ruthless Economy: Work and Power in the Digital Age. New York: Oxford University Press Kanigel, Robert, 1997. Taylor-made. (19th-century efficiency expert Frederick Taylor), The Sciences. 37(3) Nelson, Daniel, 1992. A Mental Revolution: Scientific Management since Taylor. Ohio: Ohio State University Press Ralston, Shane, 2014. Doing versus Thinking: John Deweys Forgotten Critique of Scientific Management, Southwest Philosophy Review Schumpeter, 2015. Digital Taylorism, The Economist. 12 September Shaw, Karyll, 2004. Changing the goal-set ting process at Microsoft, Academy of Management Executive. 18(4) Spender, J. C, and Kinje Hugo, 1996. Scientific Management: Frederick Winslow Taylors Gift to the World? Norwell: Kluwer Stoney, Christopher, (2001) Strategic Management or strategic Taylorism? A case study into change within a UK local authority, International Journal of Public Sector Management, 14(1) Taylor, F. W., 1911. Principles of Scientific Management, New York: Harper Witzel, M. and Warner, M. (2013), Introduction, in M. Witzel and M. Warner (eds). Oxford Handbook of Management Theorists, Oxford and New York, NY: Oxford University Press Witzel, M. and Warner, M. (2015) Taylorism Revisited Culture, Management Theory Paradigm Shift, Cambridge Judge Business School Working Papers. 1

My Internship At Orchestra Technology - 1387 Words

Brief Narrative I continued my Internship at Orchestra Technology with the intent to further enhance my knowledge in the field of data sciences. The projects that were assigned to me over the summer were completely independent of supervision. These projects helped me gain further insights in the different techniques used for data extraction, data massaging and data analysis. The projects also helped me gain experience in the field of telecommunication networks and helped me work on my leadership skills as I was also helping out new interns with the knowledge transfer of the technologies that I was working on. About the Organization Orchestra Technology is a specialist technology partner for the Communication (Wireless and Wireline) eco-system. Orchestra Technology provides a focused set of services and products to help its customers manage and optimize network performance, roll out new services faster and cost- effectively, and improve overall customer experience. Focused on quality and a rigorous approach to project management together with network of seasoned professionals, Orchestra Technology delivers products, projects and managed services in a cost effective manner. Orchestra Technology strives to ensure that our team serves as a virtual extension of our customers’ teams and work seamlessly to ensure successful execution and completion of projects. Orchestra Technology is proud to be a Minority Owned Business Enterprise. Led by an experienced management team,Show MoreRelatedStrengths And Weaknesses Of An Self Development Essay1900 Words   |  8 Pages Introduction This self-development paper has not only given me the chance to reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses but it has also provided me with the opportunity to learn about what people close to me, such as my family, friends, and coaches, think about me and when they have seen me at my best. Before receiving my stories, I thought that my greatest strengths were hard work, determination, and ambition. I think one of the reasons I thought this was because these skills allowed me to findRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pages389 Company Index 395 Subject Index 398 v Contents PART 1 UNDERSTANDING HRM Chapter 1 The Dynamic Environment of HRM 2 Learning Outcomes 2 Introduction 4 5 Understanding Cultural Environments 4 The Changing World of Technology What Is a Knowledge Worker? 6 How Technology Affects HRM Practices 6 Recruiting 7 Employee Selection 7 Training and Development 7 Ethics and Employee Rights 7 Motivating Knowledge Workers 7 Paying Employees Market Value 8 Communications 8 Decentralized Work Sites 8 Skill

Help from an Unexpected Friend Essay Example For Students

Help from an Unexpected Friend Essay Today, I feel good with myself. I’m studying, working, writing, reading, going to the gym, listening to what other people say with attention, but one day, not all was well. There were drugs, crazy parties, bad companies, racism and a lot of bad things. I was also young and stupid. We need bangs to grow up, but there are some bangs from which people cannot (literally) stand up. I needed help, and someone gave it to me. But not just anybody, he was one from a race and religion that I despised. I needed help and someone gave it to me. I had taken a vacation, and when I came back, I noticed some change in my social circle. They were taking a lot of drugs. Of course we had been doing that, but just for experiments (what is so bad too), for now it was every moment that they can do it. I thought, â€Å"Well, we are a pack† so I started in it too. One day my parents left our house for a work travel, I was â€Å"home alone,† so I called three girls and two friends got stoned. They bought everything, alcohol and drugs too (of course). You can imagine what we were thinking to do, go crazy in a hard and really bad way. That night a friend come to my house. He is an Arabic person. I hated that race, I thought that every single Arab was a crazy person, more if they are not Christian or some â€Å"normal† religion. Do you believe it? I don’t know what I had in my head. I knew that my â€Å"crazy† Arabic friend didn’t use drugs, so I started to disturb him for that. After when drugs took hold, I screamed him â€Å"get out of my house. Not matter the situation, you have to be really rude to do that. Today, seven years later, I still feel shame for my attitude. He went out. We, my two friends and the girls, started to take what we hadnt yet. The next day, I felt physically so bad and confused. My memories were like pictures with flash. When I was thinking about the last night, I heard someone calling me through the door. It was my friend, my Arabic friend. I could not believe it. In that moment I remembered my attitude with him. I felt very sorry, I can’t explain it. He talked to me about life, about women, about how to have success and fail in life, and many other things. It was a very important moment in my life. It changed to me. A person who is from a race and religion that I hated changed me in a good way. You don’t know who can change your point of view. I that case it was a person from a culture that I hated. Now, Ive grown up, and I don’t think like I used to think, and I know what was wrong with me. But that conversation with my friend, real friend, was an very important step in my life. A real help from a real man.

Isolation Essays - Emotions, Emotional Isolation, Isolation

Isolation Nicole Bumbacco Ms. Hannah ELC 4AO Dec 23, 1999 Isolation is defined in the Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary as occurring when something is ?placed apart or alone.? Naturally, humans are faced with feelings of isolation at certain times throughout their lives. However, there are particular types of isolation that capture the imagination of writers and artists. Canadian authors are drawn towards the theme of isolation in their literature. Characters portrayed in Canadian literature are either spiritually, emotionally, physically or geographically isolated. Isolation can either have a positive or negative affect on humans. Humans are often driven mad by isolation, where their only means of escaping is by death. Others who are isolated develop psychotic tendances which cause them to destroy themselves, as well as others. Throughout Canadian literature, isolation has an extremely negative effect upon the development of the individual's character. In the short story ? The Lamp at Noon?, Sinclair Ross portrays the young woman Ellen as a character who is driven mad by her geographical isolation. Throughout this story, Ellen struggles to break free from the poor, barren and hopeless prairie landscape she and her family inhabit. Ellen has little contact with other people. Living in a two bedroom home and once a month to town with not a penny to spend was not the type of environment Ellen wanted to live in ( Ross, 36). Feelings of loneliness and isolation surround Ellen, trapping her in an inevitable, hopeless future. Undoubtable, Ellen's geographical and physical isolation were not the only components of Ellen's insanity. Ellen felt emotionally isolated from her husband, Paul. Paul was too preoccupied with his farm to even acknowledge Ellen's feelings of isolation. Ellen addresses Paul many times, trying to convince him to leave the deserted prairie. Paul does not listen to Ellen. He feels that all he needs to provide Ellen with is clothes and nourishment (36). It is clearly shown at the end of this story when Ellen is driven into a state of insanity that Paul also needed to show her love and affection (42). Geographical and emotional isolation warped Ellen's character into a state of madness. Sinclair Ross's ? The Lamp at Noon? is not the only short story that portrays the negative effects of isolation. In Susanna Moodie's ? Brian the Still Hunter?, Brian's isolation moulds him into a demented and vile character. Brian's alcoholism isolates him from himself as well as others. When sober, others refer to him as a passionate man, but, ? when the wit was out and the liquor was in, he was as savage as a quarrelsome bear? ( Ross, 6). Other's feared Brian's unpredictable character and therefore Brian endured little contact with others. Brian's alcoholism also isolated him from his family both physically and emotionally. ?After being on a spree for a week or two,...he would hide himself up in the woods and steal home at night, and get what he wanted out of the pantry without speaking a word to anyone? (6). This quote exemplifies the physical isolation Brian endures from his family, when he was drinking. Brian's isolation also resulted in an emotionally unhealthy relationship with his wife. Alcoholism often compelled Brian to feel guilty and worthless toward his wife, ? he would take fits of remorse, and return home to his wife- would go down upon his knees and ask her forgiveness and cry like a child?(6). Brian's entire character was destroyed inside, he felt worthless and incapable. to escape his emotional isolation, Brian attempted to commit suicide. (8) Brian's unsuccessful attempt at suicide lead him into physical isolation again. ? he left off drinking entirely, and wonders about the country with his dogs, hunting. he seldom speaks to anyone...? (9). This quote exemplifies how Brain was driven into a state of insanity. The character of Brian in this short story greatly displayed the negative effects isolation can have. The negative effects of isolation can also be shown through W.O. Mitchell's novel, Ladybug, Ladybug. In Ladybug, Ladybug, the negative effects of isolation warp character Charles Slaughter into a psychopath. The only time Charles felt loved or acknowledged throughout his life was in the presence of his father. Even though Charles' father was rarely around, he always remembered to bring