SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: THEORY, HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, PRINCIPLES - DUDAS - 2024

The scientific management, scientific management theory or scientific school is the implementation of scientific methods in administrative phenomena and mishaps in order to obtain industrial efficiency. It emerged in the mid-twentieth century in the United States as a response to the low supply of blue-collar personnel. For this reason, great thinkers realized that the only way to raise productivity was by increasing the labor efficiency of workers.

Its main founder was the North American engineer Frederick W. Taylor, who expressed dissatisfaction with the losses suffered by the administrative sector. To eradicate this problem, Taylor proposed to eliminate financial waste through a series of principles that would guarantee an increase in the productive level.

Frederick W. Taylor was the main precursor to the scientific theory of management. Source: wikipedia.org

In addition, Taylor endorsed the replacement of rudimentary and empirical methods by scientific methods. This gave a fundamental role to administrative management, as it became responsible for the capabilities and means to analyze finances scientifically, and the individual responsibility that previously rested only on the employee was reduced.

The scientific approaches of this author are considered a true revolution in managerial and business thinking. This is because the scientific management of Frederick Taylor was in charge of the division of tasks and the social organization of work, principles that remain in force today.

Although Frederick Taylor was the first to establish a scientific administration, this author had the support of other renowned intellectuals such as Henry L. Gantt and the spouses Liliam and Frank Gilbreth; together they laid the foundations for the principles of scientific management theory.

History

-Background of administrative discipline

Administration has its origins in the birth of ancient civilizations. In the early history of mankind, men decided to group together in order to meet their basic survival needs.

This resulted in the first societies to settle and organize through a series of rules that protected their resources.

Over the years, human groups began to improve their product manufacturing systems, which gave way to the origin of the administration.

Consequently, the administration was born as a method to safeguard and reproduce resources, taking into account possible failures and war or climatic circumstances.

Sumerian civilization

A group of historians located some antecedents of the administration in century X a. C., when King Solomon decided to establish trade agreements on construction material and used them as peace treaties.

Solomon distributed certain resources equitably among the population, which influenced the invention of writing in 5000 BC. C.; This achievement contributed to the preservation of the records of a kind of administrative control of a tributary nature that was used by the Sumerians.

Egyptian civilization

The Egyptians had to develop administrative planning due to their arduous architectural work, which required a rigorous organization to be carried out.

For example, they had to record the number of blocks, where they were mined, and the number of men needed to develop any pyramid project.

The Babylonian civilization

Code of Hammurabi. According to historians, it can be said that in Mesopotamia the first written and systematized rules existed.

In Babylon the laws of Hammurabi were elaborated, whose main focus was on the mercantile area. In this code, issues concerning loans, contracts, agreements, sales and partnerships were registered; furthermore, the transactions were kept on tablets.

From this moment on, responsibilities began to be delegated. For example, a supervisor could be punished if subordinates did not fulfill their duty.

Likewise, the Hammurabi code began to define the first minimum wages together with the first commercial responsibilities and deposits. Later, in 604 BC King Nebuchadnezzar implemented payment and production controls, as well as wage incentives in textile-type factories.

China, Greece and India

In 2256 a. Administrative methods began to be implemented in the Chinese Empire, when Emperor Yao decided to establish a council meeting with the aim of applying important proposals that would benefit the economy of the region.

On the other hand, in Greece it was possible to administer certain operations within commercial companies, which facilitated the entry into a democratic form of government.

It is worth noting that the origins of the scientific method are found in this region, since the Greeks refined some research criteria and established education and science within administrative processes.

As for India, the first time an administrative manifesto emerged was in 321 BC. C. It was called Arthasastra of Kautilya.

In this text, the political, economic and social organization of the region was defined in detail, where the king and his advisers were obliged to watch over the businesses and protect the income and taxes of the mines, factories and markets.

The Roman Empire

Vexillum of the Roman Empire. (Ssolbergj)

In this civilization arose the greatest administrative capacity of antiquity, since the Romans managed to organize a population of fifty million people through strategic and administrative disciplines.

For example, in 284 d. C. the emperor Diocletian promoted a treaty where the territories had to be divided into provinces that would be in charge of producing certain specific resources.

The industrial Revolution

This stage is crucial for the development of scientific management, as it symbolized a large-scale epistemological change by the major nations.

At this time steam engines were developed, which increased production systems. In this way, much more workers began to be required, in addition to new forms of capitalization and commercialization.

Thanks to this, the division of labor began to be necessary, so workers began to specialize in certain specific areas of the industry. Consequently, hours of training were required as well as the introduction of sanctions and incentives.

A forerunner of modern administration was the philosopher and economist Adam Smith, who emphasized the importance of dividing labor in his renowned Wealth of Nations, published in 1776.

In this text, Smith defended economic freedoms under the premise that they fully benefited society.

Evolution towards an administrative theory

Some historians consider that from 1900 on, one can properly begin to speak of the birth of theories on scientific administration.

This is because at the beginning of the 20th century different schools and approaches were formed whose objective was to solve the business and financial problems of the moment.

This group of approaches and schools are called scientific because they propose premises and solutions developed systematically, under a structure of analysis and observation.

During the first decades of the 20th century, Frederick Winslow Taylor started the school of scientific management, whose objective was to increase the efficiency of companies. On the other hand, the European thinker Henri Fayol was the one who developed the classical theory of administration, which focused on the structure of financial organizations.

characteristics

The main characteristics of scientific management enunciated by the theory are presented below:

- Scientific methods are applied within the global problem in order to formulate principles that protect standardized processes.

- Wages are high, while unit production costs are low.

- Employees must be distributed in their jobs or service posts in a scientific manner. Working conditions must have been selected using scientific, rigorous and objective criteria.

- Employees must have prior training to help them improve their attitudes and skills.

- The working atmosphere between workers and management is cordial and cooperative.

- The rationalization of work must be based on a business structure that allows the principles to be applied consistently.

Principles of scientific management

Taking into account the theory of scientific management of Frederick Taylor, the following principles can be established:

Principle of exception

It is an operational control system that is based on the premise that the most important decisions should be assigned to superiors, while the smaller events should be the responsibility of subordinates.

Intensification principle

It consists of reducing production time through the proper use of raw materials and equipment. After this has been achieved, the rapid placing of the product on the market should be included.

Principle of economy

Every company must ensure the reduction of the volume of raw material that is undergoing productive transformation.

Productivity principle

This principle consists of increasing man's production capacities through specialized studies and academic and work achievements, among other aspects.

Other relevant factors

In addition to the principles outlined above, Taylor adds other factors to take into account:

Scientific organization of work

Managers must replace inefficient or outdated work methods with activities more suited to the needs of the business.

This prevents productivity from decreasing and allows protection of some company factors such as time, tools, and operations.

Selection and training of personnel

Managers must select their future employees appropriately taking into account their skills and abilities. In addition, workers must be previously trained in the trade they are going to perform.

Cooperation between operators and managers

Company administrators must incentivize their staff through commissions and bonuses. In this way the employee will be more encouraged to cooperate and increase the company's sales.

Shared authority and responsibility

The superiors or main administrators must watch over the planning and mental work of the company, while the operators focus on manual work. This guarantees the division of labor.

Authors

Frederick Winslow Taylor

This author was a multifaceted worker, as he was first a manufacturing manager, then a mechanical engineer, and later a management consultant. Today he is known as the father of scientific administration, and his scientific and philosophical current is defined as Taylorism.

His most important work was The Principles of Scientific Management, which consists of an influential monograph published in 1911, recognized for its postulates of modern organization. This text has motivated administrators and students around the world to learn the administrative technique.

Henry Fayol

Henry Fayol was an Istanbul-born engineer, recognized worldwide as one of the major contributors to the classical approach to scientific management. Fayol graduated as a mining engineer at the age of 19, to later enter as a worker in a metallurgical company.

At age 25, Fayol was appointed manager of mines and then took over the general management of the Compagnie Commentry Fourchambault et Decazeville, twenty years later. During these years the Fayol administration was very successful.

His most important work was Industrial and General Administration, published in 1916. In this text, Fayol distinguishes the managerial and supervisory levels, as well as the administrative functions that should be carried out by the directors of the companies.

Henry Laurence Gantt

Henry Gantt was an American mechanical and industrial engineer, known worldwide for developing the Gantt chart in the 1910s. This chart became a very important contribution to the world of management.

It is a bar graph whose horizontal axis symbolizes time measured in units, while the vertical axis is responsible for recording the functions reflected in horizontal bars. These charts indicate the working time required for each role.

Frank and Liliam Gilbreth

Frank Gilbreth was an independent contractor who based his studies on the principles of Frederick Taylor. Consequently, Frank set about increasing the productivity of the masons without the need for increased physical effort.

After the success of his modifications, his construction company was mainly dedicated to offering consultancies to improve human productivity.

Frank met Taylor in 1907, allowing him to add new elements to his practice of scientific management.

His wife William was of great help and support in his administrative projects; in fact, she is regarded as one of the first industrial psychologists. When Frank passed away, Liliam took over the business and took over the consultancies.

Liliam was highly acclaimed for her prowess at work, earning her the title of "the administration's first lady."

References

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