Scientific Management – Meaning, Principles, Techniques, Criticism

Elements/Tools/ Features of S.M.

1. Separation of Planning from Doing
Taylor emphasized the separation of planning aspect from actual doing of the work. Before Taylor’s a scientific management, a worker used to plan about how he had to work and what instruments were necessary for that. Supervisor’s job was merely to see how the workers were performing. This was creating a lot of problems, and Taylor emphasized that planning should be left to the supervisor and the worker should emphasize only operational work.

2. Job Analysis
Job analysis, as given by Taylor, suggests the fair amount of day’s work requires certain movements and rest periods to complete it.

3. Differential Payment
Taylor founded the differential piecework system and the related incentives with production. Under this plan, a worker received a low piece rate if he produced the standard number of pieces and a high rate if he surpassed the standard. Taylor also suggested that the attraction of a new high piece rate would encourage the workers to increase production. For example, in an organisation there may be two piece rates Rs. 15 and Rs. 20. Suppose each worker has to achieve the target of producing 10 items every day and the workers who produced 10 or more items will be paid at the rate of Rs. 20 and who could not achieve the target will be given wages at the rate of Rs. 15 per piece. If a worker produce 10 items he will get Rs. 200 and other who produce only 9 items will get Rs. 135.
Taylor also suggested that the attraction of a new high piece rate would encourage the workers to increase production.

4. Functional Foremanship
In order to improve the quality of the supervision of workers at the supervisor level, Taylor developed the concept of functional foremanship. In this system, eight persons are involved to direct the activities of workers. Out of these four persons are concerned with planning and remaining four are concerned with doing aspect of the work. All of them give directions to workers on different aspects of work. This is against unity of command principle.


The provision of eight foremen or experts in each using both the functions are as follows.
i. Planning Function
Taylor has suggested that few planning function there should be following experts
(a) Instruction card clerk
The instruction card clerk defines the task to be performed by the workers along with necessary instructions to carry out the task.
(b)  Route clerk
The route clerk defines and instruct about the procedure and timing of doing a given task.
(c)  Time and cost clerk
The time and cost clerk defines the standard time to complete a given task and the cost involved there in.
(d) Disciplinarian
It will be responsible for the over all planning function and ensures that all work is done properly.

ii. Production Function
Production is the implementation of the planning. In this part he has suggested following four experts:
(a) Speed boss
He is responsible for maintaining the speed of production and ensures that whether the work performed by the worker with proper speed or not.
(b) Repair boss
Repair boss is responsible for maintaining all machines and tools in proper working conditions so that the production work will not be affected.
(c) Gang boss
Gang boss is the representative or the leader of small group of worker. He will be responsible for the activities performed by the group. He is also responsible for the preliminary work relating to arrangement and setting up machines and tools in the production unit.
(d) Inspector
The inspector checks the quality in produced goods if the product is not upto the mark then he will investigate the reasons and checks overall production system.

5. Standardization
Standardization should be maintained in respect of instruments and tools, period of work, amount of work, working conditions, cost of production etc. These things should be fixed in advance on the basis of job analysis and various elements of costs that go in performing a work.

6. Mental Revolution
Scientific management depends on the mutual cooperation between management and workers. For this cooperation, there should be mental change in both parties from conflict to cooperation. Taylor feels that this is the most important feature of scientific management because in its absence, no principle of scientific management can be applied.

7. Scientific Selection and Training of Workers
Taylor gave importance to the scientific selection and development of the worker. Taylor understood the importance of developing the worker and suggested to develop and train every worker in order to bring out his best. Taylor comprehended that such trainings will enable the worker to perform a better, more interesting and profitable class of work than he has done in the past.

8. Financial Incentives
Financial incentives can motivate workers to put in their maximum efforts. If provisions exist to earn higher wages by putting in extra effort, workers will be motivated to earn more.

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