Question

What are the principles of scientific management? Explain in detail.

Explain ‘Harmony, Not Discord’ as a principle of management.

Elaborate on principles of scientific management.

State any three principles of scientific management.

Explain ‘Science not Rule of Thumb’ as a principle of management.

Explain the following principles of management given by Taylor:

1. Science, not rule of Thumb
2. Harmony, not discord
3. Development of each and every person to his or her greatest efficiency and prosperity.

Explain principles of scientific management.

State and explain any five principles of scientific management as laid down by Taylor.

State and explain any four principles of F. W. Taylor.

Answer 1

1. Science, Not Rule of Thumb: To increase organisational efficiency, the ‘Rule of Thumb’ method should be substituted with the methods developed through scientific analysis of work. Rule-of-thumb decisions are based on the personal judgements of the manager. Taylor insisted upon scientific methods for every small work. This principle is concerned with selecting the best way of performing a job after scientific analysis of that job and not by trial and error methods.
2. Harmony, Not Discord: According to this principle, there should be harmony between the employees and management. This coordination will help in minimising conflicts between them. The perfect understanding between employees and management will help create a healthy work environment for achieving the desired goal.
3. Mental Revolution: Taylor introduced the concept of “Mental Revolution”. This principle focuses on the change in the attitude of employees and management towards each other. Both should realise their equal importance in the organisation. They should give full cooperation to achieve the goal of the organisation. This will increase productivity and profits.
4. Cooperation, Not Individualism: This principle emphasises mutual cooperation between the workforce, i.e. employees and management. Due to cooperation, trust, team spirit, etc., internal competition will become a healthy working environment. Management should always consider the suggestions given by employees in the decision-making process.
5. Division of Responsibility: Proper division of work should always be accompanied by the division of responsibilities between managers and employees. Major planning is done by the top and middle-level management authorities, whereas employees concentrate on its execution. It helps for the best performance of managers as well as employees.
6. Development of employer and employees for greater efficiency and maximum prosperity: The best performance of any organisation always depends on the skills and capabilities of its employees to a great extent. Thus, providing training and development programmes to the employees whenever required is essential. It ultimately affects the profitability of the organisation. Employees should be given the proper opportunity for greater efficiency and maximum prosperity.