Researchers continue to search for ideas of improving productivity in industrial work environments. The scientific school of management is among the schools that come up with the classical management theory. The school focuses on the science of developing specialized processes of work and labor force skills that are necessary to complete a certain task. The ideas developed by classical scientific theorists form the foundation of the management practices which are still in use in today’s work environments. Some of the scientists include Fredrick Taylor, Henry Gantt, Fayol, and the Gilbreths which consist of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. The scientific management movement was capable of producing revolutionary ideas of the time. Ultimately, we analyze the theories developed by the scientific theorists and the validity of their relevance in the modern classical school of management. The purpose of this paper is to review the relevance of classical scientific theorists in today’s management practices. These theories comprise ideas such as the implementation of standardized best practices and employee training to improve overall productivity.
Literature Review
Fredrick Taylor
Fredrick Taylor, the instituting father of scientific management practices, developed a theory that brought significant changes in management practices. Taylor suggested that the optimization and simplification of tasks in a job would lead to increased productivity of a firm in his scientific management theory. Taylor also suggested that tasks should be assigned to workers who are most efficient in performing the task (Ferraro, 2016). He, therefore, proposed that workers should be matched to a particular job in which they possessed competent skills and training them to perform the task in a particular way. He established the notion of breaking down jobs into a series of tasks to determine the most effective method of accomplishing the job. After identifying the most effective way of performing a task, this is laid down as the procedure of doing that job (Ferraro, 2016). Therefore, the workers in this job are expected to use the laid down procedure fully to perform the task.
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It was the work of Taylor, Gilbreths and some other classical scientific theorists that led to the conceptualization of the four core principles of scientific management (Su, 2017). These four principles are still relevant to today’s management practices. First, one needs to look at jobs and tasks scientifically in determining the best possible way of accomplishing the task. This principle brought in the practice of developing a particular form of performing a task and therefore lays down the procedure of doing a task, thereby restricting workers from employing their ways of doing the task. Secondly, workers need to be hired on a competitive basis with the appropriate worker for a task and training them to work with maximum efficiency (Ferraro, 2016). This principle ensures that workers possess the necessary skills to perform a task and therefore guiding them on the specific way of accomplishing their tasks effectively.
Thirdly, worker performance should be monitored, and training and instructions should be provided when needed. The significance of this principle is to ensure that workers are following the necessary steps in doing their work. In case a certain level needs to be improved to make the task more efficient, the management would make the required plans and train workers on the effective method (Ferraro, 2016). Lastly, the principle proposes of division between labor and management as an effort of distinguishing management’s responsibility of planning and training workers, and workers effectively executing tasks.
Frank and Lilian Gilbreth
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth are management theorists who introduced the idea of capturing workers on film in analyzing their motions. In their time and motion studies, the theorists were focused on determining how the action of workers can be studied to develop the best productive technique of performing a task. Specifically, they were interested in determining the way motion and movement would cause efficiency in worker productivity. While filming to analyze activities of workers, they divided tasks into separate movements and elements and recorded the time taken to complete a task element (Chukwuemeka & Onuoha, 2018). Then, they were capable of foreseeing the best resourceful workflow for a specific job. Additionally, the films they made were also important as they would be used in training employees on how to function effectively.
Both Taylor and Gilbreths fit in the classical school of management, which emphasizes using scientific analysis on increasing productivity. However, they differ in the aspect of the significance of workers (Chukwuemeka & Onuoha, 2018). Taylor emphasizes productivity and profitability, whereas Gilbreths also focus on worker motivation and welfare. Gilbreths argued that decreasing the motions associated with a specific task would work on improving the well-being of the workers.
Ultimately, their contributions to the classical school of management have provided essential principles that are useful in ergonomics. Taylor and the Gilbreths research introduced important principles that were integrated into quality control and quality assurance programs that began in the 1920s. Consequential to their work is industrial psychology and the discipline of ergonomics. Ergonomics is an essential discipline in management that seeks to increase productivity and minimize work-related injuries by studying workers in their operating environment.
Henry Gantt
Gantt came up with the system of task and bonus as well as a Gantt chart as his critical contributions to the classical management theories. Gantt chart is a management tool that visually represents what transpires over the progression of a project (Robles, 2018). The chart focuses on the chronological performance of the tasks that are undergone in a project. It, therefore, involves identification of the key functions, assigning a time estimate for accomplishing the task and determine the commencement dates for the respective elements of the task. Gantt came up with a terminal and summary element (Robles, 2018). Terminal element refers to differentiated tasks that combined would comprise of an entire task or job. On the other hand, summary elements comprised of the related terminal elements of a larger task.
In modifying Taylor’s “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work” proposition, Gantt supported the task and bonus plan. Gantt was focusing on establishing an average or standard time for a particular task or work. Using the average established time for performing a task, workers who took more time to complete the task would have their payments docked. In comparison, those that performed it in less time were remunerated for the extra elements of the job and a twenty percent bonus or more (Robles, 2018). This plan, also recognized as the progressive rate plan, was ideal for workers seeking additional wages by working harder.
The ideas put forward by Gantt are still relevant today as they are widely used in project management. For instance, the Gantt chart offers multiple benefits in the management of projects. The chart helps in breaking down tasks into specific and related elements in a project. The chart is also beneficial as it allows for easier monitoring of projected timelines in a project (Kumar, 2017). Additionally, the chart also identifies the tasks which are independent allowing them to be carried out at any time independently and tasks that are dependent upon each other prior to the task or element.
Fayol
Fayol was a French industrialist who majorly contributed to scientific management by introducing the fourteen management principles. Fayol's fourteen management principles generally describe a contemporary general management framework (Kumar, 2017). These principles reflect all critical aspects in a work environment ranging from workers' responsibilities to management as well as their relations in the workplace. For instance, the first principle argues for the specialization of labor, termed as the division of labor (Thomas, 2018). This principle proposes that for work to be performed productively and more effectively, the work should be divided into sub-elements and assigned to a worker who best performs the specific element. In the modern classical school of management, the same would be applicable for a manager in the contemporary work setting (Thomas, 2018). The division of labor would allow an administrator to break down complex tasks into more precise and smaller tasks that a worker can complete.
In addition to the fourteen principles of management, Fayol perceived management to be comprised of five elements. These include planning, controlling, commanding, organizing, and coordinating (Kumar, 2017). These together with the other principles are valuable management thoughts that Fayol contributed to the current and future management practices. He provided a conceptual framework that can be used to analyze the managerial job. These contributions were useful during the industrial revolution and are still relevant in the current management practices.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the contributions of the classical scientific theorists are significant in contemporary work environments. The majority of the principles they brought forward are applicable in various work environments due to their universality. The theorists emphasized on increasing productivity using scientific analysis, and this form basis for the improved human resource management practices in the current work environments. The classical scientific theories, therefore, provide the foundation of the current management practices.
References
Chukwuemeka, O. W., & Onuoha, B. C. (2018). Management thoughts: Homogenous or heterogenous. Management , 4 (4).
Ferraro, S. (2016). Frederick Taylor’s other Principles. International Journal of Business and Social Science , 7 (11), 24-27.
Kumar, P. (2017). Analysis the impact of classical management approaches on the management practices. Asian Journal of Management , 8 (3), 841-853.Robles, V. D. (2018). Visualizing certainty: What the cultural history of the Gantt chart teaches technical and professional communicators about management. Technical Communication Quarterly , 27 (4), 300-321.
Su, Y. (2017). Taylor's scientific management theory carding and significance of organization management. Social Sciences , 6 (4), 102-107.
Thomas, B. (2018). Review on the Principles of Scientific Management.
