Frederick Taylor's scientific management
Taylor adopted a step-by-step method to determine best practices or the "one best way" in performing a job and thereby establishing the proper pay-rates for the job. Taylor's scientific method was of great influence to industrial companies and it completely revolutionized the organisation of work in industrial organisations.
Taylor's methodical approach to determine the "one best way" to perform a job consisted of the following steps:
Taylor's methodical approach to determine the "one best way" to perform a job consisted of the following steps:
- select a sample of skilled workers and carefully study the job being done
- Carefully list each operation including extensive detail on each task being performed
- Utilize a stopwatch to time each task being performed. Repeat this step over a period of time to obtain an average of the time it takes to perform each task
- Identify and eliminate any necessary tasks that are performed to finalize the job
- Identify any improvements, tools or techniques that can be adopted to reduce the time in performing the job
- Establish new and informed times and pay rates for the job
- Lastly, all workers are trained to perform the job in the "one best way" identified