Interrelationship Between Management Functions

PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

Taylor’s scientific management is based on five principles which are discussed below.

1. Replacement of Old Rule of Thumb Method. Scientific investigation should be used for taking managerial decisions instead of basing decisions on opinion, intuition or rule of thumb. The principles of use of science for rule of thumb is the starting point that distinguishes scientific management from traditional management. Under scientific management, decisions are made on the basis of acts as developed by the application of scientific method to the problem concerned. This is in contrast with the approach followed under traditional management according to which divisions are based on opinions, prejudices, or rule of thumb. Thus, substitution of rule of thumb or opinion by scientific approach is one of the primary contributions of Taylor to the field of management.

2. Scientific Selection and Training of Workers. The procedure for selection of workers should be designed scientifically. The errors committed, at the time of selection may prove to be very costly later on. If we do not have right workers on the right, the efficiency of the organization will be reduced. Therefore, every organization should follow a scientific system of selection. The selected workers are to be trained to avoid wrong methods of work. Management is responsible for the scientific education and training. The management has to prove opportunities for development of workers having better capabilities.

3. Cooperation between Labour and Management. There should be cooperation between the management and the workers. This requires change of mental attitudes of the workers and the management towards each other. Taylor called it mental revolution. When this mental revolution takes place, workers and management turn their attention towards increasing profits. They do not quarrel about the distribution of profits.

4. Equal Division of Responsibility. There must be equal division of responsibility between the managers and the workers. The management should assume responsibility for the work for which it is better suited. For instance, management should decide the method of work, working conditions, time for completion of work, etc., instead of leaving these to the discretion of workers. The management should be responsible for planning and organizing the work, whereas the workers should be responsible for the execution of work as per instructions of management.

5. Maximum Output. The management and the workers should try to achieve maximum output in place of restricted output. This will be beneficial to both the parties. Maximum output will also be in the interest of the society.

Mental Revolution

The basic idea behind the principles of scientific management is to change the mental attitudes of the workers and the management towards each other. Taylor called it ‘Mental Revolution.’ In the words of Taylor, “In its essence, scientific management involves a complete mental revolution on the part of the working men connected in any particular establishment or industry... and it involves equally complete mental revolution on the part of those on the management’s side–the foremen, the superintendent, the owner of the business, the Board of Directors… Without the complete mental revolution on both sides, scientific management does not exist.”

The Great Revolution that takes place in the mental attitude of the two parties under scientific management is that both sides take their eyes off the division of the surplus as the all-important matter, and together turn their attention towards increasing the size of the surplus until this surplus becomes so large that it is necessary to quarrel over how it should be divided. They come to see that when they stop pulling against one another, and instead both turn and push shoulder to shoulder in the same direction, the size of the surplus created by their joint efforts is truly astounding.

They both realize that when they substitute friendly cooperation and mutual helpfulness for antagonism and strife, they are together able to make this surplus so enormously greater than it was in the past that there is ample room for large increasing in wage for the workmen and an equally great increase in profits for the manufacturer.

Taylor wanted to bring about mental revolution on the part of the workers and the management. Without the revolutionary change in attitudes, he could not think of scientific management. The mental revolution has three facts:

• all out efforts for increasing in production. 
• creation of the spirit of mutual trust and confidence; and
• inoculating and developing the scientific attitude towards problems.

Taylor suggested that management should try to find the best methods of doing various jobs and introduce standardized materials, tools, and equipment so that wastages are reduced. The management should select right types of people and give them adequate training so as to increase the quantity and quality of production. It must create congenial working conditions for optimum efficiency of the workers. It should perform the decision-making function and should always give maximum cooperation to the workers to ensure that work is done according to the scientific techniques.

The workers should also change their attitude towards the management. They should not be work-shirkers. They should be disciplined, loyal and sincere in fulfilling the tasks assigned to them. They should not indulge in wastage of resources. Both the management and the workers should trust each other and cooperate in achieving maximum production.