Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory Summary

Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory
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Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory
Proper organisation management is critical to the success of a firm. Management skills are abilities or attributes that a leader possesses, facilitating the fulfillment of specific organisational goals. They include time management, delegation, problem-solving, effective planning, communication, and decision making. For example, an effective manager should address problems that occur in a firm and avoid potential crises. Good management skills enable leaders to establish a trusting relationship with their subordinates, which enhances the smooth flow of activities and operations. Without proper management skills, employees cannot be propelled to achieve a particular company's vision and mission. This essay explains Frederick Winslow Taylor's theory of scientific management and critically evaluates its relevance to organisations in the 21st century by giving examples.
Taylor was called the "father of scientific management." He introduced the use of the word manager and management in the 18th century to mean an individual who oversees a public organisation's operations and functionalities. His significant contributions to the history of management cannot be forgotten since he came up with theories and concepts that are used by the management teams of various organisations today. Taylor's theory of scientific management entails using scientific methods in defining the "one best way" for a specific job to be done (Robbins et al., 2019). At some point, Taylor was a mechanical engineer of steel companies in Pennsylvania. He realized that employees using different simple scientific techniques to undertake their activities enjoyed doing their work. Through observation, Taylor realized that the scientific method's application was crucial in increasing workers' efficiency and output. In that light, his scientific management theory considers various ways in which employees can use scientific methods to get their duties accomplished efficiently and effectively.
In the 21st century, numerous organisations have implemented technologies to bolster work efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Managers and leaders have seen the importance of applying scientific methods to foster the success of their firms. Currently, organisations are adopting new technologies to gain a competitive advantage (Holmes & Evans, 2016). Technology has become a significant ingredient in the recipe of organisational success, and enterprises ignoring it are planning for failure in upcoming years. For example, let's consider the scenario of Uber Technologies Inc., which was founded in 2009. Before the company's formation, people relied on hitchhiking taxis to be taken from one place to another. Indeed, it was difficult for the taxi driver to know when his or her customers want a ride from their home to the workplace or another location. Uber applied the scientific method to develop an app that connects drivers and clients in real-time. Users are required to open an app on their smartphones and request a ride from their geographical location. Besides, the app uses a geographical positioning system (GPS) to inform the driver of the location of a client. Within a short period, an Uber car arrives and picks the person to his or her destination. In this case, the Uber app bolsters work efficiency by helping the driver know the client's current location, destination, and calculates the price depending on the traveled distance.
Taylor's theory of scientific management has helped many organisations to increase their productivity through job specialization. Specifically, it facilitates the formation of a structural system that defines departments and job positions (Khorasani & Almasifard, 2017). Many firms today have different departments that foresee the smooth operations of specific tasks. As such, employees are assigned work based on their departments and what they are passionate and motivated to do. For instance, if one is good at interacting wi...