Taylorism: The Significance Of Scientific Management

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Taylor’s Scientific Management is a revolutionary theory which changed the way in which organisations manage their workflow. This theory is commonly referred to as Taylorism and it is a system that is efficient and productive making the most of the firm’s resources. Taylorism was developed in the 20th century and at the time was a ground breaking theory for businesses. However, the relevance of Taylorism today has been debated due to the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence. This essay will explore the theory of scientific management and will determine the relevance of Taylorism today in comparison to the 20th century.
Scientific Management can be described as applying a tested and proven method in order to manage workers.
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In the fourth part of Taylorism the main focus is to develop human relations and managerial skills. Despite the increase in technology, there is still a need for better managerial skills in the workplace (Littler, 1978). Technology allows employees to move into higher managerial roles in the business instead of doing lower level jobs. Thus, meaning there is an increased need of managerial skills in the company. Therefore, Taylorism is still important in 21st century business as it helps orientate the business towards their goals, help effectively manage other employees and apply the scientific management method to the job to promote productivity (MindTools, …show more content…
This is arguably the most relevant part of Taylorism which is used in today’s society (McKinnon, A., 2003). An example of a company doing this is McDonalds who screen for suitable employees and then tailor their training programmes in order to continuously develop their employees’ skills (McKinnon, A., 2003). This process helps ensure employee motivation by matching their interests and skills to potential positions in the business. Employee motivation is essential for the business to continue to run and psychology shows that employee motivation isn’t necessarily tied with income it is with human interaction, and the person’s psyche as a whole (Derksen, 2014). Therefore, a person’s suitability to the role in the organisation helps determine the overall productivity and efficiency of the business because if an employee enjoys their role it is more likely they will succeed in

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