1. 1. Major contributions of F. W. Taylor and Henry Fayol to the
Development of Management.
Answer:
Contribution of F.W. Taylor
Taylor’s Biography (1856-1915)
Frederick Taylor is known as the "father of scientific management." Taylor began work
at the age of 18 as an apprentice to a pattern maker, and as a machinist. He later joined
the Midvale Steel Company as a laborer rising in eight years to chief engineer. During
this period at the steel mill, he performed exhaustive experiments on worker productivity,
and tested what he called the "task system," later developing into the Taylor System,
and eventually progressing into scientific management. His experiments involved
determining the best way of performing each work operation, the time it required,
materials needed, and the work sequence. He sought to establish a clear division of labor
between management and employees.
Taylor's task management methodology rests on a fundamental belief that management,
the entrepreneurs in Taylor's day, were not only superior intellectually to the average
employee, but had a positive duty to supervise them and organize their work activities to
eliminate what Taylor called "the natural tendency of workers to soldier" on the job.
In 1911, a paper Taylor originally prepared for presentation to the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers was published as The Principles of Scientific Management.
Taylor positioned scientific management as the best management approach for achieving
productivity increases. It rested on the manager's superior ability and responsibility to
apply systematic knowledge to the organizational work setting.
Key thoughts
Taylor saw that enormous amounts of resources, both material and human, were
dilapidated through sub-optimum usage. He thought that replacing rule-of-thumb with
scientifically developed methods and promoting cooperation between labor and
management, those productivity losses could be overcome, and at the same time the
highest degree of prosperity for employer, employees and society obtained.
He maintained that “The principal object of management should be to secure the
maximum prosperity for the employer coupled with the maximum prosperity for the
employees”. Those highest wages and highest profits would only be obtained at the peak
productivity of men and machines. The four necessary conditions for achieving
maximum productivity were “a large daily task, standard conditions, pay for success and
loss in case of failure”.
He also pointed out that the principal recipients of the lower production costs achieved
when working at maximum efficiency were the general public, profiting from the
reduction of prices and widespread affordability of goods.
A Study of Mohammad Robiul Alam 1
2. He identified the causes for losses in productivity as:
1 The ignorance of employers and workmen about what a proper time for doing a
specific job is.
2 The indifference of the employers and their ignorance as to the proper system of
management to use, and furthermore their indifference as to the individual character of
their men.
He further stated four general principles upon which a scientific management system
should be built:
1. develop a science for each element of an individual’s work, which is to replace
the old rule-of-thumb judgment.
2. scientifically select and then train and develop the worker
3. heartily cooperate with the workers as to assure that the work is continuously being
done in accordance to the scientific principles under it was designed.
4. divide equally the burden of work, leaving the actual work to the men and giving the
management the responsibility for most other tasks.
As for the first principle, the management would first gather all the information about the
best current practice for a particular job, by the observation of the very best men in the
specialty. Then reduce every single job into components, then analyze for each of them
the best possible way, with least waste in motion and time, and lastly rearrange the pieces
into an optimum work sequence. The resultant optimized job would yield the maximum
efficiency, since it had been stripped out of unnecessary movements and it would be
performed in the least possible time. Tools, jigs and aids should be redesigned in order to
be congruent with an optimum efficacy. This has been called “time and motion study”,
and is often unfairly viewed as the only thing the Taylor system is about.
A Study of Mohammad Robiul Alam 2
3. Contribution of Hanry Fayol
Fayol’s Biography (1841-1925)
Henri Fayol, a French industrialist is regarded as the founder of the classical school and
modern management in general. He developed the framework for the study of
management, as he was the first to investigate into managerial behavior and provided a
systematic approach to management study. Fayol believed that such a formal, systematic
and organized approach to management, combined with scientific forecasting was bound
to yield positive results for the organization. Fayol worked on organization structure from
the top down and developed the first rational approach to the organization of an
enterprise. Henri Fayol's management theory is a simple model of how management
interacts with personnel. Fayol's management theory covers concepts in a broad way, so
almost any business can apply his theory of management. Henri Fayol laid down the
foundation for further works in the development of management. His contributions are
generally referred to as Administrative Management.
He also established his 14 Principles of Management, which are discussed below;
1. Division of work. Output can be increased by specialization, making employees more
efficient.
2. Authority. The right or power to give orders to subordinates is authority. Wherever
authority exists, responsibility arises.
3. Discipline. Employees must obey the organizational rules. Good discipline must result
from an agreement between firm and employees with fairness and clear
understanding of both sides. Penalties can be applied to violations of rule.
4. Unity of Command. Each subordinate should receive orders from one superior.
5. Unity of Direction. Organizational activities that have the same objective should be
guided by one manager, using one plan.
6. Subordination of individual Interests to the General Interest. The interests of one
employee (or group of employees) should not precede over the interests of the
organization as a whole.
7. Remuneration. Employees must be paid a fair wage. Rewards should be used as a
tool of encouragement.
8. Centralization. The degree to which subordinates are involved in decision-making.
Whether the decision is centralized or decentralized is a question of proportion.
9. Scalar Chain. The line of authority from top to the lowest ranks of management.
A Study of Mohammad Robiul Alam 3
4. Communication should go along this chain. To avoid delays, cross communications can
be allowed if agreed by all involved parties.
10. Order. Materials and people should be in right place at right time.
11. Equity. Managers should be kind and fair to their subordinates
12. Stability of Tenure of Personnel. High employee turnover causes inefficiency.
Managers should ensure replacements at hand when vacancies arise.
13. Initiative. The power of thinking out, proposing and executing. Management should
encourage employees to originate and carry out plans. This urging tends to boost
levels of effort.
14. Esprit de Corps. Fostering team spirit is the way to construct harmony and unity
among employees.
Faylor’s General and Industrial Management was a singular and significant
contribution to management thought in that it presented three (3) revolutionary aspects
highly important to the development of management.
The concept that management has a separate body of knowledge is applicable to the
form of group activity – The University of Management
A first complete and comprehensive theory of management which could applied to all
endeavors.
The concept of teaching and developing management curricula in colleges and
universities.
A Study of Mohammad Robiul Alam 4
5. Here’s a table is given to show the contribution of F.W. Taylor and Hanry Fayol
at a glance;
Name and Major work Major contribution to
management
Federic Winslow Taylor Scientific Management
(U.S. Engineer), 1856-1915
Shop Management Acknowledge as the father of
Principles of Scientific Management Scientific Management, his primary
Work with Bottom-Up approach concern was to increase productivity
through greater efficiency in
production and increase pay for the
workers through the application of
scientific method
Henry Fayol Modern Operational Management
(French Industrialist), 1841-1925 Theory
Work with Top-Down approach Referred to as the father of “Modern
Management Theory”
Technic Comme He divided industrial activities into six
al rcial groups : Technical, Commercial,
Financial, Security, Accounting,
Managerial.
Manage Financi
rial al
Accoun Securit
ting y
A Study of Mohammad Robiul Alam 5
6. 2. Elton Mayo & the major phases of Hawthorne Studies.
Elton Mayo’s Biography (1880-1949)
Elton Mayo was born in 1880 in Adelaide of Australia, in a middle class family. He
graduated from Adelaide University and became a teacher in logics, ethics, and
philosophy. Later on he studied on medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland In 1922 he went to
the United States. He was feed up too much vocational educational system of Australia.
In U.S.A. he joined a research position at the Wharton Business School, in the University
of Pennsylvania. He was recruited in the industrial research pogramme of the graduate
School of Business at Harvard University, in 1926. Here Mayo became interested in
classical sociology, social anthropology and human factor studies.
Elton Mayo is one of the pioneers of the human relations movement, and created the
concept of “social man”. By using scientific methods, Mayo carried out his famous
Hawthorne studies at the Hawthorne Plants of the Western Electric Company in
Chicago. The conclusion from the Hawthorne experiments is that employee performance
increased where:
• Workers had good relationship within themselves and with management
• Workers worked in groups, rather than working on their own
• There was recognition for the good work that they do.
Elton Mayo and his colleagues are known as human relations theorists.
A more detailed discussion of Mayo’s research can be found in the chapter on Motivation
and Job satisfaction.
His two great books are;
Human problems of an Industrial Civilization
The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization
A Study of Mohammad Robiul Alam 6
7. The Hawthorne Studies
These Studies were conducted during 1924-1932. The initial objective was to study the
effect of illumination on output. The research project was sponsored by “National
Research Council” and was initiated in November 1924 at the Hawthorne works of the
“Western Electric Company” near Cicero, Illinois.
There were four (4) major phases of this study;
The illumination Experiment
Relay Assembly Test Room
Massive Interviewing Programme
Bank Wiring Observation Room
Illumination Experiment (1924-1927)
This was an orthodox experiment. The influence of illumination upon the levels and
maintenance of output were observed. The experiments were conducted on two groups of
operatives. For one group, variations in intensity of lighting were made periodically.
Incase of the second group, the lighting was not changed and was kept constant
throughout the experiment. Surprisingly the output of both the groups increased steadily.
It was concluded that, the cause of increased output must be found elsewhere. Lighting
was only a factor affecting output.
Relay Assembly Test Room (1927-1932)
The relay assembly test was conducted into three steps, which were elaborated below;
First Relay Assembly Test Room :
In this experiment six woman operatives were placed in a separate test room. Before
separating this group of six, their output of relays (switch board components) were
measured and recorded secretly. They told to work in natural way in the test room and in
briefing meeting with research team they were allowed to comment freely about the
arrangement. An observer for ensuring the girls attitude to the it was also posted in the
test room.
After this, rest pauses of varying duration, shorter hours of work, shorter working week,
free snacks and other changes were introduced. During twelfth period all privileges were
temporarily withdrawn however in the thirteenth these were restored. It was found that
during all this periods the hourly rate of output increased.
A Study of Mohammad Robiul Alam 7
8. Second Relay Assembly Group:
The researcher was devised to re-test some other factors on other groups. For testing the
effects of incentives, five experienced relay men were selected and were allowed to work
where they were working,
During the nine weeks there was 13 percent increased in output on average per person.
The Mica Splitting Group :
This experiment as a matter of fact, had started three months before the above experiment
and continued even after the conclusion of the second relay assembly group. Again a
group of five girls were placed in the other test room. They were expose to changes in
working conditions. Over a period of two years changes were introduced in the working
conditions five times.
Massive Interviewing Programme : (1928-1930)
This programme was undertaken as a plan for improving supervision. The interviewers
were more or less structured. Eighty topics were selected and replies on these on these
topics were analyzed, which reflected the nature of attitudes of respondents towards these
eighty topics. It was found that the male workers were more economically oriented than
the female workers.
Important discoveries were made about the attitudes of various employees. It was found
that at this stage of enquiry that “Many problems of worker- management co-operation
were the result of the emotionally based attitudes of the workers rather than the objective
difficulties in the situations”
The Bank Wiring Observation Group : (1931-1932)
In this group there were fourteen men, including nine wiremen, three soldier men and two
inspectors. They all were paid on group basis. They were working well according to, their
capabilities. This stage of enquiry is known as bank wiring observation room studies.
It was found that the workers group had standard for output of their own and they stuck
to this standard. Workers were indifferent towards the company’s financial incentive
scheme. It was highly integrated cohesive group. There was solidarity among the
workers. The solidarity was directed against management. The workers believe in neither
too much work or too less work. Mayo concluded that the informal social grouping
played a significant role in determining the level of output.
A Study of Mohammad Robiul Alam 8