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Do Scientific Management principles hinder or help contemporary leadership Practices?
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Do Scientific Management principles hinder or help contemporary leadership Practices?
Leadership plays a fundamental role in organizations, governments, and family platforms. Before, the 1900s there lacked a contemporary management theory as experienced today. Following the rise of many scholars, who were concerned with addressing the existing gaps in management and leadership respectively, today exists many theories that are applicable to management and leaders in an organization. Among the earlier theories, the scientific management concept has remained popular since its inception by Fredrick Taylor. The scientific management movement produced revolutionary ideas for the time. In this regard, concepts such as worker training and implementation of standardized best practices to improve productivity have been put in the application. Taylor’s theory was referred to as scientific because to develop it, he employed techniques borrowed from botanists and chemists, such as analysis, observation, synthesis, rationality, and logic (Merkle, 2018). Currently, scientific management has helped in contemporary leadership practices through its applications and concepts.
Firstly, using the first principle of scientific management theory, the practice has helped many leaders in increasing productivity. This principle proposes that leaders should look at each task scientifically to determine the best way to do it. Contrary to top leaders who lack sufficient knowledge on a job, this theory helps managers to critically analyze the input and outcomes of a particular task in an organization. To determine the work quota scientific research process is used. Taylor chose the appropriate and skilled workers; researched the exact sequence of these people use in their work basic operations or actions, and each person uses tools; third, action to eliminate all errors which increase productivity (Zhang, 2015). Therefore, this principle helps leaders in following all appropriate steps before assigning workers certain roles.
Furthermore, the second principle of scientific management theory argues that hiring the right workers for each job, and training them to work at maximum efficiency helps in achieving positive results. Instead of firms wasting resources on unqualified workers, the principle helps contemporary leaders to choose qualified and efficient leaders who can perform within the time framework and efficiency (Asyali & Bastug, 2014). Workers assigned to a certain role must possess relevant experience and expertise to ensure better delivery and effectiveness. This principle helps organizational leaders to record profits by hiring employees that possess the knowledge and have the necessary knowledge to navigate workplace problems thus increasing production. Further, the principle proposes leaders train, develop and teach the worker about his/her roles on the job. Therefore, through this approach mistakes and errors are reduced considerably as the best-qualified candidates are allowed to work at the expense of less qualified individuals.
In addition, the third principle facilitates good leadership practice by encouraging cooperation between the employer and the employee to improve productivity and motivation. For instance, Taylor observed that through distributing work, each employee performed well in duties in which they qualify best. Through this theory, leaders are advised to monitor employee performance while correcting and instructing them where they go wrong. Taylor aimed at improving the relationship between a leader and a worker through constructive interaction that increases productivity. Lastly, the fourth principle of scientific management theory emphasizes the division of labor between the management and workers to increase productivity and teamwork. Notably, the role of the management in planning and execution of a task must be accomplished by the worker’s performance of the aforementioned duty. In conclusion, the scientific management theory helps in contemporary leadership through the proposition of principles and concepts that ensure positive production and motivation between the management and workforce.
References
Merkle, J. A. (2018). Scientific management. In Defining Public Administration (pp. 169-179). Routledge.
Zhang, Y. (2015). The Principles of Scientific Management Spread Forever—-to Commemorate the Principles of Scientific Management Be Published by the 100th Anniversary.
Asyali, E., & Bastug, S. (2014). Influence of scientific management principles on ISM Code. Safety science, 68, 121-127.
