Everything you need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of scientific management. Scientific management implies the application of scientific methods of study and analysis of the problems of management.
It is a systematic approach as compared to the rule of thumb or trial and error approach. It implies not just a set of techniques for improving efficiency, but substitution of exact scientific investigation and knowledge for individual judgment in all matters, undertaken by a business enterprise.
“Scientific management means knowing exactly what you want men to do and seeing that they do it in the best and the cheapest way.”
Taylor’s scientific management was associated with many benefits to the industry. Taylor’s Scientific Management was criticized not only by the workers and the managers but also by the psychologists and the general public.
The advantages of scientific management can be studied from the viewpoint of:- 1. Employers 2. Workers 3. Society 4. Management.
The disadvantages of scientific management can be studied from the viewpoint of:- 1. Employers 2. Workers 3. Psychologists 4. Management 5. Theorists 6. Psychologists.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Taylor’s Scientific Management – From Viewpoints of Employers, Workers and Management
Advantages and Disadvantages of Scientific Management
Advantages of Scientific Management
Taylor’s scientific management was associated with many benefits to the industry.
Scientific management leads to the following advantages:
1. Traditional rule of thumb method is being replaced by scientific techniques for each element of a man’s work.
2. Proper selection and training of the workers.
3. Establishment of good relationship between the workers and the management.
4. Achievement of equal division of responsibilities between the workers and the management.
5. Standardisation of tools, equipment, materials, and work methods.
6. Detailed instructions and constant guidance of the workers.
7. Incentive wages to the workers for higher production.
8. Elimination of wastes and rationalisation of system of control.
9. Better utilization of various resources.
10. Satisfaction of the needs of the customers by providing higher quality products at lower price.
Disadvantages of Scientific Management
Taylor’s Scientific Management was criticized not only by the workers and the managers but also by the psychologists and the general public.
The main grounds of disadvantages are as follows:
1. The use of the word ‘scientific’ before ‘Management’ was objected because what is actually meant by scientific management is nothing but “a scientific approach to management.”
2. It was argued that the principles of scientific management as given by Taylor were confined mostly to production management. He ignored certain other essential aspects of management like finance, marketing, accounting, and personnel.
3. Taylor advocated the concept of functional foremanship to bring about specialisation in the organisation. But this is not feasible in practice as it violates the principle of unity of command.
4. Scientific management undermined the human factor in industry. It resulted in monotony of job, loss of initiative, overspeeding workers, wage reductions, job insecurity, etc.
5. Trade unionists regarded the principles of scientific management as the means to exploit the labour because the wages of the workers were not increased in direct proportion to productivity increases.
Many of the above objections were later remedied by the other contributors to scientific management like Henri L Gantt, Frank Gilbreth, Lillian Gilbreth and Harrington Emerson. Many of the recommendations of Taylor are still being applied by the modern business undertaking. In short, in can be said that Taylor was the pioneer in introducing scientific reasoning to the discipline of management.
10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Scientific Management
As per the statement of Gilbreths – the important advantage or benefit of scientific management was – “Conservation and savings, making an adequate use of every one’s energy of any type that is expanded.”
Advantages of Scientific Management
Scientific management lead to the following advantages:
(1) Standardisation of tools, equipment, materials and work methods.’
(2) It gives incentive wages to the workers for higher production.
(3) There is the elimination of wastes and realisation of system of control.
(4) Under this system there is better utilisation of various resources.
(5) This system provides the satisfaction of the needs of the customers by providing high quality of products at lower prices.
(6) This system gives detailed instructions and constant guiding for the workers.
(7) Establishment of harmonious relationship between the workers and the management is seen in this system.
(8) In this system there is proper selection and training of the workers.
(9) There is proper achievement of equal division of responsibilities between the workers and the management.
(10) In this there is the replacement of traditional rule of thumb method by scientific techniques for each element of a man’s work.
Disadvantages of Scientific Management
In view of Taylor’s over scientific management has been criticized not only by the workers and managers but also by the psychologists and general public.
The important disadvantages are as follows:
(1) Various Aspects of Managements has not been taken into Consideration – It has been argued that the principles of scientific management as advocated by Taylor were confined mostly to production management. He has ignored various other essential aspects of management like marketing, accounting and personnel.
(2) Functional Foremanship not Feasible in Practice – Taylor has advocated the concept of functional foremanship to bring about specialisation in the organisation. But this is not feasible in practice as it violates the principle of unity of command.
(3) Trade Unions have Opposed this System – Trade unionists have regarded the principles of scientific management as the means to exploit labour because the wages of the workers were not increased in direct proportion to productivity increases.
(4) It is nothing more than a Scientific Approach to Management – Those who have given criticism of the scientific management have argued that, the use of the word ‘Scientific’ before ‘management’ is actually nothing but a scientific approach to management.
To conclude it can be said that the essence of positive view of scientific management was “Science, not rule of thumb, Harmony, not discord. Co-operation not individualism. Maximum output, in place of restricted output. The development of each man to his greatest efficiency and prosperity.”
Integration of scientific management, human relations movement of Fayol’s administrative theory can give us a broader and sound base for organisation and management.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Scientific Management: 7 Points
Advantages of Scientific Management
A. To the Employers:
According to Gilbreths, the main benefit of scientific management was “conservation and savings, making an adequate use of every ounce of energy of any type that is expended.”
Scientific management leads to the following benefits to the employers:
1. Replacement of traditional rule of thumb method by scientific investigation.
2. Proper selection and training of the workers leading to better workforce.
3. Establishment of harmonious relationships between the workers and the management.
4. Achievement of equal division of responsibilities between the workers and the management.
5. Standardisation of tools, equipment, materials and work methods for increasing efficiency.
6. Better utilisation of various resources and elimination of wastes.
7. Scientific determination of fair work a worker can do during the day. This leads to establishment of good relations between the employers and the workers.
B. To the Workers:
The advantages/benefits of scientific management to the workers are listed below:
1. Detailed instructions and constant guidance for the workers.
2. Opportunity for training and development to increase skills.
3. Incentive wages to the workers for higher production.
4. Better working conditions and tools of work for good health of the workers.
5. Less fatigue in work because of application of scientific methods.
C. To the Society:
Scientific management was expected to bring the following benefits to the society:
1. Better quality products at lower costs to the people.
2. Higher standard of living of people through better products.
3. Increased productivity in the country.
4. Industrial peace in the country.
5. Technological development due to scientific investigation.
Disadvantages of Scientific Management
A. Workers Viewpoint:
Workers criticised scientific management because of the following grounds:
1. Speeding up of Workers:
Workers feel that scientific management attempts to force them to work their maximum. It does not bother about the adverse effect of such speeding up on the physical and mental well-being of the workers. But it should be noted that scientific management improves methods of work, tools and equipment and working conditions in order to achieve higher productivity. The scientific management also undertakes fatigue study to provide suitable rest pauses to the workers in the course of work.
2. Boredom:
Scientific management introduces specialisation in the enterprise. The workers are supposed to do the routine work just like automatic machines. This creates the problem of monotony among the workers who start looking for better jobs in other organisations.
3. Unemployment:
Workers feel that scientific management increases the efficiency through standard methods, working conditions, tools and equipment. Since the output per worker is increased, there will be a reduction in the employment opportunities.
4. No Scope for Initiative:
Since there is a divorce between the functions of planning and doing, the workers get no opportunity to take initiative. They are supposed to do whatever they are told to do. They cannot take initiative and exercise their skills to find new methods of work.
5. Exploitation of Workers:
Workers feel that scientific management is a clever device for the exploitation of the workers. They argue that their wages do not rise in the same proportion in which their productivity increases.
A major portion of the gains from increased productivity is taken away by the employers. But it should be noted that the owners have also to invest a lot of money on introducing scientific management. However, the share of gains given to the workers should be just and fair.
6. Weakening of Trade Union:
Scientific management advocates harmony in the organisation. It discourages disputes over the distribution of gains from increased productivity. In this way it weakens the trade union movement.
B. Employers’ Viewpoint:
Employers criticised scientific management on the following arguments:
1. Expensive Process:
Introduction of scientific management is quite expensive. It is necessary to spend huge amount of money on standardisation of methods of work, tools and equipment and working conditions. The employers have also to meet the extra cost of planning department.
2. Reorganisation:
Scientific management involves reorganisation of the whole industrial unit. Whether it is acquiring new standardised tools or equipment, or standardising the working conditions, a lot of time has to be spent in the process. During the intervening period, the work has to be stopped. Thus, the management has to suffer a great loss due to reorganisation. Small scale industrial units cannot bear this burden.
3. Impracticable Functional Foremanship:
The functional foremanship recommended by Taylor is not practisable. A worker cannot receive commands from eight foremen at a time and cannot satisfy them all.
4. Lack of Control:
Scientific management does not emphasise cost and financial control. This may lead to inefficiency in the enterprise.
C. Psychologists’ Viewpoint:
The psychologists have criticised the scientific management on the following arguments:
1. Mechanical Approach:
Scientific management adopts the mechanical approach towards the workers. It tells them one best way of doing a job. The workers have to follow the way of doing the job as directed by the management. Moreover, the workers have no say in determining the method of doing the job. The workers are treated like machines.
The industrial psychologists advocate the adoption of the human approach towards workers. The workers should be encouraged to take initiative and they should be given a right to participate in the affairs of the organisation.
2. Monotony:
Since there is over-specialisation under scientific management, workers feel bored by working at a job for long. The worker rarely realises how the small task done by him helps in the manufacture of the final product.
The repetitive nature of his job creates in him a sense of weariness and frustration. His efficiency is also reduced after a certain time. The industrial psychologists advocate that job enlargement should be introduced to solve the problem of monotony.
3. Speeding Up of Workers:
Scientific management has the impact of increasing the speed of work. It does not take into consideration the harmful effects of such speeding up on the physical and mental health of the workers. It wants maximum efficiency. Sometimes, the standard task is set at a higher level which results in bad health of the workers.
Accidents become a common feature and the rate of spoilage also goes up. The industrial psychologists feel that the management should also give adequate importance to the ease of doing the work.
4. Lack of Proper Motivation:
Under scientific management wages are paid to the workers as per the piece-wage system. Minimum wage is not assured to the workers. This means that Taylor assumed that money is the greatest motivating force. If a worker does more work, he will get more wages. There are other factors also which motivate the people. Some of these factors are security, social relationships, independence and recognition.
From the above discussed we can conclude that scientific management as propagated by F.W. Taylor involves more of industrial engineering than management. It takes a partial view of the management of industrial enterprise.
For instance, it focuses attention on the production area of the business only. It does not consider the other important areas like marketing, purchasing, financing, etc. It may also be noted that scientific management includes decision-making at the higher levels and concentrates simply with repetitive work on the shop floor.
Too much emphasis has been given to the analysis of job and standardisation of working conditions tools and equipment, etc. Thus, scientific management does not follow an integrated approach to management.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Scientific Management – 9 Points
Advantages of Scientific Management
1. As Management Sees them:
(a) Lower Production Costs:
Scientific management helps reduce the cost of production. This is made possible by close analysis of each production activity to determine the best method of performing it. The combination of factors of production, like material, labor and machines, is also scientifically determined.
(b) Production Planning and Control:
Scientific Management emphasizes effective planning and control of production activities. This equips the management to focus on (a) What task is to be performed and who will perform it; and (b) How, when and where it will be performed. This will facilitate decision on the determination of production targets and their achievement as per schedule. It will also make it easy to exercise quality control, and cut down on costs of production. Increase in sales and profits will follow automatically.
(c) Standardization and Simplification:
Scientific Management requires performance of each task and activity according to a pre-deter-mined standard. For every department and individual worker, there is a standard task or activity to perform. Same standardization is applied in case of raw material, machines and tools, and work-methods and working conditions.
(d) Rise in Profits and Market Standing:
Close attention to tasks and activities performed in the factory gives expected results—all round cost reduction leading to increase in sales and profits and they, in turn, resulting in increased salary and bonus to workers. And of course this gives the organization the status of a dominant player in the market.
2. As Workers See them:
(a) Improvement in Working Conditions:
Scientific Management strongly emphasizes the upgrading of working conditions; this enables workers to perform to their maximum capacity and ability, and for long hours, without any adverse effect on their physical, mental and psychological health.
(b) Improvement in Living Standards:
In a standardized set-up, workers are able to work hard, gaining in efficiency from performing the same task or activity again and again. Result – Increase in output and hence, earning higher wages that help raise their living standards.
3. As Society Sees them:
(a) Increased Availability of Goods and Services:
Scientific management makes it possible for people to benefit from plentiful supply of quality goods and services at affordable price. Increase in production activity of the organization will, in turn, give rise to production of industrial and agricultural raw material and manufacture of capital goods needed by the organization. Overall increase in production will contribute to growth of gross national product (GNP) of the country—a reliable index to measure its economic growth and prosperity.
(b) Creates Conditions for Industrial Peace:
Division of work based on individual and group skill-levels will increase job satisfaction among workers. Performance-based wages will promote healthy competition, rather than jealousy among them, or grievance against management. This will assure industrial peace and constructive trade union activity. Absence of sword-crossing between workers and management will serve overall interests of society; no strikes, no slogan-shouting, no unruly demonstrations—the citizens can live life peacefully.
(c) Economic Prosperity:
Scientific Management enables production of quality goods and services at affordable price. Thus, workers with increased earnings will be able to make use of increased supplies of agricultural produce and consumable goods and services, resulting in rise in living standards.
Disadvantages of Scientific Management
1. As Management Sees them:
(a) Expensive to Standardize Equipment and Tools:
Installation of scientific management equipment will involve huge expenditure on standard tools and working conditions. In inflationary conditions, cost of everything, including labor, keeps on going up; the organization cannot recover the entire amount by increasing price of its goods and services.
However, this argument ignores the fact that gains made by the organization from labor productivity and increased profits will, over the years, be far greater than the expenditure on high-tech equipment and improvement of working conditions.
(b) Disruption in Normal Functioning:
Scientific management cannot be introduced in a day. It will require complete overhauling of the organization. Purchase of high-tech equipment, tools, and renovation of working conditions will cost much in terms of time and money. It will also disturb the normal functioning of the organization.
2. As Workers See them:
(a) Harsh on Workers:
Workers complain that Scientific Management only has one-point program: To drive them to work to their maximum, caring little about how it impacts their physical, mental and psychological health.
Few people will buy this argument. Yes, workers have to work hard, but they also have the benefit of proper training, provision of standard material, machines, tools and best working conditions, which considerably lessen the effects of sustained working on their health.
Then, there are increased wages and bonus, lunch and tea-intervals that induce them to work more and better. And, to cap it all, there is satisfaction that they have contributed to the welfare of society.
(b) Performance of Repetitive Tasks Causes Boredom:
Workers are required to work as ordered by multiple foremen, and with standard material, machine, tools, etc. They have no scope to display their creativity or take initiative.
This argument is valid but only to a limited extent. Yes, workers have to work as ordered by foremen. But they need to remember that the standard equipment, tools and working conditions are the outcome of detailed expert analysis aimed to promote efficiency among them which helps them perform more and better and also earn a decent living.
(c) Reduction in Employment Opportunities:
Scientific management seeks to increase labour efficiency and productivity. This means one worker will perform what, in absence of scientific management, will require two or more workers. Therefore, management is less inclined to recruit new workers; it may even devise ways to get rid of the existing surplus staff.
However, this argument is without merit. In the short run, scientific management may curtail job opportunities, but its long-term effect is the exact opposite. This is because scientific management leads to increase in industrial output and higher disposable incomes in hands of workers and material-suppliers.
The combined effect of this will be increase in demand for both industrial and agricultural output which, in turn, will attract greater investment in farms and factories, thus creating employment opportunities in plenty, for both skilled and unskilled workers.
(d) Anti-Trade Union View of Scientific Management:
As standards as regards output, wages and working condition are determined objectively, workers see no point in joining trade unions to fight for fair wage and job security. They only focus on adding to their skill and productivity levels that will assure them increased earnings. This is invitation to crony capitalism, and workers can be hired and fired at will.
However, this argument lacks merit. A trade union is meant to assure better wages, job security and other welfare measures for workers. Under scientific management, workers are paid and retained according to their ability, and it can be nobody’s case that there should be equality between the competent and incompetent, which is what militant trade unions often focus on.
(e) Scientific Management has Pro-Owner Bias:
Even though wages are fixed based on performance, they do not increase in the same proportion as labor productivity and resultant increase in profits; a large part of profits only accrue to owners/management of the organization.
However, this argument is untenable. Workers ought to be given a fair share in increased profits, but this should not ignore the fact that it is the owner-managers of organization who finance the entire apparatus of scientific management. They are obliged to share the profits with shareholders and also set apart a part of profits to build general reserves to keep afloat in the lean season. Remember what happened to Kingfisher Airlines which, ostrich-like, did not foresee the impending funds crunch.
3. As Theorists See them:
(a) One-Sided Approach:
Scientific management does not view management as an integrated process. It only focuses on the production aspect of management, ignoring the other equally important aspects—marketing, finance, and personnel.
(b) Excessive Emphasis on Details:
Under scientific management, a job is divided into several parts or elements. In the process, the worker gets alienated from his job. He does not know how the small task performed by him will contribute to making of the final product and add value to it. Efficiency achieved by individual workers leads to increased productivity and output, but in the long run it only causes boredom.
(c) Separation between Planning and Execution:
Scientific management separates planning from execution. Persons in the planning department only plan, knowing little about how their plans are executed on the shop-floor. Those on the shop-floor only execute plans handed down by planning department, having little idea about the formulation of plans. Lack of interaction between planning and execution may adversely affect both.
(d) Distrust of Workers:
Scientific management has negative opinion about workers; it says workers will work only when coerced or threatened with punishment. The wrong assumption that workers only work for money ensures management’s indifference to socio-psychological needs of workers.
4. As Psychologists See them:
(a) Cause of Frustration among Workers:
Under scientific management, decision on what a worker will do, how, where and when he will do it—is made by management. He is denied participation in the decision-making process fearing that he would resist introduction of anything new—work-methods, high-tech equipment, work-hours, and so on. Employees of Life Insurance Corporation struck work nation-wide because they opposed introduction of computers.
This loses sight of the historical fact that resistance to any imposition comes naturally to human beings. Democracy scores over dictatorship only because it allows people freedom of expression. What is needed is a management which lets workers participate in both—planning and execution.
(b) Excessive Physical and Mental Pressure on Workers:
Scientific management seeks to standardize everything—the task, methods, time to be spent and body motions needed to perform any task. This is done to increase the pace of work and increase productivity per worker. The carrot of increased wages to workers if they exceed the standard output, forces them to work beyond physical and mental capacity.
This gives rise to increasing stress levels, sickness, even accidents. An example is those working in multinational companies who end up being uncaring children to their parents, uncaring siblings, spouses, even distancing themselves from friends.
(c) Feeling of Insecurity and Uncertainty among Workers:
Under scientific management, wages are generally paid according to ‘piece-wage system’ which only- benefits the efficient and experienced workers. New and inexperienced workers, and even those who keep away from work due to illness or other reasons, have to rest content with reduced earnings.
This creates a sense of insecurity and uncertainty among them. They know not when they might get marching orders from the management that would ruin their own and family life.