The Increasing Application of Scientific Management Principles Of Work
Organisations To Services Is, Despite Its Limitations, Inevitable and
Irreversible.
I Introduction
From the outset of this essay it is necessary to define the basic principles of
Scientific Management in order for the statement to be fully understood and why
if at all such a practice is ?inevitable' and indeed ?irreversible' within a
service industry context.
The underlying belief that scientific management, or rationalisation= , is able
to provide the basis for separating management from the execution of work. ?The
rationalisation of work has the effect of transferring functions of planning,
allocation and co-ordination to managers, whilst reinforcing the managerial
monopoly of decision-making, motivation and control'. Hales (1994).
Taylor (1856-1915) has been referred to as the father of Scientific Management.
He believed that management, not labour, was the cause of and potential solution
to problems in the industry. Taylor concluded that workers systematically ?
soldiered' because they believed that faster work would put them out of a job
and because hourly or daily wages destroyed individual incentive. Taylor
believed that in order to discourage, and indeed halt, this ?soldiering' a ?
mental revolution' was required. He believed this could be achieved via four
vital principles: (1) the development of the best work method, via systematic
observation, measurement and analysis; (2) the scientific selection and
development of workers; (3) the relating and bringing together of the best work
method and the developed and trained worker; (4) the co-operation of managers
and non-manager ...