According to Taylor, "Scientific management means knowing what you want men to do and ensuring that they do it in the best and most cost-effective way." It involves the application of standardized methods and tools to enhance productivity, improve quality, and minimize costs and wastage.
Taylor’s scientific management is based on the following four principles:
1. Science not Rule of Thumb: Taylor focused on the scientific study and analysis of each and every element of a work to replace the old rule of thumb method or hit and trial method. Rule of thumb is not based on science or exact measurement. Scientific method is based on cause and effect, whereas rule of thumb was based solely on the discretion of managerial decisions. Taylor focused that managers should scientifically analyze each and every component of work.
2. Harmony, Not Discord: Taylor recognized the class conflict that existed between the workers and managers. He emphasized that there should be no conflict between the workers and managers. Both of them should realize the importance of each other and should work together for organizational goals. In order to achieve this harmonious relation, he focused on ‘Mental Revolution’, which means that workers and managers should transform their thinking. In such a situation, management aims at providing better working environment for the employees, and sharing the gains of the company, etc.
3. Cooperation, Not Individualism: According to this, there should be cooperation between management and workers instead of individualism. This principle is an extension of Principle ‘Harmony, Not Discord’. Both management and workers should realize that they need each other. There should be cooperation between them, and competition should be replaced by cooperation.
4. Development of workers to their greatest efficiency and prosperity: Taylor focused on the efficiency of workers. According to him, every organization should follow scientific method of selection of workers, and each worker should be scientifically selected.
Under ‘Scientific Management’, workers are selected and trained in accordance with the requirements of jobs to be performed by them. With this end in view, physical, educational and psychological requirements of each job are clearly specified, and then the person who is most suitable for the job in question is selected.
