Summary
Frederick Winslow Taylor's "Shop Management" argues that the best management is founded on maintaining high wages and a low labor cost. This is achieved by implementing systematic planning and functional management, departing from the traditional military type of organization. The book advocates for centralizing all planning and clerical work into a dedicated department, relieving foremen and gang bosses of these responsibilities. Their roles should be strictly executive, focusing on overseeing the execution of plans and providing direct instruction and leadership to workmen.
The author details how the military organization, where foremen are responsible for all aspects of shop running, is insufficient. He proposes a "functional type" of management, where each individual performs a limited number of functions. This division of labor within management aims to improve efficiency and standardize shop operations. The ultimate goal is to shift from a poor system to a better type of management by clearly outlining principles and steps for this transformation, with the dual aim of benefiting both employer and employee through optimized production and fair compensation.
Key concepts
- High wages and low labor cost — The foundational principle of effective management, aiming for increased productivity alongside competitive labor expenses.
- Functional management — A system of organizing management where each person performs a limited number of specialized functions, replacing the military type of organization.
- Planning or laying-out department — A centralized unit responsible for all planning and clerical work, separating it from shop floor execution.
- Military type of organization — The traditional hierarchical structure where a single foreman is responsible for all aspects of shop management.
From the book
Unfortunately for the character of the workman, soldiering involves a
Soldiering becomes such a fixed habit that men will frequently take
As a rule, the fewer the men employed by the contactor and the smaller
Popular questions readers ask
- How would you explain Taylor's concept of "unevenness" in shop management, using the provided example of the chemical manufacturers, and what does this concept imply about the overall effectiveness of pre-scientific management practices?
- Taylor asserts that management "is still looked upon as a question of men." How does this reliance on individual "master spirits" directly contribute to the "equally glaring examples of inefficiency" observed in departments where that individual lacks personal experience?
- Given Taylor's critique that management lacks "laws as exact, and as clearly defined" as engineering, how might this fundamental flaw explain the "lack of apparent relation between good shop management and the payment of dividends"?
- If a company were to adopt Taylor's implied vision of management as a defined "art" with exact "laws," what specific operational changes would be necessary to overcome the inefficiencies and "unevenness" he describes, and how would these changes fundamentally alter the role of a manager?
- Imagine you are one of the "master spirits" leading a successful department, as described by Taylor. How might his argument that management is not yet a "science" challenge your personal understanding of your own expertise and the methods that brought you success?