Scientific Management, F W Taylor and the Fayolism

In the liberalised globalization the survival is as important as the growth be but the competition for survival depends upon the scientific management, the core idea of which was developed by US industrial engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) in his book 'Principles of Scientific Management' which laid down the fundamental principles of large-scale manufacturing through assembly-line factories but wondering how he idea suits in today’s liberalization and globalization scenario.

Scientific management's application was contingent on a high level of managerial control over employee work practices. This necessitated a higher ratio of managerial workers to laborers than previous management methods.

The idea of scientific Management is the production efficiency methodology which breaks every action, job or task into smaller and simpler segments, which can be easily analyzed and taught. This Taylorism came with maximum job fragmentation to minimize skill requirements and job learning time’ separates execution of work from work-planning, separates direct labor from indirect labor and introduction of time and motion study for optimum job performance and cost accounting.

After this, 1841 born Henri Fayol, a mining engineer in 1916 developed a general theory of business administration also known as Fayolism by which he mentioned 6 primary functions and 14 principles of management like forecasting, planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, controlling as primary functions and Division of work, Authority, Discipline, Unity of command, Unity of direction, Subordination of individual interests to the general interest, Remuneration, Centralization, Scalar chain, Order of people and materials, Equity, Stability of tenure of personnel, Initiative, Esprit de corps as principles of management.

Almost both the theories were rightly criticized for alienating workers by treating them as mindless, emotionless, and easily replicable factors of production but was a critical factor in the unprecedented scale of US factory output that led to Allied victory in Second World War, and the subsequent US dominance of the industrial world.

Now this Scientific Management is treating workers as mindless and emotionless factors of production or eating our competencies by fragmenting the jobs to minimize skill requirements or contributing towards the industrial growth??

Yours comments please…….

New UK visa plan to attract global talent

Britain has announced a new visa category to facilitate the immigration for exceptionally talented people from India and other non-EU countries in the fields of science, humanities, engineering and the arts.

The new Tier 1 (exceptional talent) category will open on 9 August 2011, and will have 1000 places in the first year of operation, official sources here said. The new category will facilitate not only those who have already been recognised but also those with the potential to be recognised as leaders in their respective fields, the sources added.

There will be 500 places available between the August 9 and November 30 and a further 500 places available from the December 1 to March 31, 2012. The number of places will be reviewed at the end of March 2012. The immigration category will be overseen by four 'competent bodies', which will advise the UK border agency on these 'exceptionally talented' migrants to ensure that they are the brightest and best in their field. The bodies are: the Royal Society, a fellowship of the world's most eminent scientists, will be able to nominate up to 300 places; the Arts Council England, the national development agency for the arts, will also be able to nominate up to 300 places; the Royal Academy of Engineering, Britain's national academy for engineering, will have up to 200 places to nominate; and the British Academy, the national academy for the humanities and social sciences will be able to nominate up to 200 places.

Immigration minister Damian Green said: "The UK is a global leader in science, humanities and engineering and we are a cultural centre for the arts: we will continue to welcome those who have most to offer and contribute to our society and economy".

Migrants seeking entry to the UK under this category will not need to be sponsored by an employer, but will need to be recommended by one of the competent bodies.

While the government has allotted a number of places to each body, it will be open to the bodies to transfer additional places to those with more demand if this becomes necessary, the sources added.

Those admitted under the category will initially be granted permission to stay for 3 years and 4 months. They will then be able to extend their stay for a further 2 years, and settlement may be available after 5 years' residence in the UK.

The president of the British Academy, Sir Adam Roberts, said: "The Humanities and Social Sciences are flourishing in the UK and attract many excellent scholars from overseas. The British Academy is ready to play its part in identifying those outstanding scholars for whom Tier 1 is the appropriate visa category."

With thnks from TimesofIndia