澳大利亞墨爾本皇家理工學院管理類留學生本科課程essay指導-Analysis of Scientific Management’s ApplicabilityinIBM’s Knowledge Workers

 

 

發表的科學管理原理，企業管理開始進入一個新的發展階段。 ，誰被稱為科學管理essay之父泰勒管理理論做出了巨大貢獻。他介紹了科學的方法來管理實踐。在此期間，工廠的主要目標是增加產量，提高效率。然而，雇主和雇員之間的關系是緊張，然而，雇主和雇員之間的關系緊張，甚至有一個打擊。科學管理的思想來自實踐。企業科學管理并取得成功。典型的代表是福特主義。作為知識發揮著越來越重要的作用，在企業中，知識工人是顯而易見的重要。知識工作者不同于普通工人。本文將包含兩個主要內容：一是描述和泰勒的科學管理的評價。關鍵要素進行描述和分析了它們的優點和缺點。另一個是對知識員工管理中關于指揮。這一目的是通過研究IBM的知識工人完成。

 

 

總之，科學的管理是管理史上的重要地位。它引起了管理的變革。通過對科學管理的關鍵，優勢和劣勢是建立在理論和實踐。科學管理的概念，還可以用在當代enterprisesuch作為對知識型員工的IBM的方法。但如何實現它的改變。雖然科學管理將面臨越來越多的挑戰。但泰勒的思想仍然是重要的管理，許多新的想法來自于它。

 

 

1.0 Introduction

With the published of The Principles of Scientific Management, enterprise management began to gointo a new development stage. Taylor, who is known as the father of scientific management, made great contribution to the theory of management. He introduced the scientific methods to management practice. During that period, the main targets for factories were increasing production and improving efficiency. However, the relationship between employers and employees was tense, even had a strike.The ideas of scientific management were come from the practice.Then the scientific management achieved success in enterprise. The typical representative is Fordism.As knowledge is playing anincreasing important role in enterprise, the important of knowledge workersare obvious.Knowledge workers are different from normal workers. This essay will contain two main contents: the one is about describing and evaluating Taylor’s scientific management. The key elements would be described and analyzed about their advantages and disadvantages. The other one is about commanding on the applicationof scientificmanagement for knowledge workers.This aim is finished by studying the IBM’s knowledge workers.

 

 

2.0 Describing and Evaluatingthe Key Elements of Taylorism#p#分頁標題#e#

 

 

2.1The Key Elements of Scientific Management

Scientific management, also called Taylorism(Mitcham,2005).The key elements of Taylorism contain:

 

 

– Work study.Through all kinds of test and measurement, such as time and motion study, manufactory formulated rational daily workload for workers undertaking the scientific basis. At the same time, there must be a department to make suitable work quote. It is not only essential for management but also for economy. Additionally, workers’ output related to their salary as the work quote would be used in the differential piece-rate system.

 

 

– Selecting excellent workers.The main idea was about managers should let the right employee do the right thing. In order to make workers’ ability be suitable for the tasks, managers should to find the appropriate work for employees. They could develop employees’ abilities through training and motivation and even maximize developing the potential abilities.

 

 

– Implementing standardized. The main targets focus on improving work method and removing the unreasonable factor. It was achieved by summarizing experience and knowledge from accumulation of workers and the traditional skills, finding out the general and regular things, and realizing its standardization. In the operating process, managers need to make reasonable collocation for operating methods, the use of tools, labor and the rest of the time. They also should improve the machine arrangement, environmental factors and other factors.

 

 

– Applying piecework salary.Firstly, the factory needed to set a department for making the work quota. The main task of this department was to work out a standard system, which would be usefulto determine the reasonable work quota and appropriate wage rates. Secondly, carrying out a different wage rate. That is, the worker would get different wage rate according to the different level quota. Thirdly, the object of wage payment is workers, rather than position or type of work. Everyone's salary calculated according to their skills and work labors.

 

 

– Cooperating between the employers and employees. Employers and employees should focus on improving labor productivity to realize this two sides’maximum rich. This idea demanded the two sides to cooperate closely and turned the attention to increase profit.

 

 

– Separatingdirect and indirect labor.Taylor first put forward to separate the planning functions and executive function. Factories needed to part the management from the production and establish management department. Managers made the planning work and standard and conducted workers to executive.

 

 

– Using functional management. The soldiering should be abolished and the functional be utilized in the organization. There was special post established, named as functions section, to orders directly to the workers.

 

 

– The exception principle in management.Enterprise senior management personnel authorized the general daily affairs to lower management personnel, but handle some exceptional matters, the important power as decision-making and supervision, such as the problem of enterprise strategy and important personnel replacement(Taylor, 1911).

 

 

2.2 Evaluating the Key Elements of Taylorism

Taylorsim had great effect on management theory and practice, but it had advantages and disadvantages performed by its elements. 

 

 

2.2.1 TheAdvantages of Taylorism

 

 

– Improving productivity. First, when through work studysuch as workflow analysis, work sampling and method improvement, workers could reduce unnecessary motion and process, saving time and improve efficiency.Second, making the work quote and the differential piece

 

-rate system would motivate staff. Third, using selection and training method to put the right person to the right situation. Maximize developing the potential abilities of workers would be helpful to improve work efficiency to increase productivity.

 

 

– Promoting the development of the management. Firstly, the attempts of introduce scientific methods such as time and motion study to management, which replaced the experience management method and made the management to become science. Secondly, the planning was separated from execution. Enterprise started to appear professional management personnel. It also promoted the development of human resourcemanagement.Thirdly, the exceptional principle could centralize the upper managers to deal with important things and make the right decision.

 

 

– Advancing the quality of workers. There were many elements play a role in it. Through selecting excellent workers, managers had to focus on workers such as training and motivation. The standard implementation also demanded workers to master operation method. The wage payment also required workers to improve abilities.#p#分頁標題#e#

 

 

2.2.2 TheDisadvantages of Taylorism

 

 

– Ignored the needs of the individual. Considering workers were purely economic man and focused on economic motivation. Then the tasks required workers to follow the directions, didn’t pay attention to workers’ needs of social and attitude.

 

 

– Inappropriate work quote and standard. The work quote often was made by studying body strong and skilled workers. Therefore, it was often higher than the normal level. Most people can't stand and persistencethe standard.

 

 

– Causingoverlapping leadership. Using functional management led workers had to obey to different leader, which would create confusion and reduce work efficiency.

 

 

3.0 Commenting on Scientific Management Applicability in Knowledge Workers

 

 

3.1 The Definition of Knowledge Worker

Knowledge workers are the biggest challenge in contemporaryenterprise (Drucker, 1999). It was first created by Peter Drucker in 1959. Knowledge workers primarily work with information or use knowledge in the workplace (Drucker, 1959).The typical knowledge workers especially R&D scientists and engineers must have some method at their disposal to create, process and enhance their own knowledgein the age of knowledge economy(Toffler, 1990).For knowledge-creating companies, innovation would become the primary task.Knowledge workers create great benefits for organizations for playing many roles.The typology of knowledge worker roles are “controller, helper, learner, linker, networker, organizer, retriever, sharer, solver, and tracker” (Reinhardt et al., 2011).

 

 

3.2Discussing the Applicability of ScientificManagement in IBM’s Knowledge Workers

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an Americantechnologycompany who is also called as “Big Blue”. This corporation aim on multinational technology and consulting services. Knowledge workers are essential part in employees. IBM got a series of reputation such as most innovative company. This organization also is famous for its managementideas and methods. The application of scientific management still could be found in some ways, but the ways to achieve are changed in some aspects.

 

 

– The Organization set. Setting functional departments were a change of institutional framework. IBM also has functional departments.#p#分頁標題#e#

 

 

– The exceptional principle. The top managers also focus on making decisions and decentralizing dairy affairs.

 

 

– Selecting excellent employees. Only several job seekers have the chance to enter IBM, although the companyrecruits employees all the year around. The reason is that IBM tries to recruit really elites in IT field. This also is the concept of scientific management.But there also have some different. For example, the recruitment ways are more diversification, varied from internal recruitment to external recruitment. Campus and network recruitment gradually popular.

 

 

– Providing training. This is scientific management’s way to improve skill. IBM also agrees it. IBM provides many kinds of trainings for knowledge workers.It also is the result of environment change. The training system is more perfect and human. New employees should participate introductory training for four months, and then “learn by doing” for a year. Otherwise, knowledge workers choose projects from self-buffet training. It depends on employees’self-plan and career. 

 

 

– Conducting job analysis. Taylor tried to use work study to improve work efficiency, then it turned to job analysis. But it popularize for all kinds of posts. The approaches for study work also became diversity. Additionally, knowledge workers’ job is hard to standardize as it needs highly creative and autonomy.

 

 

– Using incentive methods. IBM tried to stimulate knowledge workers through wage payment like scientific management, but not only in this way. The compensation system contains many contents rather than the difference piece rates. Knowledge workers need to stimulate through many aspects rather than economic motivation. They are like challenges, have a strong desire of realize personal value and prefer to participate in the management and arrange their own work.Their work time is more flexible. So actual operations to stimulate are totally different form scientific management. 

 

 

4.0 Conclusion

In conclusion,scientific management took the important place of management history. It caused the change of management. Through describing the key element of scientific management, the advantage and disadvantages are founded in theory and practice. The concepts ofscientific management still could be used in contemporary enterprisesuch as IBM’s approaches on knowledge workers. But the ways to realize it are changed. Although scientific management would face more and more challenges. But Taylor’s thought still important in management as many new ideas originate from it.#p#分頁標題#e#

 

 

5.0 Reference

Drucker, Peter F. (1959).Landmarks of tomorrow,New York: HarperBusiness.

Drucker, Peter F. (1999).Management Challenges of the 21st Century. New York: Harper Business.

Mitcham, Carl and Adam (2005)Briggle Management in Mitcham, p.1153

Reinhardt, W., Schmidt, B., Sloep, P., & Drachsler, H. (2011). “Knowledge Worker Roles and Actions-Results of Two Empirical Studies,"Knowledge and Process Management, p. 160.

Toffler, A. (1990)Power shift: Knowledge, wealth, and violence at the edge of the 21st century,New York: Bantam Books.

Taylor, F.W. (1911)The Principles of Scientific Management, New York, NY, USA and London, UK: Harper & Brothers.p.11-14.