2 | Classic Management Theories

Question 1

Taylor’s principles of Scientific Management (1911)

Answer 1

• industrial economy was defined by factories that massively increased the rate of production of all kinds of goods
• Taylor would conduct “experiements” to show hhow specific interventions correlated to improved outcomes

Question 2

What was the problem? What was Taylor’s hyp?

Answer 2

Problems: Dangerous Workplaces, Injured Workers, Low Productivity

H: Problems caused by non systematic approach to work

Question 3

What did Taylor observe in his Bethlehem Steel Exps (1898-1901)?

Answer 3

workers shovelled pig iron at their own rate, with identical shovels

paid the same regardless of their output

injuries due to physical strain of the labour required of them

Question 4

Taylor’s resolution was Time-and-Motion studies, what were these?

Answer 4

they determine how much time each task would require and plan tasks accordingly to ensure maximum efficiency

manager’s were to study the work being done in great detail, answer questions through observation - these qs related to time intervals:
e.g.
- what was the optimal rate of shovelling per unit of time?
- how many breaks should be taken per unit of time?
- what was the optimal sequence of motions?

Question 5

What is piece-rate pay?

Answer 5

SM (scientific mangement) adovates for linking pay to output - instead of paying by the hour

Question 6

What was the outcome of the time and motion studies?

Answer 6

Job specialisation
- Each job would be carefully planned by managers through close observation of the work process

• Employees would be trained and paid to perform the tasks in the
  way specified by management.

Question 7

Positives of scientific management

Answer 7

• Provides an analytical framework for looking at work
• Makes it easier to train workers
• Centralizes control
• Gives more jobs to less educated people
• Increases pay and profits
• Jobs are safer and healthier (takes into account physiological limits)

Question 8

Negatives of SM

Answer 8

• Doesn’t acknowledge workers’ knowledge or capacity to innovate
• Piece-rate system can lead to exploitation, or to self-interested behavior
• Workers can get bored by repetition
• Sets up class system (managers vs. laborers)

Question 9

Job specialisation definition

Answer 9

Breaking down jobs into their simplest components and assigning them to employees so that each person would perform a select number of tasks in a repetitive manner

Question 10

Job rotation def

Answer 10

It involves moving employees from job to job at regular intervals

(alternative to job specilisation)

Question 11

Job enlargement def

Answer 11

expanding tasks performed by employees to add more variety

Question 12

Job enrichment def

Answer 12

a job redesign technique that allows workers more control over how they perform tasks

Question 13

What is the Job Characteristics Model (JCM)

Answer 13

• Proposed by Hackman and Oldham (1975)
• the model describes five core job dimensions leading to three critical psychological states, resulting in work-related outcomes.

Question 14

(JCM) Define skill variety

Answer 14

the extent to which the job requires a person to utilize multiple high-level skills

Question 15

Task identity def

Answer 15

the degree to which a person is in charge of completing an identifiable piece of work from start to finish

Question 16

Task significance

Answer 16

How much a person’s job substantially affects other people’s work, health or well being

Question 17

Autonomy

Answer 17

freedom to decide how to perform tasks

Question 18

Feedback

Answer 18

The degree to which people learn how effective they are being at work.

Feedback at work may come from other people, such as supervisors, peers, subordinates, and customers, or it may come from the job itself.

Question 19

What is the first step of giving feedback?

Answer 19

‘MICRO-YES’ QUESTION
- ask a q that is short but important
e.g. “do u have 5mins to talk about how that last conversation went?”
- it’s a pacing tool - let’s the other person know that feedback is about to give feedback

Question 20

What is the second step of giving feedback?

Answer 20

DATA POINT
- name specifically what you saw or heard –> e.g. “I asked you to send me that email at 11am and I still not recieved it yet.”
- eliminate blur words which are not specific

Question 21

What is the third step of giving feedback?

Answer 21

IMPACT STATEMENT
- name exactly how that data point impacted you –> e.g. “because I didn’t that msg I was blocked on my work and couldn’t move forward”

Question 22

What is the fourth step of giving feedback?

Answer 22

QUESTION
- “what are your thoughts on this?”
- it becomes a joint problem-solving situation
- ask for feedback regularly

Question 23

Key features of Human Relations

Answer 23

• Manager’s job is to pay attention to worker well-being
• Employees have social and emotional needs
• These needs impact motivation and retention

Question 24

What was the goal of the Hawthorne studies?

Answer 24

To understand how to improve productivity and retention of workers doing repetitive manual work

(Conducted between 1924-32)

Question 25

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

Answer 25

The Hawthorne Effect is the idea that when managers pay attention to workers and show care for workers’ well-being, workers will increase their productivity because their human needs are being met.

Question 26

Positives of HR

Answer 26

• Treating people nicely is appealing
• May induce higher productivity
• Can reduce turnover & absenteeism
• Can increase job satisfaction

Question 27

Negatives of HR

Answer 27

• Hard to do “extras” when times are bad - hard to be cheerful when facing difficulties in the company
• Indirectly linked to productivity - not changing people tools/ machines ppl use to work, simply changing peoples attitudes
• doesn’t change job design, power structure, or rewards
• Meeting high expectations over time is difficult—> may not be so impactful in a few years