Management and Supervision Q5 Flashcards
What do you understand by the terms ‘scientific’ relations’ in respect of the management of employees. Describe each approach and their implications for the design of jobs and the workplace itself.
SCIENTIFIC RELATIONS concentrates on the tasks to be performed, based on ‘well recognised, clearly defined fixed principles, instead of hazy ideas’ (FW Taylor).
(1) Work techniques are broken down into smallest component parts to achieve greatest efficiency.
(2) Planning the work and doing the work are separated, workers loose any control.
(3) Workers paid incentives on the acceptance of the new methods as it greatly increased productivity and profits.
(Argued that the taylor approach is dehumanising.)
What do you understand by the terms ‘human relations’ in respect of the management of employees. Describe each approach and their implications for the design of jobs and the workplace itself.
The HUMAN RELATIONS approach focusses on people and the promotion of job satisfaction.
(1) The concept of the social man.
- People are motivated by social or belonging needs, which are satisfied by social relationships formed at work. HERZBERG suggested that only these things could positively motivate employees to improve performance
(2) Positive motivation for improved employee performance: Growth, challenge, responsibility and self fulfilment.
(However still no proven link between job satisfaction and motivation.)
Describe an example of Taylor’s principles
Bethlehem Steel Works.
(a) Managers gathered data about the relationship between weight of the average shovel load and the total load shifted per day. From these facts, management was able to decide on the ideal shovel size for each type of material handled in order to optimise the speed of shovelling work done. Thus, scientific technique was applied to deciding HOW WORK SHOULD BE DONE
(b) By ORGANISING WORK A DAY IN ADVANCE, it was possible to minimise the idle time and
the moving of men from one place in the shovelling yard to another. Once again, scientific method replaces ‘seat-of-the-pants’ decisions by supervisors.
(c) Workers were PAID FOR ACCEPTING the new methods and ‘norms’ and received 60% higher wages than those given to similar workers in other companies in the area.
(d) Workers were CAREFULLY SELECTED AND TRAINED in the art of shovelling properly; anyone falling below the required norms consistently was given special teaching to improve his performance.
(e) The costs of implementing this method were more than repaid by the BENEFITS. The labour force required fell from 400 - 600 men to 140 men for the same work.
