Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Scientific Management
View graph of relations

Scientific Management

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSNEntry for encyclopedia/dictionary

Published
Publication date23/07/2024
Host publicationEncyclopedia of Organizational Psychology
EditorsP. Matthijs Bal
Place of PublicationCheltenham
PublisherEdward Elgar
Pages635-640
Number of pages6
ISBN (electronic)9781803921761
ISBN (print)9781803921754
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

This entry provides a historical overview of Scientific Management. We begin by explaining what Scientific Management refers to and how it emerged at the turn of the Twentieth Century as a set of clearly defined management principles which were also central to a more general movement of Progressive Era America seeking to mobilize the promise of scientific methods to the ‘problem of work’. We then outline Scientific Management’s ‘Principles and Aims’ which we break down into eight categories: 1) The accurate and scientific determination of the quickest time required to accomplish a particular task, 2) The standardisation of methods and tools 3) Task setting and instruction cards, 4) Routing and scheduling, 5) Selection and Training 6) Incentives (remuneration and promotion) 7) Functional Management, and 8) Mental Revolution. In the final section, we consider the legacy of Scientific Management, bringing attention to ongoing debates and sources of critique, as well as instances where Scientific Management can still be seen at work and in development today.