The Taylorism is a work management system based on various techniques for optimal use of hired labor.
It was developed at the beginning of the 19th century, from studies on the movements of man and machine in the manufacturing processes.
Features
Taylorism emphasizes the operational efficiency of the tasks performed, in which it seeks to extract the best performance from each employee.
Therefore, it is a system of work rationalization conceived along scientific lines. In this way, every aspect of the work must be studied and developed scientifically.
Thus, with the analysis of the productive processes, it was possible to improve the working capacity of the workers. The focus was to save the maximum in terms of productive effort.
We must emphasize that Taylorism is not concerned with technological innovations, but with the possibilities of controlling the production line.
Through a continuous standardization, through the establishment of a system of supervision and control, the man ended up being transformed by a part of the machine. However, this is what brought about working conditions capable of increasing productivity and profit.
Frederick Taylor and Taylorism
The term Taylorism refers to the American engineer Frederick Taylor (1856-1915), considered one of the founders of Scientific Administration.
Indeed, Taylor was a pioneer in developing a management model in which the company is considered under a scientific eye.
Taylor became interested in this type of management when he was still a machine operator at “Midvale Steel” in Philadelphia, where he began his research.
Based on the observation of the working methods of the workers, he found that, under a controlled work rhythm, the workers were much more productive.
Later, Taylor graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1885 and, in 1906, became President of the “American Society of Mechanical Engineering”. His ideas would definitely influence the Second Industrial Revolution .
His most important works are: “A price system per piece” (1895); “Administration of Workshops” (1903); and “Principles of Scientific Administration” (1911), his masterpiece.
Taylorism innovations
Taylorism basically employs five principles, namely:
- replacement of methods based on experience with scientifically tested methodologies;
- selection and rigorous training of workers, in order to discover their best skills, which must be continuously improved;
- continuous supervision of work;
- disciplined execution of tasks, in order to avoid waste;
- fractionation of work on the assembly line to single out the productive functions of each worker, thus decreasing their autonomy.
In addition, Taylor is credited with:
- the study of methodologies to avoid worker fatigue,
- the wage stimulus proportional to productivity, with awards for performance,
- the hierarchy of the production chain, which separates manual labor from intellectual work and guarantees management, which has a general knowledge of production, control over workers.
Taylor’s ideas inspired entrepreneurs like Henry Ford to create an assembly line method that would be called Fordism .
Taylorism and Fordism
Taylor’s ideas directly inspired Henry Ford to improve the production of his cars.
Taylorism is not a productive model, but a theoretical analysis of work organization and administration. Thus, the entrepreneur could reduce costs and maximize profits.
On the other hand, Ford and other entrepreneurs will take these ideas to their factories and make production more efficient by specializing their work.
Criticism of Taylorism
Taylorism suffers some criticisms, considering that, in seeking the maximum use of the productive force, it ends up ignoring certain basic needs of workers, who start to feel exploited and dissatisfied.
Consequently, these workers come to be seen as disposable parts of the system, and this generated the workers’ opposition to the application of Taylorism.