Taylorism and Fordism: Scientific Management Principles
Taylorism Explained
Taylorism is a method representing a scientific approach to work organization, pioneered by Frederick W. Taylor. It advocated for specializing worker roles and coordinating operations through pre-planned procedures to combat perceived worker inefficiency, often termed ‘soldiering’. It can be viewed as an early science of administrative work, seeking optimal control over the labor force.
Objectives of Taylorism
Taylor’s primary goal was to increase productivity, leading to higher capital accumulation by maximizing output in the shortest possible time.
Origins of Taylorism
Taylorism emerged from synthesizing and formalizing independent experiments and consistent initiatives prevalent in Britain and the United States during the 19th century. Unlike previous approaches that often overlooked worker discretion, Taylor’s method aimed to increase worker productivity and maximize output during the workday through task division and stricter management control.
Taylor’s View on Workers
Traditional management methods often left workers in control of production processes, giving them a monopoly on knowledge. Taylor argued that management (representing the capitalist) should possess this knowledge to maximize benefits, for instance, by reducing idle time and inefficiency. He identified two types of inefficiency or ‘soldiering’:
- Natural Soldiering: An inherent human tendency to exert the minimum effort required. Workers might lack motivation if increased effort doesn’t lead to higher pay, benefiting only the employer.
- Systematic Soldiering: This occurs when workgroups collectively pressure individuals to limit output. This prevents the overall work pace from increasing and aligns it with the least efficient workers. Consequently, management, unaware of optimal task times, cannot accurately gauge potential production speed.
Applying Scientific Management
Taylor proposed several principles for applying Scientific Management:
Systematizing Worker Knowledge
Management should codify workers’ traditional knowledge, removing it from their direct control. This centralizes production knowledge within management, standardizing processes and reducing skill requirements for labor. Time studies establish standard production times, eliminating inefficiencies and intensifying work.
Separating Conception and Execution
This principle advocates removing planning and design tasks (‘brain work’) from the shop floor and concentrating them in a dedicated planning department. Management gains control over how work is done, leaving workers with simplified, repetitive tasks without understanding the underlying technical or scientific basis, thereby increasing discipline.
Fordism: Building on Taylor
Fordism is a manufacturing philosophy developed by Henry Ford, extending Taylor’s Scientific Management principles. It emphasized technology, particularly the assembly line, tighter control over worker movements, and centralized knowledge within management.
Emergence of Fordism
Developed by Henry Ford around 1908, Fordism aimed to further boost productivity. Early experiments included:
- Placing all necessary materials in a box that moved between workers for assembly (mechanically controlled but potentially slow pace).
- Having each worker assemble one part onto the main component (disadvantage: overall production time dictated by management’s task time allocation).
The Assembly Line Method
Ford introduced the moving assembly line (chain conveyor) where the main product moved from one workstation to the next at a predetermined pace, with the workpiece attached to the conveyor. This method set the production pace via the conveyor speed, dictated by management, eliminating worker discretion over their work rate and maximizing efficiency according to Ford’s design.