Frederick Taylor’s four management styles
Frederick Taylor’s scientific management approach is based on the belief that increased efficiency, increased production, and higher profits can be achieved through more effective and efficient management of labor. His four distinct management styles are outlined and explained below.
The first of Taylor’s four management styles is the “one best way.” This approach emphasizes finding the most efficient and effective way of doing a job and then having everyone involved in the job follow the same path. This approach involves the close study of the job and the analysis of the tasks involved in order to find the most efficient way of completing the job. Taylor believed that the only way to increase productivity was to find the best way of completing a task and then have everyone follow it.
The second of Taylor’s four management styles is the “rest and recreation style.” This style involves setting strict limits on the amount of work that employees can do in a day and ensuring that employees have plenty of breaks and periods of recreation throughout the day. Taylor believed that employees should be given regular rest and relief from their work so that they can remain healthy and productive over the long-term.
The third of Taylor’s four management styles is the “functional foreman.” This style involves having a single foreman who is responsible for the oversight of all workers and for ensuring that work is completed in an efficient and effective manner. This approach eliminates the need for a hierarchy of management, as all tasks can be coordinated through the foreman.
The fourth and final of Taylor’s four management styles is the “differential piece rate” approach. This style involves paying workers based on the complexity of their tasks, rather than on an hourly or day-rate basis. This encourages workers to take on more complex tasks as they are rewarded in proportion to the difficulty of the tasks.
Frederick Taylor’s four distinct management styles have had a profound effect on modern-day management practices. Taylor’s approach to management has been adopted by many organizations, and his scientific approach to increasing efficiency and productivity has become a cornerstone of the modern-day workplace.
