Organizational Behavior in relation to Scientific Management
In Organizations Today
Introduction
One indestructible goal of man is to make himself survive against all odds. This perseverance rooted from conscious desire of preserving one’s precious and valuable life. Since time immemorial, we are sufficiently fed with significant information about the evolution of civilizations and at the same time man’s struggles to survive. Tracing back our historical topography, the contours of historical map are evident and explicit in our minds. Herein, give us clear and bright understanding of our own historical make-up. Although, the main sanctuary of tracing our identities and human survival is history, we cannot but succumbed to some historical make-over by historical conspirators, victimizing our fragile sentient.
The historical antecedents as well as the precedents allow us to conjure our strengths to follow the significant footsteps of our forefathers in their struggle of instituting a civilization which represent their investment for labor and work. The transmission of knowledge and historical facts lead us to recognize the value of our ancestors’ struggle to establish a world that is conducive for living. The unending struggle to fight for the right and against oppression, abuse, and slavery are embossed in the map of history, chronologically designed and evaluated rigorously.
In this line of thought, we are brought, with enough historical evidences that the omnipresence of labor and work is indeed born along the creation of life. It is fitting to remember how Israelites suffered from persecution and slavery in the hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Israelites were forced to build grand houses and pyramids for the Egyptian elites. Egyptians unsystematic mode of organizing and maltreatment of Israelites brought them to damnation afflicted by God’s own wrath.
Though, it was a biblical account, its historicity is valid. Here we can argue that even in those times work is necessary and sometimes subject for abuse. From the primitive up to this post-modern era, work is man’s given responsibility.
Our outlook of work derives from the desire of survival. Like in Darwin’s philosophical discourse upon discovering a modern theory about man’s evolution, the “survival of the fittest” is but a constant reminder to each and everyone. Remembering this thought, man strives to exert much of his effort and energy for survival. In this case, Marx reminds us of man’s alienation because of capitalists’ exploitation of labor among the workforce or workers.
In contrast to Marx’s proclamation “workers unite”, inevitably, workers tried to unheard such radicalism of Marx, since work gives man a sense of meaning and survival, even the system leans towards exploitation and inequality.
In this respect, as the era evolves and the world developed, various organizational theories, methods, rules, guidelines, and approaches are being researched and tested to create a more balance treatment among workers and managers.
As man continues to make himself attune and adaptive to the demands of the current time, he should be ready to take the challenges that await him. However, only man can survive if and when he is ready to sacrifice and share his energy and force to the production of needs. Meaning, in the time of idleness, one can gain nothing but spending time in uselessness. As the world moves forward into a more unified, homogenized and universal culture and economy, competition among multi national organizations and firms are strongly apparent. This point brings us to understand and analyze the role of organization in the growth of the business industry and the society in general. Moreover, the core of this study is how people as composite of an organization contribute to the growth and situation in context.
Let us analyze the relevance of organizational behavior in this contemporary setting and as well as to sketch prevailing organizational systems which subscribe to scientific management developed by Frederick Taylor.
Organizational Behavior
In the current findings based on scholarly research, organizational behavior constantly changing due to various factors and variables involve. According to Denise Rousseau (1997), “the central problems in organizational behavior are influenced by changes in organization themselves”. Since, organization is changing it logically follows the changes in organizational behavior. This concept may cover a wide range of subjects, methods, approaches and perspectives. This may ranges from the use of management theories, organizational culture, individuality, decision-making, politics, power, leadership, conflict, and management change. This wide range of subject matters capsulated in a single term “organizational behavior” is but essential to the growth of an established and global corporation. The stability and status of organizational behavior within an organization underlines the process on how to meet the expected goal and vision of the organization.
Scientific Management
“The principal object of management should be to ensure the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee (Taylor, 2003, 235)”.
This is the cardinal rule of the scientific management which underscored the traditional management system of the “rule-of-thumb”. For Taylor, there four principles that would ensure an effective management: (1) Develop a science for each element of a man’s work, which replaces the old rule-of-thumb. (2) Scientifically select and then train, teach and develop the workman, whereas in the past he chose his work and trained himself as best as he could. (3) Heartily cooperate with the men so as to ensure all of the work being done in accordance with the principles of the science which has been developed. (4) Equal distribution of the work and responsibility between the management and the workmen. This management became effective in the modern era and the rapid influence of such theory reaches the door of Japan and other developing countries. This significant theory arise organizations and corporations to be more productive and plummeted profit and income.
However, this theory derives from the problem in the level of production and workforce. Taylor descriptive illustration of the status of work done by a workman insufficiently and ineffectively produce high quality products and the production level is low. He then suggests that in order to solve the problem of “soldiering” or “hanging it out” among the workmen, organizations should devise an effective and systematic management scheme in order to avoid such behavior among workmen. Hence, the emphasis on giving a “maximum prosperity on employees and the same with the employers” is the best medication to invoke.
According to Michael Freeman (1996), scientific management, though, in this contemporary setting is no longer used a s a term, however, various elements of the theory is customized in accordance to the need and context of a certain organization. Its doctrine is still useful today, due to a constant updating, and revising of the theory depending on the current need. In Freeman’s journal, he cited the constant revision made by the Scientific Management Society or Taylor society in order to adapt to the demands of the current time. The four principles were revised and justified by Harlow Person namely, Management Research, Standards, Control, and Cooperation.
This four revised principles are significant in identifying related concepts methods, approaches and theories applied in the organizational structures of various organizations. Only in this way we can identify the use of scientific management.
“Initiative and Incentive”
This scheme is very familiar in the theory of scientific management. For Taylor, in order to produce more production and boost workmen energy up to the limit, management should acclimatize this “initiative and incentive” scheme. Insofar as workers are under paid and receives proper amount of wages, the probability level of “soldiering’ is high, which can cause to destabilize the production level.
Moreover, only when workmen are given an attractive benefits and incentives they become motivated to exert more effort and energy to their work, thereby producing a higher level of productivity and quality of work. In this case, management should take this initiative in order to avoid “soldiering” among workmen and proper distribution of responsibility in accordance to their capability, can produce good and quality output.
In the aspect of organizational behavior, this strategy is still effective in terms of the process of motivating the employees to generate quality work and output. Various organizations are aware of such system and seen it to be effectively create a good atmosphere within the company. However, organizational research stressed that incentives is not only an option or alternative that can motivate employees to work competitively. There are other ways in which employees can be motivated to produce quality work and much a quality output.
“Management Control”
This revised principle of the scientific management is relevant and much related to organizational structure, management, control and design. In the process of management control Taylor and the neo-Taylor groups suggests that management control is but a natural strategy in which management or employers’ responsibility is to ensure that all the processes and production operations within the company are stabilize and whatever problems that may arise are subject to the management decisions. The management should see to it that everything inside the organizational, in each divisions and departments are all in their proper order and positioning. The process of decision-making as well as formulating guidelines and rules within the organization should be the task observed by the management.
The control over the resources, production processes, and employees’ welfare are under the supervision of the management. This set-up in an organizational structure and design are patterned after the scientific management principle on management control. This revised principle suggests of the same rules applied by organizations in their own structures and design.
“Management Standards”
This principle of scientific management speaks of a scientific way of selection, orientation, and training processes of the employees. For Taylor, there must be a set of rigid standards to follow in the process of selection, orientation and training in the recruitment process. This second principle, aware of its rigidity in standard procedures provides a strict screening of applicants that will produce highly qualified employees. This management strategy posits a similar approach with the new organizational structures and designs on the level of recruitment and training process. For instance, in the Ritz-Carlton management, the selection and screening process of applicants is rigid. There are screening procedures and interviews they hold in order to satisfactorily select competent applicants and upon accepting deserving applicants, they undergo three weeks of training and orientation in order to familiarize themselves with the history, philosophy, and nature of their work. This process of recruitment is a new approach subscribed by any organizations; however, this becomes similar to the scientific management approach or principle.
Management Cooperation
In this principle, group formation, characteristics and effectiveness in an organizational structure and behavior is similar to that of the scientific management principle of cooperation. In order that a company may have good relations with its employees and all the members of the organization, cooperation is need. The collective effort of employees creates a better atmosphere and quality work within the company. This in turn produces high quality of production not only of needs but of knowledge.
In the new organizational structure and management, cooperation principle of scientific management is no longer used as a term, but evolved as a group formation, characteristics and effectiveness.
Moreover, because of such evolution and development in theories and approaches, organizations imbibed effective and new approaches in order to respond effectively to the ‘signs of the times’ the demands generated by the phenomenon of globalization and global competition.
“Management Research”
This revised principle of scientific management clearly seen and used in the new organizational structure and design. The need for research and constant examination of designs, structures, and approaches inside the organization is imperative.
Truly, Taylor is right when he emphasized the very need of rigid formulation of standards based on credible and empirical research process. In this context, new organizational processes and methods subscribe to this approach of continuous research and evaluation of the entire organization and how it become more competitive and adaptive to the rapid changes and development of time. Therefore, management research or organizational research is not really a new method or approach rather derived from the theory of scientific management.
Organizational behavior in this scope adapted a kind of approach similar to that of the scientific management. In fact, I could be suspected of patterning new organizational principle with the scientific management principle.
Hence, management research and new organizational research process are but the same principle, dealing with identifying and citing specific problems and occurrences that would eventually affect the organizations’ production and business interests.
Power, Politics, and Conflict
These three variables played an important role in the development and growth of a certain organization. First, the presence of power in an organization cannot be denied, since a leadership skills is recognized and promotion is availed, this process clearly purports an ascribed power in a certain organization. Like any fields, power suggestive of authority and manipulation. Since, for instance, a manager decided to implement a “new concept” policy, the organization, as a body of people, must and forced to follow even some are having their reservations. In this case, power is clear as a medium to implement certain policy. With this power comes conflict. The tendency is that, with the power involved between higher ranking officers, conflict may arise because of given vested interests. Herein, politics, play an important role in the organizational structure, though, in some organization this can be implicitly seen, however, most of the organizations especially those who are driven with personal ambition and interests are blanketed with the play of politics.
Trickeries, political maneuvering, and manipulation tend to create conflict among organizations personnel. In this manner, this can bring fatal injury to the growth of the organization itself. If and when this condition perseveres, tendency is that organizational culture and disembodiment of individuals on the level of behavior, attitude, and culture might vanish.
This condition is not new; however, to remedy such the need of strategic and standardized approaches should be taken into account. Like in scientific management, this process should be considered in the level of the human resource management, in which management should monitor the condition and atmosphere of the organization. The responsibility is in the hands of those assigned people capable of resolving if this condition will arise.
Management Change
This principle is not even new to any organization. However, what is new in this is how an organization implements strategic procedures for a management change. The process of reengineering is very significant in this issue.
Reengineering or designing the organizational structure is important in the sense of making a management more capable, competitive, and adaptable to the needs of the current time. In the scientific management theory, this is not explicitly shown, however, the emphasis on the need of redesigning the structural form of an organization is an option given by the scientific management. In the new realm of organizational structuring and designing, the business process reengineering is being summoned in order to make over the management. These changes will only occur when the process or reengineering successfully implemented.
However, the radical overhauling of the management or of any organizational structure may affect the continuity of the business process. Nevertheless, management change is necessary for an organization to be effective and more competitive.
Conclusion
Given these analyses on the organizational behavior and the elements present from the scientific management theory, I can say that, clearly scientific management theory still exists and effective, however, is not used as a term, but the elements present in various organizational methods, procedures and approaches can be claimed to be patterned and influenced after the old theory. This only shows the adaptability and effective applicability of such theory in practice.
Admittedly, there is no really new in the “new” organizational structures, what is “new” is terms, constructs, and statements used. The old glory of theories is still intact and effective in the “new” approaches of organizational behavior processes.
Furthermore, scientific management and organizational behavior are but tools in order to understand the entirety of the organization and how to deal with problems and crises occurring in these systems.
References:
Rousseau, D 1997,’Organizational Behavior in the New Organizational Era’, Annual Review of Psychology Vol. 48 p 515
Freeman, M 1996, ‘Scientific Management: 100 Years Old; Poised for the Next Century’, SAM Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 61, Issue 2
Thompson, K & Taylor, F 2003, ‘Scientific Management’, Routledge Encyclopedia
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