Q.What are the principles of scientific management? Explain in detail.

F. W. Taylor, the father of scientific management, gave four principles: (1) Science, not rule of thumb; (2) Harmony, not discord; (3) Cooperation, not individualism; and (4) Development of each and every person to his greatest efficiency and prosperity. They replace guesswork with scientific study to raise efficiency and benefit both management and workers.

Scientific management means conducting business activities on the basis of scientific study and analysis rather than by guesswork or rule of thumb. F. W. Taylor is called the Father of Scientific Management. He advocated the following principles.

Principles of scientific management

1. Science, not rule of thumb — Instead of using old, traditional 'rule-of-thumb' methods based on guesswork, Taylor insisted on the scientific study of each job to find the one best way of doing it. Work methods, tools and time should be decided through scientific investigation and standardisation.

2. Harmony, not discord — There should be complete harmony and understanding between management and workers, not conflict. Both should realise that they need each other, and management should share the gains of higher productivity with workers. Taylor called this a 'mental revolution' — a complete change of attitude on both sides.

3. Cooperation, not individualism — Management and workers should cooperate with each other and work as a team, rather than compete or work in isolation. Both should contribute to the common goal, and management should welcome workers' suggestions.

4. Development of each and every person to his greatest efficiency and prosperity — Every worker should be scientifically selected and given proper training so that he can perform to the best of his ability. Developing each employee to his full potential brings maximum efficiency and prosperity to both the enterprise and the worker.

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