Executive Summary
The roots of scientific management can be traced back to the 1800s. Although, Frederick Taylor is considered to be the father of scientific management theory, it was Adam Smith, an economist who first came up with this theory. He started his research in a relatively humble manner in a pin manufacturing factory. He had focused on the simple tasks and sought ways to improve the efficiency of the workers. From the implementation of his findings, the company was able to raise their output of 20 pins produced by per employee to over 4800 pins.
The next major leap in this theory was brought about by Frederick Taylor in the 1900s. During the industrial revolution, the factories and the methods that they applied in the production process was gaining increased attention and this is when Frederick Taylor focused his attention to this field as well. He primarily focused on the processes that were been applied in the manufacturing process and how to make them more efficient in order to reduce costs for the firm.
In the 21st century, companies are increasingly realising the importance of the scientific management theory and the difference it can make to their business. With the aim to increase efficiency; McDonalds, one of the largest multinational companies in the world has also been applying this theory for years. This paper discusses about scientific management and the way in which McDonalds has applied it to their manufacturing processes to make it more cost efficient and to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. We have also discussed about its pros and cons in the manufacturing process for the company applying it.
Introduction
The theory of scientific management can be most precisely traced back to the management theorist called Frederick Taylor. The theory was first proposed in the year 1911, through his work entitled “The Principles of Scientific Management”. According to his research, the implementation of scientific techniques in the work environment can significantly help in increasing the productivity of the employees. This approach called for improving and simplifying the jobs done by the employees, with the aim to improve their focus on any given task.
Before the scientific management approach was implemented; the workers were highly specialised in any given task. These workers usually went through a tiresome and prolonged period of apprenticeship to gain these specialised skills. This technique also empowered the workers to decide on the way in which to do the job. However the new management technique did not allow the workers to enjoy this type of autonomy anymore since the jobs were made simpler and did not require the worker to do any specialised task anymore. Taylor developed these strategies mainly with the aim to eradicate inefficiencies in the existing processes.
The scientific management has also given a solid ground for organizations to assess their credibility as a successful employer using the scientific management theory as a benchmark. Successful implementation of this technique has been found to have brought fruitful results for organizations. One of the prime examples of one such organization is the multinational corporation of McDonalds. Over the past couple of years, they have managed to successfully implement the scientific management theory in their organisation. The degree to which they have succeeded and in which aspects, will be analysed further throughout the paper.
There are a lot of precepts underlying the scientific management concept proposed by Frederick Taylor. He mainly based his theory on four key findings; firstly he focused on creating a “scientific method” of work for the employees. Secondly he suggested the employers to scientifically select those workers and then use scientifically advanced methods to train them. Lastly, he insisted the employer to have a jovial relationship between the workers and their employers. He further proposed that the harmony can only be achieved by the proper utilization and the implementation of the scientific resources.
Taylor applied a step wise approach to analyze the key aspects in the workers job. His first work principle dealt with analysing approximately ten to fifteen workers, who appeared to be quite skilled in performing their tasks. His second approach focused on identifying the individual aspects of the job, processes, motions and the tools which were deployed by them. During the third step; every activity performed by the worker was measured using the aid of a stopwatch. This was mainly used to calculate the amount of time expended on a single process and then find the one which is the quickest. During the fourth step, they eradicated those processes which consumed the most time with an aim to improve overall performance. Lastly, the optimal work method is set up based on the findings previously identified.
Taylor further purported that the first focus would be on training the supervisor; which is crucial to train all the other workers as well. By deploying this method; those “supervisors” can further act as the teachers to the rest of the workforce.
Implementation of Scientific Management within McDonalds
The scientific management theory has been creating quite the craze since the 20th century. The theory has been applied successfully by a lot of businesses, which also includes the leading multinational food chain “McDonalds”. This theory was mainly aimed at the manufacturing industries and it strived to provide them with the opportunity to reduce their costs to a significant degree. This is where McDonalds comes into play as a leading implementer of the scientific management processes with the aim to further smoothen their operations.
Being one of the most well-known and valuable brands in the world; McDonalds faces a continuous challenge of serving fresh and delicious food to customers spread across 119 countries with an average 64 million people served per day across the globe. To facilitate the flow of work and smoothen out their operational procedures; McDonalds has applied the scientific management theory in three aspects of their operations; promoting and developing scientific education amongst the workmen, performing every single job with attention to the details and then rewarding those employees who have succeeded in meeting the goals.
McDonalds is one of the biggest users of the theory of scientific management in the world. In the 21st century a lot of companies are implementing the scientific management theory in their business; however, careful analysis is required to find out whether it has benefitted the company or not. McDonalds has mainly implemented the Fordist style of management. As per this style of management every employee works according to an assembly line. This approach was adopted from the Ford’s style of manufacturing cars through an assembly line. Today, McDonalds has successfully implemented this approach in their own corporate culture.
Taylor proposed to find the best worker for any job, which ultimately gave rise to the notion of the division of labor in the manufacturing process and this is the exact manner deployed by McDonalds to create their hamburgers. The hamburger manufacturing process consists of grilling the burger, followed by putting the tomatoes and lettuces and then adding the sauce etc. Now all of these tasks have been broken down to ensure that an employee only focuses on a single given task at any time. This has not only aided in improving the efficiency, but has also assisted the workers in becoming more specialized in any given task.
In order to streamline their operations; McDonalds has implemented the findings of Ford, Gilbert and Frederick Taylor in the manufacturing processes that has led to the installation of drinks dispenser, machines for ensuring less cooking time , the usage of French fries machines and the preprogrammed cash registers in their outlets. All of these factors are meant to reduce the time required in the process, therefore, making the manufacturing more efficient and quick. To encourage the employees to perform better; they have also introduced bonuses on top of their base salary. This is mainly to fuel the performance of the employees in the workplace as the employees try to work more, to reap the benefits of those rewards.
Taylor mainly paid attention to the implementation of scientific methods to train the workers and argued that it was the key way to improve their efficiency in the workplace. By keeping this approach in mind, McDonalds has initiated the Hamburger University. Established in the year 1961 in Chicago, this massive university spans across 130,000 sq foot and mainly aims to educate their employees regarding the work processes and techniques that are been used in the manufacturing process.
The university consists of high-tech class rooms which are equipped with an auditorium, rooms for education teams as well as three kitchen labs. The employees receive a training of approximately 32 hours during the first month of their work. This is done to ensure that the workers are well-accustomed to the work procedures of McDonalds. This also plays a crucial role of ensuring that all the workers working for their organization apply a consistent work method in the work place.
McDonalds needs to have an extremely efficient manufacturing process, if it wants to ensure that the customers are served high-quality food in a short time span throughout the globe. To accomplish this task, they have broken down the manufacturing process to make it simpler for the employees to learn and complete. This has also increased McDonalds’s ability to serve their customers better. Therefore, the implementation of the scientific management theory of Frederick Taylor has indeed benefitted the organization and has helped them gain a competitive advantage over the competitors.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Scientific Management
Similar to any other management techniques the Scientific Management theory also has its fair share of pros and cons. The Scientific management theory has been found to have had positive impact on the businesses which engage in large-scale production and have also helped them in reducing per unit costs of their products. Although, the scientific management approach has been successfully implemented in the case of McDonalds, criticisms have surfaced with regards to this approach. Firstly, since the employees are engaged with any one particularly simple task, it restricts their capabilities to apply their knowledge deeply or to develop their skills further.
In some instances this approach has also been used by the employers to mistreat their employees and make them work like mere machines. Strikes were also fuelled due to such misbehavior and mistreatment of the employees. This shows that the implementation of this approach does not necessarily bring fruitful outcomes for the organization, but may also work to its detriment. When the scientific management theory becomes rigid, then it may harm the productivity of the employees as well as the business as a whole.
Although the scientific management theory does have some drawbacks the advantages brought in by this approach is also undeniable. It has simplified things for the workers and has allowed them to focus on some key aspects only; instead of taking care of a wide range of tasks in the manufacturing process all by themselves. By tying up employee performance with the rewards bestowed on them, workers can enjoy a higher performance bonus than was previously possible.
The higher incentive schemes and salaries also help in increasing the level and the standard of the quality of work achieved by the employees. The greater standards of production mean that the revenues are also likely to increase causing the company to reap the benefits from more profits. The scientific management approach also ensures the best working environment for the associated personnel. This is because the workers get the right work breaks, adequate lighting, safety measures as well as refreshments.
The scientific management approach also ensures that all of the work is done in a planned manner with little scope of any deviation. This means less time is wasted and more work is done than was possible in the previous method.
Conclusion
In the 21st century, the scientific management theory has undoubtedly played a powerful role in shaping the manufacturing processes in organizations large and small. To reap the benefits of this management approach, McDonalds has also applied it throughout the organization in various forms. Over the years, this has translated into growing sales and more satisfied customers and employees for them.
In this modern age, staying competitive and satisfying customers at the same time is extremely crucial. Therefore, it is time to find newer ways to improve operations and to quickly deliver services to the customers. With this aim McDonalds has also implemented the scientific management approach within the organization.
Although, developed in the 1900s, the scientific management approach has been the foundation of large organizations working today. Companies have found refuge in using this management technique to enhance and improve their operations as well as streamlining the work of the employees as they do so. Despite some of its drawbacks, manufacturers have been able to increase their workers efficiency in the operational sectors.
The scientific management theory approach is not only beneficial for the organization which applies it, but it has also encouraged the employees to continuously look for ways to improve their performance at the workplace, since, greater skills are rewarded by higher pay by their employers. Therefore, scientific management has something to offer to both the parties in the company. It also ensures that the end product received by the customers is of a high standard resulting in greater sales and profits for the business.
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