Fredrick Taylor Management Theories

Taylor believes that employees should be given specific tools to work with in order for
them to be more productive, hence anyone that is not productive after needed tools have
been given should be fired. This style of management approach is better in a mechanised
operation but do not fit into a human relation approach to management, it does not give
room for personal initiatives and teamwork within the organization.
Regardless of the level of critics this style of management has attracted, it has proven to be
more acceptable in the oil and gas industries across the world, taking Shell petroleum
company of Nigeria as an example, they are known to be a company that pay higher
incentives to their employees as a means of driving forces for performance and
productivity. Any employee that is found not productive within the organization should
be ready to be shown the exit door out of the company payroll system.

Taylor proposed four principles of management theories, which includes,

1. The development of a scientific management structure
2. The scientific selection of employee base on specific skills and experience
3. The scientific education and training of employees
4. A conducive working environment where employees can freely relate with managers.
Taylor’s principles might seems outdated but they are still in use in by some organization
today based on the usefulness of its principles, most especially companies that are into
productions and machinery where they have to keep the cost of production as low as
possible like Shell, Amazon and McDonalds.

The pros and cons of classical management theory

Pros.
1. It enhances production
2. It creates room for standard within the organization
3. It improves employees performance when the right person with the right skills and
expertise are assigned to particular tasks
4. Wastage and incompetence are eradicated
 5. Rapid decision making
Cons.
1. No matter how experienced you become on the job, salary structure remains the
same, hence, demotivation.
2. Tasks are routine in nature, with no room for creativity
3. The system is not suitable for teamwork
4. Unemployment – since men are being replaced with machines which in turns result
to unemployment within the nation.
5. Fatigue – you can only get paid for the numbers of hours you work for.