The Practical Leader

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

In the early 1900s, Frederick Taylor, used “Scientific Management” principles to make the new production lines more efficient. Workers became cogs in the machine; shut off their minds, shut their mouths, and did what engineers and managers told them to do. They had a massive turnover problem.

McGregor 101

McGregor Scientific Management Taylorism Taylor 101

Harvard Business Review

JULY 18, 2016

When Frederick Taylor published his pioneering principles of scientific management in 1912, the repetitive and mundane nature of most jobs required employees to think as little as possible. In other words, higher career security is a function of employability, and that in turn depends on learnability.

Long-term 8

Long-term Short-term Open-book Scientific Management 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 2, 2018

In the 1930s, Elton Mayo ignited the Human Relations movement by documenting the productivity boost that came with treating assembly line workers with dignity and care. The movement challenged the influence of Fredrick Taylor’s scientific management, which had reduced workers to unwieldy cogs in efficiency-seeking industrial machines.

Drucker 11

Drucker Mayo Technology Globalization 11