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Describe any four techniques of scientific management. |
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Answer» (1) Work Study : Before allocating the work among the workers, systematic work study should be done by the management. Work study includes Em organised systematic and critical assessment of different activities or functions. It is based on the different techniques like time study, method study, motion study and fatigue study. (i) Time Study : Under this method, the manager observes and record the time an employee takes to complete a particular job or task. This technique is useful to fix standard time needed to complete a specific task under given conditions. It measures the efficiency of an employee and helps to control the cost of work. (ii) Method Study : In order to get best quality with cost effectiveness, it is important and challenging for a manager to identify the best method from various available methods to complete the specific job. This method is useful to reduce the wastage of time, raw material and to improve usefulness of the resources to achieve defined objectives. It is also useful to determine the methods to handle the raw materials, storage, inspection and transportation. (iii) Motion Study : Motion study refers to the close study of the movements of employees as well as machines in completing a particular task. This technique is useful to manager to eliminate the unnecessary movements and to find out the best method of completing a specific task. It improves efficiency and productivity of the employees. This method is also useful to understand and decide about the elimination of some elements of a job or changing their sequence for smooth flow of work. (iv) Fatigue Study : The term ‘fatigue’ implies physical or mental exhaustion. Long working hours with insufficient breaks, heavy working tools, target pressure and poor working conditions lead to fatigue. It reduces efficiency of the employees and creates adverse effect on their health. To reduce fatigue it is very important to keep and maintain the operational efficiency of the workers. (2) Standardisation of Tools and Equipment: On the basis of experiments conducted at work place, Taylor insisted to provide standard tools and equipment, standard working environment and standard methods of production. It helps to reduce spoilage and wastage of materials, cost of production, fatigue among the employees on the one hand and improves quality of work on the other hand. (3) Scientific Task Setting : Taylor laid stress on the need for fixing a fair day’s work. The technique of scientific task setting is useful to restrain the employees from performing the task much below their capacity. As a result, they will complete their task according to the standards given and management will be able to keep proper control on the optimum use of available workforce. (4) Scientific Selection and Training: By using scientific selection procedures, management easily select right persons for the right jobs. According to this technique, job specifications required to be fixed and employees are selected as per predetermined standards in an impartial way. After their selection, the management should arrange proper training programmes to increase efficiency. (5) Functional Organisation : Taylor suggested that planning of the work is to be done by different people and actual work is to be supervised by different set of people. Every worker in the factory is to be supervised by two different sets of supervisors. He further suggested total eight foremen to control the various parts of the production. They are categorised as follows: (A) At planning level: 1. Route clerk : Explains the movement of work from one machine to other. 2. Instruction clerk : Gives and records instructions to complete the work. 3. Time and cost clerk : Decides the time to complete the work and work out the cost. 4. Discipline : To see to it that workers work as per factory rules. (B) At implementation level: 1. Gang Boss : Gets the actual work done from employees. 2. Speed Boss : Takes care that work is done in specified time. 3. Repair Boss : Manages security and maintenance of mechanism. 4. Inspector : Makes sure that work is completed as per specified standards. |
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