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Appropriateness Of Applying Scientific Management Principles In A Knowledge-Based Economy

Consider the appropriateness of applying scientific management principles in a knowledge-based economy and its likely effect in establishing a learning organisation.

Introduction
The early study of management as we know today began with what is now called the classical perspective. Scientific management that is the focus of this essay is branched from classical perspective. This essay will argue the annexation of scientific management concept to the context of knowledge-based economy and its effectiveness in the modern learning organisations. The essay will begin by explaining the background of scientific management followed by highlighting its core principles and the reason for its effectiveness that time. It will then explain the current changes that organisations went through proceeds by outlining the challenges today’s manager’s face. Scientific management highlights management practice through the prism of scientific approach in order to facilitate improvements in labour productivity or organisation efficiency. The root of this concept is traced back to 19th and early 20th century.
In accordance with Dale (1963) scientific management a.k.a “Taylorism” was developed by Fredrick Taylor (1856-1917) although some variations of theory have been developed by Gantt and Gilbreth. Moragn (1997) in his writing about” images of organisations” stated that Taylor’s scientific management theory uses scientific observation to analyse human movements and subsequently restructure the workplace in such a way that minimum efforts result in maximum production. As a result of scientific management, productivity increased in the factories and general workplace and human beings entered the realm of mechanised work in which they worked with repetitive motion as if they were machines. Theory, whose roots are based on the scientific management model, is Fordism. This theory refers to the application of Henry Ford’s faith in mass production (Marcouse, 2003). With the passage of...