Shop Management

"Shop Management" by Frederick Winslow Taylor is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. This influential work delves into the principles of management within manufacturing and industrial establishments, arguing for the systematic application of scientific methods to improve productivity and labor relations. At the start of the book, Taylor introduces his extensive experience with various manufacturing shops, highlighting two critical observations: the inconsistent development of management practices within departments and the apparent lack of correlation between effective shop management and corporate profitability. He discusses the evolution of management, emphasizing a vision that includes high wages paired with low labor costs, while identifying systemic inefficiencies and the pervasive tendency of workers to "soldier," or slow down their pace, in resistance to what they perceive as unfair treatment. Taylor sets the stage for a reform proposal that combines scientific analysis and equitable labor practices to create a more productive and harmonious working environment. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Frederick Winslow Taylor was an American mechanical engineer. He was widely known for his methods to improve industrial efficiency. He was one of the first management consultants. In 1909, Taylor summed up his efficiency techniques in his book The Principles of Scientific Management which, in 2001, Fellows of the Academy of Management voted the most influential management book of the twentieth century. His pioneering work in applying engineering principles to the work done on the factory floor was instrumental in the creation and development of the branch of engineering that is now known as industrial engineering. Taylor made his name, and was most proud of his work, in scientific management; however, he made his fortune patenting steel-process improvements. As a result, scientific management is sometimes referred to as Taylorism.