...the Workplace Exam I – Sample Question 1. You are the HR manager for a medium sized manufacturing company that produces batteries. Your supervisor has just returned from a conference where she met and spoke with a senior leader from UPS. The topic of time and motion studies came up during their discussion and your supervisor asks what you know about this topic and whether it might work for your company as well. What will you tell her? Time and motion studies involve attempting to determine the most efficient and “one best way” to deliver a service or create a product. This organizational approach began in the early 1900’s and is known as scientific management (Perrow, 1973). Frederick Taylor is said to be the leader of this movement. Scientific management focuses on efficiency and standardization and creating work processes or structures that maximize productivity while minimizing effort and resources. One of the disadvantages of this approach is that people are often viewed as machines. Scientific management fails to consider the importance of employee morale and satisfaction and its relationship to productivity. This relationship was not realized until the 1930’s following the Hawthorne Studies (Perrow, 1973). Although UPS uses the scientific management approach effectively with its emphasis on fast and efficient service, I do not think it would work well in our organization for several reasons. One reason is that we are attempting to create an organizational...
Words: 387 - Pages: 2
...Eric H. Hill Research In Motion (RIM), (NETW583) November 17, 2014 RIM faced considerable challenges in protecting its intellectual property with enormous outlays of cash to protect its property. These court battles were long, drawn, over many years and in several countries. This extended RIM in too many directions, in too many places. These legal forays into protecting and acquiring patents shifted RIMs focus from an offensive posture of developing new technology for the marketplace through its R & D to a defensive posture of acquiring ill- suited technology to secure its future. When companies lose focus on innovation and risk taking they have lost their edge. Others are looking to overtake them. In fact, Apple did just that to RIM as the iPhone toppled the once mighty BlackBerry. While many tech companies consider purchasing patents a necessary evil it should exceed the R&D budget. Unfortunately, competitors will often let the behemoths fight among themselves for patented technology while they innovate something completely new. This can give smaller competitors an edge. RIM’s corporate philosophy was to partner or collaborate rather than to innovate. This is a flawed philosophy which ultimately leads to a company’s demise. This was certainly the case with RIM as it became too diverse with too many partners and no real focus on a core item. The BlackBerry tried to compete with antiquated technology or simply missed technological advances because of a tone...
Words: 469 - Pages: 2
...Case Study - Research in Motion (RIM) Summary "Research in Motion (RIM) is the company behind BlackBerry, the best-selling smart-phone brand in the United States. Today, the company is credited with launching the handheld smart phone craze and the obsession with 24/7/365 access to e-mail and the Intranet" (Kotler & Keller, 2012). In 1997 RIM went public and two years later they introduced the BlackBerry. After September 11, 2001 BlackBerry became known and popular due to the government using the product. Analysis RIM focused on a strategy of building the BlackBerry brand as the most reliable, secure, and efficient data device solution on the market. RIM continued to create and provide new generations of Blackberry's that featured: longer-lasting batteries, improved wireless Internet access, an organizer, calendar, and pager. "It took five years, but in 2003 RIM sold its one millionth BlackBerry. Only one year later it sold its two millionth device, and the BlackBerry's growth exploded. In 2005, PCWorld named the BlackBerry 850 the 14th greatest gadget of the past 50 years, and between 2006 and 2008, Fortune dubbed RIM the fastest-growing company in the world." (Kotler & Keller, 2012). By RIM creating BlackBerry, they changed the way communicate, worked, and lived. What the company did well and made them unique was the end to end solution; it developed and produced the hardware as well as the software and services that made BlackBerry work. "RIM successfully targeted its...
Words: 464 - Pages: 2
...Frank and Lillian Gilbreth and the Manufacture and Marketing of Motion Study, 1908-1924 Brian Price The Evergreen State College Evenaslarge-scale enterprises increasingly integrated manufacture the and marketing mass-produced of goodsin the late 19th and early 20th centuries, scientific managers elaborated and popularized their efficiency methods and strategies an attemptto carveout a distinctive in scientificprofessional withinthechanging niche industrial world.No oneworked more assiduously thiseffort thanFrank and Lillian Gilbreth,and no one was in moreconscious theintimate of relationship between manufacture the the and marketing an innovative of product. Indeed, central my argument thattheGilbreths' is fameandreputation is duelessto theinherent quality theirmotionstudy of techniques, to their or achievementspractical in motion study scientific and management installation, thanto theirprolificefforts publicize to boththemselves humane as scientists and their principles and techniques conducive greaterefficiency as to and workplace harmony. In fact, in a periodcharacterized rapidlychanging by business dynamics and troubledlabor-management relations, the Gilbreths found that their motion studymethods, thoughsoundin theory,at best produced partialandtemporary only efficiencies practice, moreoften in and than not exacerbated tensions, onlybetweenthe workersand managers not they were supposed reconcile,but also among scientificmanagers to themselves. Ultimately,...
Words: 4155 - Pages: 17
...14-16, 2010, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia Time Motion Study in Determination of Time Standard in Manpower Process Abdul Talib Bon, Daiyanni Daim Abstract— Time and Motion Study is rarely used in the industry nowadays. In this study, the company that involve in the rice based company.. This study using this type of study method in order to increase production and identify any improvement that could be made through identifying the process that involving manpower as the main reason and state the time standard in order to achieve the objectives of increasing the production and decreasing the cost. This study is using systematic observation, interview with discussion and stopwatch time study. Statistically Fit and Production Modeler software is used to test the data and make improvements. By stating the time standard for the process involving manpower, production rate increase and the cost will be less. Other than that, proposal for improvement could be made in order to enhance the effort to achieve the main objective of any business organization in the world. Keywords: Time and Motion Study, Ergonomics,Productivity, Manpower Factor, Time Standard Total cycle time is means of the combine effect of cycle time in all business processes from the time needed until reach satisfaction. In short, the total cycle time is defined comprehensively. It include all business process cycle time, and it focus on a single process. This study is execute in a rice based company in Sabah which...
Words: 4457 - Pages: 18
...and in order for the business to achieve its goals, the business organization must try understanding and respecting the emotions and satisfying of needs of the workers that are not monetary (Khan, 2008). Scientific management is based mostly on workers working at their fullest potential in order to achieve maximum productivity, Taylor saw the workers as machines that are meant to be given instructions on how to perform tasks without considering their human side. Another difference is the use of time and motion studies scientific management method involves time and motion studies which is basically a method of creating a standard for employee productivity through breaking down of task to its easiest form in a manner in which there is no wasted motion while the exact time for each correct movement is being measured to ensure the task is being done in the best possible way (Enock, 2006) while human relations while human relations method does not involve time and motion study but rather it allows the workers to work at the full potential the fastest way in which they can as it was found by Mayo that through observation and a proper relationship the workers tend to be motivated to...
Words: 537 - Pages: 3
...management theorists and is widely acclaimed as the ‘father of scientific management’. According to Northcraft and Neale (1990, p.41), “Scientific management took its name from the careful and systematic observational techniques it used to design jobs and arrange work for the rank-and-file factory worker”. Principles of Scientific Management The techniques, contributions and general principles of Scientific Management Theory are as follows:- 1. Performance Standards F.W. Taylor found out that there were no scientific performance standards. No one knew exactly how much work a worker should do in one hour or in one day. The work was fixed assuming rule of thumb or the amount of work done by an average worker. Taylor introduced Time and Motion Studies to fix performance standards. He fixed performance standards for time, cost, and quality of work, which lead to uniformity of work. As a result, the efficiency of the workers could be compared with each other. 2. Differential Piece Rate System Taylor observed that workers did as little work as possible. He felt that under existing wage system, an efficient worker gained nothing extra. So, Taylor used the differential piece (unit) rate system. Under differential piece rate system, a standard output was first fixed. Then...
Words: 2719 - Pages: 11
...Taylor Motivation By Who – Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1917) Frederick Winslow Taylor is a controversial figure in management history. His innovations in industrial engineering, particularly in time and motion studies, paid off in dramatic improvements in productivity. At the same time, he has been credited with destroying the soul of work, of dehumanizing factories, making men into automatons Mr. Taylor was born at Germantown, Philadelphia, on March 20, 1856, and was graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1883. He won the doubles championship of the United States at tennis at Newport in 1881. He entered the employ of the Midvale Steel Company at Philadelphia in 1878 and was successively gang boss, assistant foreman, foreman of the machine shop, master mechanic, chief draughtsman, and chief engineer. In 1889 he began his special work of reorganizing the management of manufacturing establishments. A plant that he made over was made over from top to bottom. He laid out the system from the duties of the boy who carried drinking water to the unskilled laborers to the duties of the President, giving his solution to the problems of shop, office, accounting department and sales department, and emphasizing the necessity for the humane treatment of labor. Some of the big shops into which he introduced his theories of scientific management are the Bethlehem Steel Company, Cramp's Shipbuilding Company, and the Midvale Steel Company. He was President of the American...
Words: 1376 - Pages: 6
...of scientific management and was one of the first management consultants, and Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, are known as the ‘Gilbreth couple’. The main basis on which the management philosophies of both Taylor and The Gilbreth Couple, can be compared and contrasted is their respective work on TIME AND MOTION STUDIES, while Taylor was more concerned with ‘saving time and energy’ and focused primarily on the “saving time” aspect and the standardization of tasks, his time studies had to work in unison with the motion studies of frank and Lillian Gilbreth who included the concept of ‘fatigue’ in the time and motion studies. Time study developed in the direction of establishing standard times, while motion study evolved into a technique for improving work methods. The two techniques became integrated and refined into a widely accepted method applicable to the improvement and upgrading of work systems. This integrated approach to work system improvement is known as methods engineering, and it is applied today to industrial as well as service organizations, including banks, schools and hospitals. THE OBJECTIVE OF CONDUCTING TIME AND MOTION STUDIES The main objective of a time and motion study is to determine reliable time standards for the efficient and effective management of operations. Through the establishment of reliable and accurate time standards, companies can better define their capacity or output, thus increasing the efficiency of equipment and obtaining optimum utilization...
Words: 483 - Pages: 2
...the name of Frederick Winslow Taylor would have a major influence on the I/O field. Taylor studied employee productivity and developed an approach which he would later call "Scientific Management." Taylor used scientific management to handle production workers in factories. This approach included four principles which would guide organizational practices. Today, his same ideas are still used. Furthermore, two more individuals had an influence on the engineering side combined with psychology. A married couple, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, studied how individuals perform tasks by combining engineering and psychology. The Gilbreths devised the time and motion study. This incorporated measuring and timing people’s motions in doing tasks with the goal of developing more efficient ways of working. The technique they gathered from this study would go on to help many organizations (Spector, 2008). Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you examine the fundamental concepts of the field of industrial/organizational psychology. In your examination, address the following items: · Describe the evolution of the field of...
Words: 416 - Pages: 2
...weaknesses of Scientific Management in context of the 21st century through examination of its application in several modern organizations. Scientific Management was developed in the first quarter of the 20th Century; its father is commonly accepted to be F.W. Taylor, although some variations of the theory have been developed by Gantt and Gilbreth. Taylor recognized labor productivity was largely inefficient due to a workforce that functioned by “rules of thumb,” and a mentality that equated increased productivity with a cutting down of the labor force. Against the backdrop of Bethlehem Steel plant, Taylor carried out studies to insure that factual scientific knowledge would replace the traditional “rules of thumb”. The backbone of this activity was his “Time And Motion Study”, as Dale explains, “Taylor employed a young man to analyze all the operations and the motions performed in each...
Words: 2465 - Pages: 10
...| MSOCs affect on AT&T | When Information Systems Mislead | | Yondondo Stewart | | | Table of Contents Background…………………………………………………………Page 3 Leveling the Playing Field………………………………………….Page 3 Business Applications………………………………………………Page 4 Developed Applications…………………………………………….Page 5 Impact of MSOC……………………………………………………Page 8 Recommendation for the use of MSOC…………………………….Page 11 Bibliography………………………………………………………….Page 12 Background AT&T was once the parent company the Bell System. In 1984, Bell System was forced to divest there company into eight smaller companies, in reaction to the United States versus AT&T Anti-Trust suit. As a result of the separation and some misguided acquisitions, AT&T saw its value drop drastically. In 2005 Southwestern Bell Corp. (who had changed its name to SBC) purchased AT&T Corp. who in turn changed its name to AT&T Inc. AT&T Inc. is the largest provider of fixed telephony in the United States. They also provide broadband and subscription television services. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT&T) By the end of 2008, AT&T had discontinued and removed all of its pay telephones. With the decline in phone services, including traditional home phones, the company needed to develop new technologies. The company had to strategize a way back into the consumer’s residence. So, AT&T deployed a new media called U-Verse and extended its high-speed internet into rural areas. ( en.wikipedia...
Words: 2035 - Pages: 9
...in full the principles of scientific management. What does this theory contribute to management in contemporary organisations? The main objective of management is maximum prosperity for both the business or owner and the employees. Maximum prosperity for a business means higher dividends and the development to its highest state of excellence. For employees it means higher wages than given in other businesses of the same industry and the ability to work at their highest rate of efficiency. Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856- 1915) published the book The Principles of Scientific Management in 1911, with which he abolished the then present rule-of-thumb method and introduced and entirely new system of scientific management. With ‘time and motion study’ single tasks would be thoroughly studied, timed and then analysed with the goal of determining one best way of performing a job. It dramatically improved productivity in many businesses and therefore helped achieve maximum prosperity. Taylor shows a negative bias towards workers in his book. He alleged that most employees deliberately do as little as they safely can. Reasons for what he called ‘Soldiering’ were; fear that increased output would mean fewer workers would be needed and that increased pay would not increase with productivity. Taylor believed that if his principles of scientific management were applied, this issue of Soldiering would be avoided. In order for the scientific methods to be applied correctly, workers also...
Words: 878 - Pages: 4
...by other men." devised a means of detailing a division of labor in time-and-motion studies and a wage system based on performance. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Anthro/Anth101/taylorism_and_fordism.htm Frederick Winslow Taylor is a controversial figure in management history. His innovations in industrial engineering, particularly in time and motion studies, paid off in dramatic improvements in productivity. At the same time, he has been credited with destroying the soul of work, of dehumanizing factories, making men into automatons. What is Taylor's real legacy? I'm not sure that management historians will ever agree. extensions of the four principles of management.[2] 1. The development of a true science 2. The scientific selection of the workman 3. The scientific education and development of the workman 4. Intimate and friendly cooperation between the management and the men. Taylor taught that there was one and only one method of work that maximized efficiency. "And this one best method and best implementation can only be discovered or developed through scientific study and analysis... This involves the gradual substitution of science for 'rule of thumb' throughout the mechanical arts." "Scientific management requires first, a careful investigation of each of the many modifications of the same implement, developed under rule of thumb; and second, after time and motion study has been made...
Words: 4387 - Pages: 18
...Work Study What is Work Study? What is work?: Work is an activity in which one exerts physical and mental effort to accomplish a given task or perform a duty. Task: An amount of work that is assigned to a worker or for which a worker is responsible. Work Element: A series of work activities that are logically grouped together because they have a unified function in the task Task Work Elements Basic Motion Elements The Pyramidal Structure of Work A work element consists of multiple basic motion elements Examples: Reaching for an object, Grasping the object, Moving the object, Walking, Eye movement Work Study • • Work Study is the systematic examination of the methods of carrying out activities such as to improve the effective use of resources and to set up standards of performance for the activities carried out. A generic term for those techniques, particularly method study and work measurement, which are used in the examination of human work in all its contexts, and which lead systematically to the investigation of all the factors which affect the efficiency and economy of the situation being reviewed, in order to effect improvement. Work study Method study Work measurement Method Study Method-study concerned with “the way in which work is done (i.e., method)”. It is used to simplify the way to accomplish a work and to improve the method of production. Method-study results in a more effective use of material, plant, equipment and manpower. Method...
Words: 1756 - Pages: 8
