Images of Taylor

["John Majerus" <jmajerus@acm.org>]

In previous posts on Taylor, I believe I presented my opinion without =
proper qualification. While I would oppose "Neo-Taylorism" as it might =
be imposed upon creative endeavors, especially my own (e.g. software =
development), Taylor's scientific management is still highly applicable =
and desirable in some circumstances (e.g. managing the software code =
itself). Gareth Morgan, in his excellent book Images of Organization, =
makes that point well and helps point out some other circumstances:=20

  "Surgical wards, aircraft maintenance departments, finance offices, =
courier firms, and other organizations where precision, safety, and =
clear accountability are at a premium are also able to implement =
mechanistic approaches successfully, at least in certain aspects of =
their operations." (p. 35)=20

  "But in others it can have many unfortunate consequences. It is thus =
important to understand how and when we are engaging in mechanistic =
thinking, and how so many popular theories and taken-for-granted ideas =
about organization support this thinking." (p. 22)


Morgan makes the point that sometimes we purposefully engage in =
mechanistic thinking with regard to ourselves:=20

  "Taylorism was typically imposed on the work-force. But many of us =
impose forms of Taylorism on ourselves as we train and develop =
specialized capacities for thought and action and shape our bodies to =
conform with preconceived ideals." (p. 32)=20

Taylor, of course, figures prominently into Morgan's chapter on the =
metaphor of "organizations as machines." With regard to Taylor's =
contribution, Morgan writes:


  "History may well judge that Taylor came before his time. His =
principles of scientific management make superb sense for organizing =
production when robots rather than human beings are the main productive =
force, when organizations can truly become machines." (p. 33)

Taylor shows up again in Morgan's chapter on the metaphor of =
"organizations as psychic prisons":

  "Taylor's life provides a splendid illustration of how unconscious =
concerns and preoccupations can have an effect on an organization. For =
it is clear that his whole theory of scientific management was the =
product of the inner struggles of a disturbed and neurotic personality. =
His attempt to organize and control the world, whether in childhood =
games or in systems of scientific management, was really an attempt to =
organize and control himself." (p. 205)

According to Morgan, Taylor's "aggressive authoritarian relationship =
with the worker was accompanied in his own mind by  the idea that he was =
a friend."