Final answer:
Scientific management, also known as Taylorism, focuses on increasing production efficiency and labor productivity by standardizing tasks and optimizing workflows. Developed by Fredrick Winslow Taylor, it emphasizes dictating work routines and reducing worker autonomy, aiming to maximize productivity and lower production costs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of management concerned with helping the organization produce its products or services efficiently is a branch of the quantitative management perspective known as scientific management. This approach was pioneered by Fredrick Winslow Taylor, often referred to as Taylorism, in the early 20th century. His concept focused on analyzing and synthesizing workflows to improve economic efficiency, particularly labor productivity. The core idea behind scientific management is to break down production tasks into smaller segments, standardize procedures, and optimize worker efficiency to maximize output and minimize costs.
The primary goal of scientific management is to increase the production efficiency by scientifically determining the best way to perform each job. Following Taylor's principles, managers dictate the work routine, with workers expected to execute tasks without much autonomy. On the one hand, Taylorism led to the significant increases in productivity and the ability for companies to offer lower prices due to reduced production costs. On the other hand, it faced criticism and resistance from workers who felt dehumanized by the mechanical nature of their tasks and the loss of control over their work.
Efficiency in business operations raises several important questions about the nature of production, such as what products to produce, how to produce them, the quantity of output needed, the pricing of products, and the amount of labor to employ. The answers to these questions rely on understanding production and cost conditions as well as the competitive market structure involved.