Final answer:
Frederick W. Taylor is recognized as the founding father of the principles of scientific management, with his book 'The Principles of Scientific Management' underpinning the efficiency improvements in industrial practices known as Taylorism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The founding father of the principles of scientific management is Frederick W. Taylor. Taylor was a mechanical engineer from Pennsylvania who focused on increasing industrial efficiency by analytically studying labor processes. His influential book, The Principles of Scientific Management, published in 1911, advocated for the elimination of wasted motions and unnecessary steps to improve productivity.
Taylor's approach was detailed in conducting time-motion studies to standardize work procedures and measure the efficiency of workers and equipment. Although his methods, known as Taylorism, were seen as a route towards improved efficiency and profitability, they were also critiqued for reducing personal autonomy and treating workers more like parts of a machine.