The first systematic theory of organisation was formulated in the early years of the present century under the driving force of Frederick W. Taylor (1856-1915). An engineer by profession, he is regarded as the father of the scientific management.
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Taylor was stimulated in his early thinking by a number of predecessors, particularly the American industrialist and engineer Henery R. Towne.
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Around the turn of nineteenth century, when the industrial revolution had reached a stage of maturity, the working conditions in the factories were chaotic. The work procedures were neither standardized nor well planned.
Choice of methods of work was mainly left to the workers resulting in considerable adhoc planning and inefficiency It was mainly to fulfill this need and find ways to raise industrial productivity that Taylor came out with his ideas on scientific management, a term coined by Loius D. Brandies first and subsequently used by Tailor in his widely known book, “The Principles and Methods of Scientific Management.”
Taylor’s ideas came from his actual work experiences at the Midvale Steel Company, Bethlehem Steel Company and as a consultant to many industrial firms. Early in his career he became interested in improving work efficiency and methods and in ascertaining scientifically the “one best way” of doing each task.
By this means increase in productivity could be achieved, and both employer and employees would benefit, “by maximizing the productive efficiency of each worker, scientific management would also maximize the earnings of workers and employers. Hence all conflict between capital and labour would be resolved by the findings of science”.