Re-Tayloring Management

A century on from the publication of F.W. Taylor's The Principles of Scientific Management, there is growing evidence that the much maligned principles of scientific management have not become history, despite the economic importance of the knowledge and service sector, with its emphasis on skilful and engaged employees willing to exert discretionary effort. This edited volume looks critically at Taylor's philosophy on management and contrasts it with other perspectives that have emerged over the past century, against the background of the professionalization of management and the growth in business and management education. There is evidence that the 'ghost of Taylor' is still very much alive in high skill/low cost knowledge and service roles in China, India and in 'Western' businesses. Knowledge workers across the globe are just as constrained by the principles of scientific management as factory workers were in the early twentieth century. The contributions in Re-Tayloring Management illustrate that despite the complexity and operational uncertainty that organizations now face, instead of designing work systems where knowledge and service workers have the freedom to apply knowledge and skills at the point where they are most needed, managers have become obsessed with maintaining tighter control. This managerial approach seems to fly in the face of contemporary job design, where what is espoused emphasizes the importance of dealing with uncertainty and of work being structured so as to ensure maximum opportunities for shared learning.Drawing on insights from academics with diverse backgrounds and interests and organised around 'past', 'present' and 'future' themes, this book is a thought-provoking read for curious professional managers, as well as for postgraduate students and academics teaching and researching organizational studies and management.