Taylorism Revisited: Culture, Management Theory and Paradigm-Shift

Abstract

In this article, we look at the role of culture, management theory and paradigm-shift vis a vis their implications for general management. We focus in depth on the influence of the European Enlightenment on eighteenth and nineteenth century industrialism and the emergence of a possibly dominant paradigm in management theory in the twentieth century, namely 'Scientific Management' or 'Taylorism', as it became known. We also examine how, in turn, it shaped the next development in the narrative-'Human Relations'-and its successors 'Organizational Behaviour' and 'Human Resource Management'.

Factors Influencing Organizational Performance: Work Environment, Training-Development, Management and Organizational Culture

“…Frederick Taylor defines management as "the art of knowing and recognizing what one desires to achieve, and seeing how something can be done effectively and efficiently" (Taylor, 1914). Taylor focused on productivity, as indicated by the definition brought above, which he attached to management in general (Levin-Waldman, 2015; Witzel & Warner, 2015). He emphasized that people should exploit the utilization of human capital, machinery, money and materials for yielding the desired outputs.…”

Towards an Industry-Tailored Management Approach: A Study of Retail Employee Attitudes

“…These recommendations signal a departure from more scientific and operational management paradigms of the early 1900s, toward more contemporary 'employee relations' elements (e.g. Witzel and Warner, 2015) such as employee advocacy, empowerment, and participation.…”

Specifically human: Human work and care in the age of machines

“…(a) it focuses on the task instead of on the company as a whole, (b) it is grounded in the methodology of engineering and physical sciences, (c) it thinks about the best way possible to achieve given goals (Witzel & Warner, 2015).…”