Public Administration

2

Theories of Organisation

Scientific Management Theory

Taylor and his Associates

The Background

The first coherent organisation theory called ‘scientific management’ was formulated in the beginning of the twentieth century. In that period, conditions in factories were rather unplanned, and there was nearly complete absence of standardisation of methods of work. Workers were left entirely to themselves in matters of choosing their methods to be employed for doing their work. It was against such a general background of managerial unconcern for methods and tools of work that scientific management emerged as a new philosophy of management.¹

Prominent leaders like Henry R. Towne and Henry Metcalf tried to develop a unified system of management. Towne ...