Question

Explain ‘Science, not Rule of Thumb’ as a principle of Scientific Management and ‘Functional Foremanship’ and ‘Time study’ as techniques of Scientific Management.

Hint:

Remember: Science = Data over guessing. Functional Foremanship = 8 Bosses (Specialization). Time Study = Setting the standard clock for a job.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 4

Step 1: Concept
Taylor's Scientific Management (Principles and Techniques).

Step 2: Meaning
F.W. Taylor advocated for systematic, measurable, and scientifically rigorous approaches to industrial work over intuition-based methods.

Step 3: Analysis

• Science, not Rule of Thumb (Principle): This principle dictates that there should be only one best method to maximize efficiency. This method must be developed through scientific study and analysis of the work (recording times, motions, etc.) rather than relying on the traditional, trial-and-error "rule of thumb" or the manager's personal intuition.

• Functional Foremanship (Technique): This is an extension of the principle of division of work. Taylor suggested separating the planning function from the execution function. Under this technique, a single worker is supervised by eight specialized foremen (four for planning, four for production), each offering specialized guidance to improve overall efficiency.

• Time Study (Technique): This technique determines the standard time taken by a worker of reasonable skill and ability to perform a well-defined job. It relies on meticulous stopwatch observations to set standard targets, fix fair day's wages, and determine the exact number of workers needed for a task.


Step 4: Conclusion
These principles and techniques collectively aim to replace guesswork with empirical data and strict specialization, thereby drastically improving industrial productivity.