The Efficiency of Taylor's Scientific Management Approach

What approach to management compares an organization to a well-oiled machine?

Which of the following approaches to management compared an organization to a well-oiled machine and the manager to a machine operator?

a. The human relations movement
b. The contingent view of management
c. Weber's bureaucratic organization structure
d. Taylor's scientific management approach

Answer:

Fredrick Taylor's scientific management approach

Fredrick Taylor's scientific management approach compares an organization to a well-oiled machine, focusing on efficiency and profit, optimizing work with time-motion studies.

Explanation:
The approach to management that compares an organization to a well-oiled machine and the manager to a machine operator is Fredrick Taylor's scientific management approach. Taylor, a mechanical engineer, proposed that by using time and motion studies to optimize every aspect of work, one could enhance both productivity and wages. His principles, known as Taylorism, emphasized the importance of efficiency and profitability in the workplace over the personal interaction between workers. He suggested that the main goal of management should be to make the most money for the employer while also ensuring the best outcome for the employee through systematic training and development. Taylorism was progressive in its emphasis on science and efficiency but was also criticized for treating workers like cogs in a machine and neglecting their well-being.