“As to the third cause for slow work…results from the substitution of scientific for rule of thumb methods in even the smallest details of the work of every trade.” Taylor’s third reason for why people work slowly sums up the majority of his ideals best. He preaches efficiency. Removing the smallest most unnecessary movements will after awhile lead to a huge increase of production and time saved. It’s an excellent idea that can be applied to day-to-day living.
Taylor’s principles of scientific management are employed in elements of my life, if not at every instance. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy slacking off, sleeping in and getting drunk as much, probably more, then the next guy, but when it comes down to accomplishing a goal, I put these things aside and focus on the task at hand. For matters of simplicity I will use the writing of this paper as an example of how I employ Taylorism on the microscale. I will attempt to write this paper as efficiently with as little unnecessary distractions as possible.
If I want to get this paper done in a timely period I must isolate myself, as I tend to be easily distracted. So the first step in the creative process must be closing my door. It is now 3:15. Getting up I realize I am a little parched. Pause for glass of water… it is now 3:30. Just there I wasted 15 minutes of frivolous time playing Call Of Duty, on my way back from the fridge. Ok so now the door is closed and I am resolute in my desires. Soldiering aside I begin to write the introduction. Pause for a phone call…it is now 5:48. After a brief stop at Five Guys and a stop at the beer distributor, I am ready to begin the process of writing this paper, with my cell phone turned off and my door shut.
Now it’s always good to find secondary sources to see how other people may apply Taylorism to their daily lives. I open the web browser…it is now 6:10. New friends on Facebook had to be attended to, not to mention pictures tagged from Sunday night. Well with that out of the way and some secondary resources in mind, I’m ready to begin writing this paper in earnest with my Ethernet cable unplugged, my cell phone off and my door closed. Now truly isolated from everyone the introduction is really moving along in Tayloresk efficiency and machine like fluidity. Ding I have an AIM…it is now 6:30. A friend from home had some interesting input for how I could apply some of Taylor’s principles, and what I should do this weekend. Better informed I’m now really going to get into the thick of it, with my wireless card turned off, Ethernet cable unplugged, cell phone off, and door closed. It is now 6:42.
So what was supposed to be a 500+ word paper and should have only taken a relatively short time to write has in effect taken almost 4 hours to even begin. Clearly efficiency isn’t my strongest suit when it comes to writing papers. In this age of modern technology Taylor’s principles of production can be fully realized. With actual machines to do the work as efficiently as mathematically possible, computers to calculate the best and most cost effective methods of production, and engineers and computer scientists that are trained to think about efficiency first. When it comes to the personal level however all the fruits of their labor, computers, video games, cell phones, all act to distract and really corrupt any attempt at efficiency in my daily life. There are just to many distractions for Taylorism to be realized in my life.
4 comments:
Amanda, have a great birthday did something a little different with this one thanks for being so flexible
So this is a very original way of approaching this essay topic, but i think you do need to elaborate more on the point you're trying to make. The instructions specifically said to "make use of what Taylor actually says, and not simply of vague impressions" and i feel like you did more of the latter. You do have the one quote in the beginning, but i think you may want to add more that shows that you have an in depth understanding of Taylorism, which i'm sure you do.
The majority of the paper talks about all the things that distracted you, so while this proves your point that you're not being efficient, it doesn't really show any knowledge of Taylorism. Maybe take all of the distractions that you faced and explain why is doesn't follow Taylor's principles (elaborate how excess actions and soldiering goes against that...and maybe how Taylor would have preferred you write the paper).
On a grammar-type note, this isn't a complete sentence: "With actual machines to do the work as efficiently as mathematically possible, computers to calculate the best and most cost effective methods of production, and engineers and computer scientists that are trained to think about efficiency first."
So overall, maybe have less descriptions of your actions and more of specifically how those actions go against Taylor's principles. I feel like your argument would then be much stronger and you'd have better evidence why Taylorism can't be applied to your life (or at least to your paper writing habits).
“As to the third cause for slow work…results from the substitution of scientific for rule of thumb methods in even the smallest details of the work of every trade.” Taylor’s third reason for why people work slowly sums up the majority of his ideas best. He preaches efficiency. Removing the smallest most unnecessary movements will, after awhile, lead to a huge increase of production and time saved. It sounds like an excellent idea that can be applied to day-to-day living.
Taylor’s principles of scientific management are employed in elements of my life, if not at every instance. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy slacking off, sleeping in and getting drunk as much, probably more, then the next guy, but when it comes down to accomplishing a goal, I put these things aside and focus on the task at hand. For matters of simplicity I will use the writing of this paper as an example of how I try to employ Taylorism on the microscale. I will attempt to write this paper as efficiently with as little unnecessary distractions as possible.
If I want to get this paper done in a timely period I must isolate myself, as I tend to be easily distracted. So the first step in the creative process must be closing my door. It is now 3:15. Getting up I realize I am a little parched. Pause for glass of water… it is now 3:30. Just there I wasted 15 minutes of frivolous time playing Call Of Duty, on my way back from the fridge. Ok so now the door is closed and I am resolute in my desires. Soldiering aside I begin to write the introduction. Pause for a phone call…it is now 5:48. After a brief stop at Five Guys and a stop at the beer distributor, I am ready to begin the process of writing this paper, with my cell phone turned off and my door shut.
Now isolated I can begin to implement Taylor’s third way to increase production, I will replace my “rule of thumb methods” of typing with methods proven to be the most efficient and effective. I open the web browser to find a typing tutorial…it is now 6:10. New friends on Facebook had to be attended to, not to mention pictures tagged from Sunday night, along with the typing tutor. Well with that out of the way and newly schooled in scientific typing, I’m ready to begin writing this paper in earnest with my Ethernet cable unplugged, my cell phone off and my door closed. First thing the web site said was to maintain proper posture and balance, using only certain fingers to type certain keys ("Typing Technique."). Now truly isolated from everyone, and with new improved typing skills mastered, the introduction is really moving along in Tayloresk efficiency and machine like fluidity. Ding I have an AIM…it is now 6:30. A friend from home had some interesting input for how I could apply some of Taylor’s principles, and what I should do this weekend. Better informed I’m now really going to get into the thick of it, with my wireless card turned off, Ethernet cable unplugged, cell phone off, and door closed. It is now 6:42.
So what was supposed to be a 500+ word paper and should have only taken a relatively short time to write has in effect taken almost 4 hours to even begin. Clearly efficiency isn’t my strongest suit when it comes to writing papers. Modern conveniences like cell phones, and the internet may be a great way to maximize efficiency in the eyes of someone like Taylor, but the way I use them they just lead to just the opposite, its just a big waste of time, and therefore production. This problem can be linked to Taylor’s plan to use people in managerial positions to “cooperate with the men so as to insure all work being done in accordance with the principles of the science which has been developed.” No ones looking over my shoulder telling me that video games are probably a bad idea, or that a beer run can probably be put off an hour or so. This lack of overhead leads to inefficiency for me, and I can say with some certainty to the college population as a whole.
In this age of modern technology Taylor’s principles of production can be fully realized at an industrial level, there are computers that can plan production to the millisecond, machines that are more efficient then any one man could possibly be, and veritable armies of engineers and computer scientists constructing and operating these tools of production. When it comes to the personal level however all the fruits of their labor, computers, video games, cell phones, all conspire to distract and corrupt any attempt at efficiency in my daily life. There is no one to tell me when to type, no one to tell me how to type, and definitely no one to tell me what to type. Taylor’s ideas fail without some form off boss constantly watching over my personal efforts. It’s only that nagging little voice telling me to type away that gets things done, and that little voice loves video games.
"Typing Technique." Free Typing Tutorials. 6 Feb. 2009 www.customtyping.com/tutorials/kb/keyboarding_technique.htm.
Amanda - excellent response.
Josh - Writing about writing the paper is clever. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not, but it sure is imaginative.
Anyway, this is kind of an attempt to do the assignment, and kind of a satire of it. It is pretty funny, which I enjoyed, but on the flip side, as Amanda points out, it runs the danger of genuinely ignoring Taylor.
Take your attempt to turn toward Taylor at the end of the paper, where you acknowledge that Taylorism only works with a boss over your shoulder. True enough, but also trivial - Taylor is writing about work modeled on factories and late 19th century classrooms, where by definition your boss was omnipresent. So while it is funny, you aren't really working with Taylor at all - you're illustrating his *absence* from at least the majority of your life. I would have been more likely to buy into this approach if you had done it along with some aspect of your life where management *does* play a role.
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