Commonalities between Total Quality and Scientific Management, and Follett's Law of Situation
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EDWARDS DEMING, MARY P. FOLLETT AND FREDERICK W. TAYLOR: RECONCILIATION OF DIFFERENCES IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Lonnie D. Phelps, McNeese State University Satyanarayana Parayitam, McNeese State University Bradley J. Olson, University of Lethbridge
ABSTRACT Much has been written and researched about Deming’s ‘total quality management’ (TQM), Follett’s ‘law of situation’, and Taylor’s ‘scientific management’. Yet, these management scholars differ in their organizational and strategic leadership abilities and practices and remained in three different corners of a triangle. Though the differences in their thinking may be attributed to the changing nature of management as a discipline over a period of time and consequent changes in the fractionalized corporate ownership, there are some interesting commonalities found in their approaches. The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the commonalities between total quality and scientific management, and explain how Follett’s law of situation bridges the gap between these seemingly different approaches. The commonalities found in Taylor, Follett and Deming provide enduring lessons for the practitioners and academicians, and enrich the organizational and strategic leadership literature. INTRODUCTION A review of the scientific management theory of Taylor, total quality management perspective of Deming, and systems thinking of Follett gives an impression that these scholars differ dramatically in their approaches apples to oranges (and grapes). However, by turning to the original works of Taylor, Deming and Follett (rather than others’ interpretations) one may opine that Taylor’s ideas have reemerged in the form of Deming’s quality management and Follett’s systems thinking paved a bridge between these perceived polar theories. This paper is divided into four sections. The first section gives a brief description of Deming’s total quality management (TQM); the second compares the scientific
EDWARDS DEMING, MARY P. FOLLETT AND FREDERICK W. TAYLOR: RECONCILIATION OF DIFFERENCES IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Lonnie D. Phelps, McNeese State University Satyanarayana Parayitam, McNeese State University Bradley J. Olson, University of Lethbridge
ABSTRACT Much has been written and researched about Deming’s ‘total quality management’ (TQM), Follett’s ‘law of situation’, and Taylor’s ‘scientific management’. Yet, these management scholars differ in their organizational and strategic leadership abilities and practices and remained in three different corners of a triangle. Though the differences in their thinking may be attributed to the changing nature of management as a discipline over a period of time and consequent changes in the fractionalized corporate ownership, there are some interesting commonalities found in their approaches. The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the commonalities between total quality and scientific management, and explain how Follett’s law of situation bridges the gap between these seemingly different approaches. The commonalities found in Taylor, Follett and Deming provide enduring lessons for the practitioners and academicians, and enrich the organizational and strategic leadership literature. INTRODUCTION A review of the scientific management theory of Taylor, total quality management perspective of Deming, and systems thinking of Follett gives an impression that these scholars differ dramatically in their approaches apples to oranges (and grapes). However, by turning to the original works of Taylor, Deming and Follett (rather than others’ interpretations) one may opine that Taylor’s ideas have reemerged in the form of Deming’s quality management and Follett’s systems thinking paved a bridge between these perceived polar theories. This paper is divided into four sections. The first section gives a brief description of Deming’s total quality management (TQM); the second compares the scientific