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Compare Frederick Taylor's Mass Production and Eric Trists Socio-Technical Team Based Production Approaches to the Design of Work Systems

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Compare Frederick Taylor's Mass Production and Eric Trists Socio-Technical Team Based Production Approaches to the Design of Work Systems
1) Compare Frederick Taylor’s mass production and Eric Trist’s socio-technical team-based production approaches to the design of work systems. a) What are the characteristics and key features of each? b) Discuss the fundamental differences between them including underlying theory, methods, principles, and role of management. c) Cover the advantages and disadvantages of each system – in which context does each perform best? d) What has led to the decline of mass production in the U.S., and how can socio-technical systems improve productivity and quality?

It is amazing how humans can steadily develop new and innovative ideas that help make the world a better place economically, physically, etc; From factories and work floors to management and office buildings, many approaches were used and disposed through the ever-changing economy and great demand of change and improvement; which in some cases lead to revolutionize certain industries of our economies around the world. Frederick Winslow Taylor is the developer of scientific management, or Taylorism. A book was published in 1911, called The Principles of Scientific Management. Then during the 1960’s Eric Trist developed Socio-Technical Systems. Socio-Technical Systems or STS is similar to Frederick Taylor’s concept of scientific management but eliminates bureaucracy in the workforce. In the following paragraphs I will explain the main characteristics and key features of each approach; the fundamental differences between them including underlying theories, methods, and principles; the disadvantages and advantages of each system; and what has led to the decline of mass production in the U.S. and how can STS improve productivity and quality.
Taylor first started introducing scientific management through the Bethlehem Steel Company. Taylor and his team observed 75 pig-iron handlers, whom on averaged loaded 12.5 long tons per day, and each pig iron weighing about 92 pounds. Out of the 75 workmen Taylor

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