Foundations of Managing and Organising
Foundations of management and organisation
Assessment 2
Name: Matt Young
NTU ID: N0267994
1) 1. Henry Ford believed that workers could be motivated by increased pay. Frederick
Taylor believed that workers were inherently lazy. What could they learn from motivation theory?
Maslow ‘suggested there is a hierarchy of needs up which people progress’ (Fincham, R, Rhodes, P (1999). Principles of Organizational Behaviour p132) this theory along with many other content and process theories challenges both Ford and Taylor’s ideas. All theories have one aim of motivating employees; through doing this it is likely to improve efficiency. This essay will argue the strengths and weaknesses of Ford and Taylor’s theories, while comparing and contrasting to other motivation theories showing how they both could learn from and enhance these into their own theories.
Taylor’s scientific management theory is a very straight forward theory with all thinking to be for the managers, ‘every man who gets on this job has got to lay bricks my way’ (Pugh, D (1997). Organization theory p294), this quote typifies Taylor’s theory, with his belief that workers were lazy and ‘managers do the thinking and workers obey’ (Fincham, R, Rhodes, P (1999). Principles of Organizational Behaviour p258) This theory means the workers do no thinking and just do what the managers ask of them, with the idea of maximizing efficiency through the worker being told the exact way to perform the task and completely focusing on completing their work quick. It is argued that Taylorism leaves workers brain dead due to the lack of thought, basically turning the workers into machines. Taylor has no faith in workers and believes they are lazy, it could be argued that in order to motivate workers having so little faith in the workforce leads to a decrease in motivation.
Ford’s theory has been described as Taylor’s ideas into reality. Ford is most renowned for his view of pay to motivate and his $5
Assessment 2
Name: Matt Young
NTU ID: N0267994
1) 1. Henry Ford believed that workers could be motivated by increased pay. Frederick
Taylor believed that workers were inherently lazy. What could they learn from motivation theory?
Maslow ‘suggested there is a hierarchy of needs up which people progress’ (Fincham, R, Rhodes, P (1999). Principles of Organizational Behaviour p132) this theory along with many other content and process theories challenges both Ford and Taylor’s ideas. All theories have one aim of motivating employees; through doing this it is likely to improve efficiency. This essay will argue the strengths and weaknesses of Ford and Taylor’s theories, while comparing and contrasting to other motivation theories showing how they both could learn from and enhance these into their own theories.
Taylor’s scientific management theory is a very straight forward theory with all thinking to be for the managers, ‘every man who gets on this job has got to lay bricks my way’ (Pugh, D (1997). Organization theory p294), this quote typifies Taylor’s theory, with his belief that workers were lazy and ‘managers do the thinking and workers obey’ (Fincham, R, Rhodes, P (1999). Principles of Organizational Behaviour p258) This theory means the workers do no thinking and just do what the managers ask of them, with the idea of maximizing efficiency through the worker being told the exact way to perform the task and completely focusing on completing their work quick. It is argued that Taylorism leaves workers brain dead due to the lack of thought, basically turning the workers into machines. Taylor has no faith in workers and believes they are lazy, it could be argued that in order to motivate workers having so little faith in the workforce leads to a decrease in motivation.
Ford’s theory has been described as Taylor’s ideas into reality. Ford is most renowned for his view of pay to motivate and his $5