Full name: Frederick Winslow Taylor
Date of birth: March 20, 1856
Place of birth: Germantown, Philadelphia, PA
Date of death: March 21, 1915 (age 59)
Place of death: Philadelphia, PA
Cause of death: Pneumonia
Resting place: West Laurel Hill Cemetery Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, USA
Parents: Emily Annette Winslow (Mother), Franklin Taylor (Father)
Education: Stevens Institute of Technology (1883), Philips Exeter Academy (1872-1874), University of Pennsylvania
Spouse: Louise Marie Spooner (1884-1915)
Children: Kempton Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Taylor
Occupation(s): Engineer, Efficiency expert, Management Consultant
Awards: Elliott Cresson Medal (1902)
Contents
Who is Frederick Winslow Taylor?
Frederick Winslow Taylor was an American mechanical engineer and industrial management expert who lived from March 20, 1856, to March 21, 1915. He is recognized as the first person to systematically work to improve industrial efficiency. He is also considered one of the fathers of business management. Taylor’s groundbreaking research and the principles of Scientific Management he developed formed the basis of industrial engineering.
Biography
Frederick Winslow Taylor was born into a wealthy family in Germantown, Pennsylvania on March 20, 1856. After studying at Germantown Academy, he attended schools in France and Germany in 1869-1870. He then traveled around Italy, Switzerland, Norway, England, France, Germany and Austria for 1.5 years. At Exeter, where he graduated at the top of his class, he was preparing to study law at Harvard. However, due to various health problems, he had to abandon his university education. In 1874, he started his apprenticeship as a machinist. During the same period, he continued his engineering education.
In 1878, he began his career as a laborer at the Midvale Steel Company, rising to chief engineer within six years and taking up his position with the company in 1884. Between 1880 and 1883, he attended the evening engineering program at Stevens Institute, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
In his managerial role at the Midvale Steel Company, he contributed significantly to the company’s development by applying methods he developed to improve industrial efficiency. He also designed the plant and machinery and participated in major engineering projects, including the largest steam processor in the United States.
In 1890, he was appointed general manager of the Manufacturing Investment Co. and developed a method of producing sulfite pulp from tree trunks. During this period, he introduced his management system, guiding many manufacturing and engineering organizations. He took a leadership role in this area by developing a bookkeeping system.
While working at Bethlehem Steel, he developed the modern Taylor-White high-speed tool machining method through experiments in cutting tool steel. Taylor’s invention was awarded a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition and the Elliot Gresson Gold Medal by the Franklin Institute.
From 1901 onwards, focusing on the principles of Scientific Management, he gave up the goal of making money and devoted the rest of his life to this field. In his machine shop, he paid the expenses of those who wanted to learn the principles of Scientific Management, gave lectures, and wrote books. In 1907, at the request of Admiral Goodrich, he conducted a successful study for the New York shipyard, and these methods were applied in other services of the navy.
Taylor, known for his famous book “Shop Management”, found the factory management of that period amateur and primitive. Emphasizing the necessity of various disciplines for administrative mechanisms, he advocated the importance of working in cooperation. His works such as Method Study and Time Study have an important place in the field of Industrial Engineering.
Frederick Winslow Taylor died of pneumonia in Philadelphia on March 21, 1915. Taylor, who was 59 years old at the time of his death, is buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd.
The Works of Frederick Winslow Taylor
Frederick Winslow Taylor is known as a mechanical engineer focused on improving industrial efficiency. He is the founder of scientific management and a pioneering figure in the field of Industrial Engineering. His 1911 article “The Principles of Scientific Management” made him famous in the field of business management and his ideas are commonly referred to as “Taylorism”.
Taylor’s article “The Principles of Scientific Management” consists of three parts. These are;
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Fundamentals of scientific management
- Chapter 2: The Principles of Scientific Management
Introduction: In his introduction, Taylor states that the United States suffers from inefficiency in general. He tried to convey to the reader that the solution could be found not by finding extraordinary people but by systematic management. He emphasized that the most effective management could be achieved through science and that established laws, rules, and principles were necessary for this. He argued that the principles of scientific management can be applied in every field, from individual activities to large company activities, and that the most effective cooperation can be achieved through scientific management.
Chapter 1: In this chapter, Taylor stated that the main purpose of management is to maximize the welfare of the employer and to harmonize the welfare of each employee with it. Emphasizing that this maximum prosperity is only possible through maximum productivity, Taylor stated that the main purpose of management and employees is education and the development of the individual. Thus, each employee can achieve the highest level of success in line with their natural abilities.
Chapter 2: In this chapter, Taylor explained in detail the principles of scientific management. These four basic principles are:
1) Substitution of scientific methods of work for business methods.
2) Selection and continuous training of employees using scientific techniques.
3) Detailed briefing and supervision of each employee.
4) Dividing the work equally between managers and employees. In this way, managers can apply the principles of scientific management to their business plans and employees can perform their work most accurately.
According to Frederick Taylor, scientific management, supported by employees encouraged by these principles and new lines of work, would lead to much higher productivity than the old plans.
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