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The Scientific Method Today

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Scientific Management

There has been a great deal of misunderstanding about what scientific management and the management sciences really are. These two concepts depend upon the proper use of the scientific method (SM-14), which is basically a complete method of creative problem solving and decision making.

Taylorism is Not Scientific Management!

Frederick W. Taylor pioneered and introduced many management concepts. He is credited with being "The Father of Scientific Management" for his work started in the late 1800's.

Many believe that Scientific Management consists of the concepts about time and motion study, he introduced. Study has proven, though, that he merely applied his version of the scientific method for originating problems and for solutions, thus arriving at his conclusions or hypotheses.

Scientific Management should not be restricted to any one person's concept or approach to it, or to any one phase of management. It depends on the proper use of the scientific method.

Imperfect, But Still A "Phenomenally Successful Process"

Applying the scientific method (SM-14) to management is imperfect because the human element is always present and because things in the social sciences are less exact than in the natural sciences but is far superior to such ways and processes as:

Hunch or gut instinct Seat of pants Doing your "thing"
Haphazard guess Uneducated guess Applying existing knowledge
Common sense Rule of thumb Outdated intuition
Superficial analysis Trial and error Management by exception
Pig in the poke Chaos "We always do it that way"
Quick fix Fad of the day Walk-around management

While the application of SM-14 is far superior to the above, there are times when some of these serve a useful purpose (trial and error is always a basic way to progress). Proper use of SM-14, however, should prevent many failures due to poor hunches and guesses, quick fixes, and applying the fad of the day.

Management Science

To have a "science," you must basically have a domain or sub-domain with a group of practitioners applying the scientific method to their research to obtain, refine, extend and apply knowledge. The conclusions reached must be communicated, published in professional journals thus being subjected to peer review with the aim of providing a systematic organized reliable body of knowledge.

Summary

Thus, the basic principle is that to manage scientifically, you must:


Copyright © 2000, Norman W. Edmund - All Rights Reserved

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