Taylor reduced the number of people shoveling at the Bethlehem Steel Works from 500 to 140. This work, and his studies on the handling of pig iron, greatly contributed to the analysis of work design and gave rise to method study.
It broke down jobs into tasks and helped bring about division of labor rather than doing a job from start to finish.
People have been managing work for hundreds of years, and we can trace formal management ideas to the 1700s. But the most significant developments in management theory emerged in the 20th century.
One of the earliest of these theorists was Frederick Winslow Taylor. He started the Scientific Management movement, and he and his associates were the first people to study the work process scientifically.
After years of various experiments to determine optimal work methods, Taylor proposed the following four principles of scientific management:
1. Replace working by "rule of thumb," or simple habit and common sense, and instead use the scientific method to study work and determine the most efficient way to perform specific tasks.
2.Rather than simply assign workers to just any job, match workers to their jobs based on capability and motivation, and train them to work at maximum efficiency.
3.Monitor worker performance, and provide instructions and supervision to ensure that they're using the most efficient ways of working.
4.Allocate the work between managers and workers so that the managers spend their time planning and training, allowing the workers to perform their tasks efficiently.
For further reading, see:
Netmba.com - Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management
Mindtools.com - Understanding Taylorism and Early Management Theory