Re-Tayloring Management

Over a century has passed and yet there is growing evidence that knowledge workers across the globe today are as constrained by F.W. Taylor's much maligned The Principles of Scientific Management, as factory workers in the early twentieth century. Re-Tayloring Management looks critically at Taylor's philosophy, contrasting this with more contemporary perspectives that have emerged with the professionalization of management and the growth in business and management education. The evidence suggest the 'ghost of Taylor' is very much alive in high skill/low cost knowledge and service roles across the globe. That despite the complexity and uncertainty that organizations face, managers are obsessed with maintaining tighter control. This approach flies in the face of contemporary job design principles with its emphasis on ’job crafting’, where individuals are encouraged to craft their role in a way that is congruent with their identity.