Taylor’s scientific management

The gang boss ensures that tools and materials are ready for the workers before the job begins. Therefore, arranging them is the gang boss’s responsibility.

In Taylor’s functional foremanship, the Inspector examines the quality of finished goods and identifies defective output. Therefore, when finished products repeatedly have defects, the Inspector’s role is most necessary. A Speed Boss focuses on the pace and proper running of work, while a Repair Boss deals with machine maintenance. Exam tip: link words such as quality, inspection, and defects with the Inspector.

The repair boss maintains machines and tools in proper working condition. A machine problem should therefore be addressed by the repair boss.

Accurate records are needed to compare actual time and costs with their standards. If the records are wrong, that comparison—and the resulting control—will be unreliable.

The disciplinarian is responsible for maintaining discipline and ensuring that workplace rules are followed. Repeated rule-breaking therefore falls within this role.

A time standard is based on a particular work method. If that method changes, the time required may change too, so the old standard may no longer be valid and should be reviewed.

Motion study examines the movements used to perform a task and seeks to eliminate unnecessary ones. Removing needless reaching, bending, and twisting is therefore a result of motion study.

Fatigue study examines the causes of workers’ fatigue and ways to reduce it. Since poor seating is causing tiredness, a fatigue study is appropriate.

To find standard output, divide the total available time by the time required per unit: \(360 \div 8 = 45\). Therefore, 45 units can be produced in 360 minutes. Producing 48 units would require \(48 \times 8 = 384\) minutes, which exceeds the available time. Exam tip: in time-study numericals, keep time units the same and use total time ÷ time per unit.

The standard time is 5 minutes for each unit. Therefore, the target output in 300 minutes is \(300 \div 5 = 60\) units. Producing 50 units would require only 250 minutes, so it is not the target based on the available time. Exam tip: divide total available time by standard time per unit to find the output target.

The worker has met the standard. In Taylor’s differential piece-rate system, workers who meet or exceed the standard receive the higher piece rate; workers below it receive the lower rate.

The lower rate for output below the standard discourages low efficiency, while the higher rate for meeting or exceeding the standard gives workers an incentive to improve and reach the target.

Standardisation means setting uniform standards for items such as tools, equipment, and work conditions. Applying the same guard specifications and measurements to all machines is an example of it.

Simplification reduces unnecessary varieties of products or components. Reducing the number of box sizes from 20 to 5 is an example of reducing variety.

Standardisation promotes uniformity, while simplification reduces unnecessary varieties. Together, they can make operations easier to manage and help control costs; they do not eliminate the need for quality checks.

By reducing unnecessary varieties, simplification can reduce the range of items a business needs to purchase and store, making those activities easier to manage.

Standardisation sets uniform specifications for tools and equipment. When employees use the same tools, training can be more consistent because they learn to work with a common set of equipment.

Method study examines how work is carried out so that the most effective method can be selected. Studying the workflow and choosing the best process is therefore method study.

Motion study focuses on the movements made while doing a task and seeks to eliminate unnecessary ones. Since the question concerns body movements rather than changing the overall process, motion study is the best answer.

Method study examines the sequence and flow of work to find a better way to perform it. Reducing repeated material movement by changing the process is an application of method study.

The correct answer is fatigue study. It examines how work causes fatigue and helps determine suitable work and rest intervals, which can reduce fatigue-related loss of efficiency.

The correct answer is A. An unusually fast worker may not represent the usual pace of workers, so a time standard based on that worker could be unrealistic for others.

The correct answer is A. A single observation may be affected by an unusual delay or other variation. Repeated observations give a more dependable basis for setting a time standard.

The correct answer is A. A strike-like conflict reflects discord between workers and management. Taylor’s principle calls for mutual understanding and cooperation rather than treating the two sides as opponents.

The correct answer is A. Mental revolution means changing an adversarial attitude into one of cooperation, with management and workers recognising their shared interest in greater prosperity.