Techniques of scientific management

Fixing quality and size standards is standardisation. Exam tip: choose standardisation when you see quality standard.

Rule following and discipline are linked with disciplinarian. Exam tip: connect rule breaking with disciplinarian.

Inspector checks quality and defects in finished goods. Exam tip: connect defect checking with inspector.

The direct answer is option C, fatigue study. Work study examines how a job can be performed efficiently and includes areas such as method study, motion study, time study, and fatigue study. Fatigue means physical or mental tiredness caused by continuous or unsuitable work. Fatigue study identifies causes of tiredness and helps decide suitable working conditions, work-rest intervals, and ways to reduce strain. Option A, time study, measures the time needed by a qualified worker to complete a task under specified conditions; it is mainly concerned with setting a standard time. Option B, method study, searches for the best method of doing a job by removing unnecessary steps, but it is not specifically the study of worker tiredness. Option C, fatigue study, is correct because its direct purpose is to understand and reduce fatigue through proper rest and improved conditions. Option D, motion study, analyses unnecessary movements and seeks to make movements fewer and easier; it can reduce effort indirectly, but it is not the named study focused on fatigue. Memory cue: time means duration, method means best procedure, motion means movements, fatigue means tiredness and rest.

Standardisation means fixing uniform standards, rules, specifications, or procedures so that similar work is performed consistently. If a factory establishes the same safety rules for all its machines, it is creating a common standard for machine operation and worker protection. The emphasis is on uniformity rather than on changing the work process.

Therefore option A, Standardisation, is correct. Simplification means reducing unnecessary varieties, method study examines the best way to perform a job, and differential wages reward workers according to performance. None of those specifically describes making one safety standard applicable to every machine. The supplied explanation correctly links common rules with standardisation and supports the selected answer.

Taylor’s functional foremanship divides supervision into a planning department and a production department. The planning side includes the route clerk, instruction-card clerk, time-and-cost clerk, and disciplinarian. These roles prepare the work route, instructions, records, and workplace discipline before or alongside production. The repair boss is one of the production-side specialists, responsible for maintaining machines and dealing with repairs while work is carried out. Therefore option D is the post that does not belong to the planning department. Options A, B, and C are planning-department posts, so choosing any of them would confuse the two groups of functional foremen.

Improving the whole work method is related to method study. Exam tip: choose method study when the whole process is involved.

To find standard output, divide the total available time by the time needed to produce one unit: \(250 \div 5 = 50\). Therefore, the standard output is 50 units. At 45 units, 25 minutes would remain unused, so it is not the output based on the available time. Exam tip: In time-study questions, use total time ÷ time per unit.

Differential piece-wage payment, associated with Taylor’s scientific management, uses different wage rates according to whether output reaches the prescribed standard. The worker’s output is 65 units, while the standard is 60 units. Since 65 > 60, the worker has produced above the standard and qualifies for the higher piece rate under the usual differential-rate rule. Therefore option D is correct. The lower rate applies when output remains below the standard. A same rate would not reflect the differential system, and zero rate is not a normal consequence of exceeding the standard. The question asks which rate may be received, not the total wage amount.

The direct answer is A: motion study. Motion study examines the movements made by a worker while performing a task. Its purpose is to remove unnecessary movements, reduce effort and fatigue, and improve efficiency. If tools are placed far away, the worker must stretch or move the hand repeatedly; motion study identifies this wasteful movement and suggests a better arrangement. Therefore option A is correct. Option B, time study, measures how long a task should take; it does not mainly analyse hand movement. Option C, simplification, means reducing variety or making products and tasks simpler, but it is not the specific study of worker movements. Option D, standardisation, fixes uniform standards for tools, materials or procedures. It may help the workplace, but it is not the answer to a question focused on hand movement. Memory cue: movement means motion study; stopwatch and duration mean time study.

Reducing unnecessary product types is simplification. Exam tip: connect fewer types with simplification.

In Taylor’s functional foremanship, the speed boss ensures that workers perform their work at the prescribed and proper speed. The gang boss arranges the workplace, tools and materials, while the instruction card clerk prepares work instructions. Exam tip: a duty related to work speed or time standards points to the speed boss.

Gang boss looks after preparation before starting work. Exam tip: connect start preparation with gang boss.

Checking quality of finished goods is the inspector’s work. Exam tip: connect defect checking with inspector.

Supervision by specialist foremen is functional foremanship. Exam tip: connect it with specialisation.

Functional foremanship divides supervision into specialised duties so that workers receive expert guidance for different aspects of planning and production. The planning side has four specialists: route clerk, instruction-card clerk, time and cost clerk, and disciplinarian. The production side also has four specialists: gang boss, speed boss, repair boss, and inspector.

Thus the total number is \(4+4=8\), so option C is correct. The question asks for the total across both sides, not the number on only one side. Remembering the two groups of four prevents choosing six or seven. The supplied explanation correctly states the eight-specialist structure and gives the useful memory aid of four planning and four production specialists.

In Taylor’s functional foremanship, the route clerk is a specialist in the planning department. This specialist decides the process, sequence and route to be followed for completing a job. The gang boss, repair boss and inspector belong to the production department; an inspector checks the quality of work. Exam tip: associate “route” with planning the path of work.

In Taylor's functional foremanship, the route clerk decides the path and sequence through which a job should be completed. Therefore, Route clerk is the correct answer. A speed boss focuses on the speed of work and time standards, not on routing. Exam tip: associate “route” with the path and sequence of work.

Instruction card clerk gives written instructions. Exam tip: understand instruction card as written directions.

In Taylor’s functional foremanship, the planning department contains specialised officials with clearly separated duties. The time-and-cost clerk records the time required for operations and the costs associated with them. These records help management establish standards, compare actual performance with planned performance, and support wage or production decisions. Hence option C, Time and cost clerk, is correct. The repair boss belongs to production and handles maintenance issues. An inspector checks quality or conformity, while a gang boss supervises workers and ensures that instructions are followed during production. Their duties may involve observing work, but they do not keep the specialised time-and-cost details.

The direct answer is D, disciplinarian. In Taylor’s functional foremanship, different specialist supervisors handle different responsibilities. The disciplinarian is the specialist responsible for maintaining discipline and orderly conduct at the workplace. Therefore option D is correct. Option A, speed boss, concentrates on ensuring that work proceeds at the planned speed and that delays are reduced. Option B, route clerk, decides the route or sequence through which work and materials should move. Option C, inspector, checks the quality of the work or product against the required standard. These roles are important, but none has the primary responsibility for discipline. The name disciplinarian itself is a strong clue because it comes from discipline. Do not choose inspector merely because an inspector supervises workers; inspection concerns quality, whereas discipline concerns conduct and rule-following.

Gang boss looks after preparation before work starts. Exam tip: connect setup before work with gang boss.

In Taylor’s functional foremanship, the speed boss ensures that work is performed at the proper and prescribed pace. Therefore, Speed boss is the correct answer. An inspector mainly checks the quality of work, whereas a repair boss is concerned with the maintenance of machines and equipment. Exam tip: If the question refers to the pace or speed of production, recall the speed boss.

In Taylor’s functional foremanship, the repair boss is responsible for repairing and maintaining machines and tools so that they remain in proper working condition. A gang boss supervises workers and workplace arrangements, not equipment maintenance. Exam tip: When a question refers to repair or maintenance of tools and machines, choose ‘Repair boss’.

In functional foremanship, the inspector is responsible for checking whether the finished product meets the required quality standards. This includes looking for defects, confirming that specifications have been followed, and identifying products that do not satisfy the expected standard. The role is concerned with quality control after or during production.

Therefore option D, Inspector, is correct. The speed boss focuses on maintaining the planned rate of work, the repair boss deals with machine maintenance, and the gang boss supervises the workers and arrangements for the job. Those roles are different from checking finished-product quality. The supplied explanation correctly connects quality checking and defect detection with the inspector.