Techniques of scientific management

When method changes time standard may change. Exam tip: remember method change means time standard review.

Reducing walking distance is motion study and setting standard output is time study. Exam tip: catch both clues in combined cases.

Too many colour variants may be unnecessary variety. Exam tip: connect too many variants with simplification.

Written instruction is linked with instruction card clerk. Exam tip: focus on the written instruction clue.

The time and cost clerk maintains records of the time taken and the cost incurred in production. Such records allow management to compare actual performance with the scientifically determined standard. If actual time is greater than standard time, the difference can be investigated and corrective action may be considered. The route clerk is concerned with the sequence or path of operations, the inspector checks quality, and the repair boss deals with machine repairs. None of those roles primarily maintains the time-comparison record. Therefore, option C is the most suitable answer under Taylor’s functional organisation.

Inspector detects defects but deliberate rule breaking is a discipline issue. Exam tip: choose specialist by reading the cause.

Uniform tools make training easier and similar. Exam tip: connect standard tools with training ease.

Fatigue study assesses the physical and mental fatigue caused by work and helps in fixing suitable rest intervals. Therefore, setting a high output target without deciding rest intervals ignores fatigue study. Time study fixes the standard time for a task, whereas method study identifies the best way of doing it. Exam tip: Link words such as rest, fatigue, and breaks with fatigue study.

Too many variants may increase cost so simplification is needed. Exam tip: connect high variety cost with simplification.

Route and written method both belong to the planning side. Exam tip: identify route and instruction clues together.

Working time is (480 - 60 = 420) minutes so output is (420 \div 7 = 60) units. Exam tip: deduct rest to find available work time.

Material quality should also be standard for fair comparison. Exam tip: connect equal conditions with standardisation.

Rejected units are deducted in accepted output so counted output is (102 - 4 = 98). Exam tip: keep gross output and accepted output separate.

The direct answer is B, Route clerk. In functional foremanship, routing means deciding the path, order, and sequence through which work and materials should move. The raw material arrives on time, so purchasing or delivery is not the main problem. The difficulty is that the work sequence keeps changing; this points directly to routing. Option A, Gang boss, arranges workers into a group and helps ensure that the group has the needed resources; he is not primarily responsible for fixing the production route. Option B is correct because the route clerk plans the route and sequence of operations. Option C, Repair boss, maintains and repairs machines, so he deals with breakdowns, not changing work order. Option D, Inspector, checks quality after or during production, not the path of work. Memory cue: route means road and order, so route clerk handles sequence.

The gang boss prepares the work for production, including making sure the necessary tools and equipment are ready. Since the tools are not properly placed before work begins, the gang boss is the most relevant specialist.

The direct answer is C: speed boss. Functional foremanship assigns different production duties to different specialists. When the machine is working properly but a group is working too slowly, the central issue is the speed of work, not machine repair. Option C is correct because the speed boss ensures that workers follow the proper pace and helps maintain the planned rate of production. Option A, route clerk, is wrong because the route clerk decides the path and sequence of operations. Option B, repair boss, is wrong because the repair boss deals with defective machines or equipment, while the question says the machine is proper. Option D, instruction card clerk, is wrong because that clerk prepares written instructions about how the work should be performed, but the stated problem is slow execution. Do not confuse instructions with speed control. Exam cue: if the equipment is fine but workers are moving too slowly, think speed boss.

The instruction card clerk prepares the written instructions for workers. If those instructions are incorrect, this role is directly related to the cause; the inspector’s role is to check the work for defects.

In Taylor’s functional foremanship, the repair boss is the specialist responsible for keeping machines and equipment in working condition and correcting mechanical faults. A machine breakdown directly calls for technical repair, not a quality inspection. The inspector checks whether work meets the required quality standards; that role does not normally repair a failed machine. The route clerk determines the sequence of operations, the time and cost clerk maintains production records, and the disciplinarian deals with workplace discipline. Since the problem is mechanical and production has stopped, option A is the correct choice.

The disciplinarian is responsible for maintaining discipline and ensuring that workplace rules are followed. Since the stated cause is workers’ failure to follow rules, this specialist is needed alongside inspection.

The route clerk and the time and cost clerk are both on the planning side of functional foremanship. The other listed production-side roles include the gang boss, speed boss, repair boss and inspector.

The gang boss and repair boss are both on the production side. The production-side specialists are the gang boss, speed boss, repair boss and inspector.

The time and cost clerk maintains time and cost records. Those records provide the relevant cost information for comparing actual costs with standard costs.

Method study examines the process and seeks a more efficient way to perform the work. Repeated returns of materials suggest that the process or material flow may need to be improved.

Motion study examines the individual movements made by a worker while performing a task. Its purpose is to identify unnecessary, tiring, or wasteful motions and eliminate them so that the work becomes easier, faster, and more efficient. Neck and hand movements are bodily motions, so reducing them is a direct application of motion study. Time study, in contrast, determines how long a qualified worker should take to complete a task. Method study focuses on improving the overall way or sequence of doing work, while standardisation establishes uniform specifications. Therefore, option C is the most precise answer.

A reliable standard time should be established only after the best method of performing the task has been identified. Method study first removes unnecessary steps and selects an efficient work procedure; time study can then measure the time required for that improved method. If the method is not selected first, the recorded time may include avoidable movements, poor sequencing, or inefficient procedures. Consequently, the resulting standard may be unfair, inaccurate, or doubtful. The other options are not guaranteed: simplification is not automatically complete, fatigue may not fall, and output will not always increase. Thus, option A is correct.