Techniques of scientific management

Correct answer: A. A target-and-capability mismatch

The governing concept is that a fair performance standard must be supported by a known method, adequate instruction and the worker’s capability. High output by itself does not prove that the work method is understood or that the result can be maintained safely and consistently. If correct-method training is absent, management has a capability and training gap even when the immediate target is achieved. Option A is therefore the best answer: the target is being compared with output without ensuring the capability needed to reach it properly. Supplier grade and storage saving do not explain a worker’s lack of method training. Route improvement concerns the sequence or movement of work, whereas the case specifically identifies missing instruction. Training should precede a demanding standard so that performance can be evaluated fairly.

Correct answer: C. 46 units

The governing concept is time study: a standard output is calculated from the effective working time and the standard time allowed for one unit. Necessary rest is not productive time, so it must first be deducted from the total period. Effective working time = 780 − 90 = 690 minutes. Dividing this by the allowed time per unit gives standard output = 690 ÷ 15 = 46 units. Therefore, option C is correct. Option A would result from using an incorrect available-time figure, while options B and D arise from faulty division or from failing to apply the rest adjustment accurately. The answer represents planned output under normal working conditions, not an automatically guaranteed actual output.

Correct answer: B. ₹1,792

The governing concept is wage calculation under a piece-rate system. When the question gives accepted output and the applicable rate, multiply those two quantities directly; no deduction for rejection or separate standard comparison is required because the accepted quantity is already stated. Wage = accepted units × rate = 128 × ₹14. Breaking the multiplication down, 128 × 10 = ₹1,280 and 128 × 4 = ₹512; their sum is ₹1,792. Therefore, option B is correct. Option A reflects an arithmetic error, while options C and D result from using an incorrect rate or unit total. The word “accepted” is important because payment is based on units meeting the required quality condition.

Correct answer: B. 60 units

The governing concept is the time-study calculation of standard output. Rest time is necessary for normal performance but is not available for producing units, so it must be removed before division. Effective production time = total time − rest time = 960 − 120 = 840 minutes. The standard time for one unit is 14 minutes, so standard output = 840 ÷ 14 = 60 units. Thus option B is correct. Option A underestimates output, while options C and D overestimate it because they use an incorrect divisor or fail to account accurately for the rest period. The result is a planned normal output based on the stated time allowance, not a claim that every worker must always achieve it.

Correct answer: A. Standard may become too loose

Time study is a technique of scientific management used to determine the reasonable time required for a task. The worker selected for observation should be a normal, trained, and reasonably capable worker, not an unusually slow or unusually fast person. If an extremely slow worker is observed alone, the recorded time will include avoidable delay and will be higher than the time normally needed. Management may then set a standard above the realistic requirement, making the standard too loose. Option A is therefore correct. Option B would be more likely if an exceptionally fast worker were studied without adjustment. The machine, maintenance, and inspection statements do not follow from time study.

Correct answer: A. What is the best way to do the work?

The governing concept of method study is the systematic search for the best method of performing a particular job. Taylor’s approach asks how an operation can be arranged so that unnecessary steps, movements, handling, and effort are removed while the desired output and quality are maintained. Therefore option A is correct. Method study is not concerned with selecting a company name, deciding when profits should be distributed as dividends, or locating customers; those matters belong to branding, financial management, and marketing respectively. Time study asks how long a qualified worker should take, whereas method study first examines the most efficient way of doing the work.

Correct answer: D. What is the best way to do the task

Option D is correct because method study examines the sequence and manner of performing a job in order to find the best possible way of doing it. The analysis may compare alternative methods, remove unnecessary steps, improve the arrangement of work, and reduce wasted effort. This is a Taylor technique within scientific management. It is different from time study, which determines the standard time required for a qualified worker to complete a task under specified conditions. Advertisement colour, dividend policy, and employees’ residence are unrelated to method study. Therefore, the key phrase is “best way of doing the task,” which directly defines the purpose of Taylor’s method study.