Mananging people and Organsiations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mananging people and Organsiations - Essay Example Employees may be motivated by some other factor, perhaps passion for the job, or good relations with fellow employees, but its clearly not money. Frederick Taylor, father of Scientific Management believes that workers were only motivated by money. His claim came about after conducting an "experiment on immigrant labourers, both from Hungary and Germany" (Gabor 2000). Scores of Europeans flood the western shores "bringing with them a hunger for opportunity and the energy to fuel a young nation's growth" (Gabor 2000). For the immigrants, there was a need to seek a better standard of living in a more peaceable environment. This was absent in Europe at the time. Europe was experiencing changes in its systems of governance, and during the period, the new "German Emperor, William II, favoured out right hostility towards Russia" (Thompson 1982). Therefore, to avoid antagonism, many workers migrated from Europe with the desire to work in the western world. The railroad was a common form of employment for both skilled and unskilled workers. At the same time Frederick Taylor was about to test Adam Smith's belief that men wanted financi al gain. His findings would come to be known as the scientific approach to management studies. However, further evidence and careful examination would reveal shocking results. Taylor observed The Experiment Taylor observed the men for a period of time and after much days came up with a concept to increase productivity. He believed if the workers are paid more they may be willing to work harder. Very aware of these workers financial circumstance and their desire to seek betterment, Taylor took advantage by setting an unreasonable quota and offering "them higher wages if they were able to meet it" (Gabor 2000). The response was not what he may have expected since many workers resisted and call the quota "unreasonable." He managed to get one German immigrant "Schmidt" to meet the quota and who in return "was very happy to collect a few extra cents of extra pay at the end of each day" (Nelson pg 92). Taylor later admitted that this was the kind of "ox like" mentality he sought. The truth, however, is that the majority of workers were either physically incapable of doing the job or simply made no attempt to meet Taylor's demands. The increase bonus did nothing to alter worker's performance. Even their financial circumstance did not provided a strong enough desire for them to work. Taylor did not realized that his method of motivation to increase output was ineffective. Therefore, according to the book The Capitalist Philosophers many of the workers "were fired either way. (2000)" Jobs were loss by the dozens. Even Edward E. Lawer in his book Treat People Right argued that "expectancy theory places great emphasis on the importance of goals in motivation. When employees commit to a goal they are highly motivated to achieve it. However if goals are too difficult workers' motivation is weaken." This was clearly because of the unreasonable quota. To many workers the chance of achieving the quota was "very