Discussions on the Nature of the Scientific Management Approach in the Early Times of U.S. Industry

Abstract

When the American Civil War ended in 1865, industrial organizations proliferated at an unpredictable rate. With the ascending number of industrial organizations, new problems emerged that the production process and management problems in the U.S. The discussion platforms were created and set up by owners, managers, and consultants of U.S. industry organizations to seek solutions to the joint problems. Management and production process problems had been discussed on these platforms. This study highlights the significance of science, art, and philosophical concepts related to the scientific management (S.M.) movement in the early period of U.S. industry organizations by focusing on these concepts’ similarities and dissociations. The articles, books, and proceedings of the S.M. movement pioneers have revealed the root causes of the different opinions about the S.M. movement. Science, art, and philosophical viewpoints of scientific management have discussed S.M.’s pioneers and its period conditions. Different viewpoints indeed created an excellent ground for the development of S.M. However, the early phases of S.M. were opponents to the S.M. movement, and those who criticized the S.M. did so for it being an uncompleted and interest group related movement.