MrFedEx
Engorged Member
I've discussed Taylorism over on the UPS side, but let me introduce it here. Perhaps some of it will sound familiar. Frederick W. Taylor was the father of "scientific management", which recommended time-and-motion studies to set standards of performance. Basing their practices on careful record-keeping, "scientific managers" established the "best methods", which replaced rule-of-thumb approaches that workers had developed over time. Managers trained and supervised workers and were themselves trained in techniques of scientific control and efficiency. People called the techniques scientific because they were systematic and allowed few individual judgments and little variability. Every aspect of the operation was governed with rules, regulations, and an impersonal attitude toward the individual. Also called "Fordism" because Henry Ford used it on his assembly lines.
If you don't see the parallels, I feel sorry for you. This type of management was nearly directly responsible for the rise of unions in the 1930's. Hmmmm. Frederick W.Smith has just freshened-it up a bit and invented a portable device (the PowerPad) to watch over you just as managers do at stations.
I'm guessing that Mr.Taylor would be proud of what his spawn has accomplished at FedEx. Sorry, but this type of management is just plain dehumanizing and archaic, just like Fred S.
If you don't see the parallels, I feel sorry for you. This type of management was nearly directly responsible for the rise of unions in the 1930's. Hmmmm. Frederick W.Smith has just freshened-it up a bit and invented a portable device (the PowerPad) to watch over you just as managers do at stations.
I'm guessing that Mr.Taylor would be proud of what his spawn has accomplished at FedEx. Sorry, but this type of management is just plain dehumanizing and archaic, just like Fred S.