ITM_Tut 2

Which concept, introduced by Adam Smith, laid the historical groundwork for the division of labor seen in Scientific Management?

• Machine power replacement

• Job specialization

• The "labor problem"

• Economies of scale

What was the primary motivation behind Frederick Taylor's development of Scientific Management?

• To increase worker wages and improve job satisfaction.

• To solve the "labor problem" by increasing productivity and managerial control.

• To encourage worker creativity and innovation on the factory floor.

• To reduce the need for managers in large factories.

How did "soldiering" directly challenge factory management and lead to Taylor's interventions?

• It demonstrated that workers were physically incapable of meeting production targets.

• It gave workers control over the production pace, making management dependent on them.

• It caused frequent equipment breakdowns due to improper use by unmotivated staff.

• It led to an overproduction of goods that the market could not absorb.

A manager at a call center instructs employees to follow a detailed script for every call and measures their performance based on the number of calls handled per hour. Which principle of Scientific Management is best illustrated here?

• Harmony, not discord.

• Science, not rule of thumb.

• Cooperation, not individualism.

• Development of each man to his greatest efficiency

According to Taylor's stages, what is the first step in implementing Scientific Management?

• Scientifically selecting and training workers.

• Fostering cooperation between managers and workers.

• Analyzing the labor process through time and motion studies.

• Equally dividing work and responsibility.

What is the fundamental difference between the "horizontal division" and "vertical division" of labor in a Fordist system?

• Horizontal division separates tasks among workers, while vertical division separates workers from management.

• Horizontal division separates management from planning, while vertical division separates workers from production.

• Horizontal division applies to skilled craft production, while vertical division applies to assembly lines.

• Horizontal division focuses on efficiency, while vertical division focuses on worker safety.

A fast-food restaurant like McDonald's designs its kitchen with specialized stations for grilling, frying, and assembling burgers to maximize speed. This layout directly reflects which key feature of Fordism?

• High wages to reduce labor turnover.

• A focus on product customization.

• An efficiency-focused layout and specialized workstations.

• The use of interchangeable, hand-fitted parts.

What was a primary benefit of Fordism for consumers?

• A wide variety of customizable car models.

• Cars that required professional, specialized maintenance.

• Increased product durability due to hand-crafted parts.

• Lower prices for cars, making them more accessible.

How did the assembly line in Fordism embody the concept of "technical control"?

• It required managers to constantly supervise every worker's actions directly.

• It allowed workers to collectively decide the pace of production each day.

• It embedded control into the technology itself, setting the pace of work mechanically.

• It used advanced computer systems to monitor worker performance and provide feedback.

Which of the following is considered a major criticism or negative issue of Scientific Management?

• It leads to excessive worker autonomy and a lack of standardization.

• It is too focused on long-term skill development for employees.

• It can result in monotony, boredom, and a decline in specific skills.

• It fails to provide reliable measures for evaluating performance.