How does Taylor’s approach differ from administrative management theories?

Taylor's approach, known as Scientific Management, is characterized by a focus on optimizing individual tasks and improving efficiency at the worker level. He believed that productivity could be significantly enhanced by analyzing and refining specific tasks performed by workers, which contrasts with administrative management theories that take a broader perspective on organization as a whole. Administrative management, typically associated with theorists like Henri Fayol and Max Weber, emphasizes the overall structure and functions of organizations, including management principles and organizational hierarchies.

Taylor’s method involved time studies, standardization of tools and procedures, and systematic training of workers to perform their tasks in the most efficient manner possible. This dedication to improving the minutiae of individual tasks is what sets it apart from administrative theories that look at the organization from a macro perspective, focusing on management practices and organizational frameworks instead of micro-level task efficiency. This distinction is pivotal in understanding how management theories evolve and the focus areas that each theory addresses within organizational contexts.