Progressing through a series of names -
manufacturing management,
production management, and operations management - all of which
describe the same general discipline, the evolution of the term reflects
the evolution of modern operations management. The traditional view
of manufacturing management began in the eighteenth century when
Adam Smith recognized the economic benefits of specialization of labor.
He recommended breaking jobs down into subtasks and reassigning
workers to specialized tasks in which they would become highly skilled
and efficient. In the early twentieth century, Frederick. W.Taylor implemented
smith’s theories and crusaded for scientific management throughout the vast
manufacturing complex of his day. From then until about 1930, the traditional
view prevailed and many techniques we still use today were developed.
Production management became the more widely accepted term from the
1930s through the 1950s.As Frederick Taylor’s work became more widely known,
managers developed techniques that focused in economic efficiency
in manufacturing. Workers were “put under a microscope” and studied
in great detail to eliminate wasteful efforts and achieve greater efficiency.
At this same time, however, management also began discovering that
workers have multiple needs, not just economic needs. Psychologists,
sociologists, and other social scientists began to study people and
human behavior in the work environment. In addition, economists,
mathematicians, and computer scientists contributed newer, more
sophisticated analytical approaches.
With the 1970s emerged two distinct changes in our views.
The most obvious of these, reflected in the new name ---operations
management -------was a shift in the service and manufacturing sectors
of the economy. As the service sector became more prominent, the
change from “production” to “operations” emphasized the broadening
of our field to service organizations. The second, more subtle change
was the beginning of an emphasis on synthesis, rather than just
analysis, in management practices. Spearheaded most notably by
Wickham skinner, American industry was awakened to its ignorance
of the operations function as a vital weapon in the organization’s
overall competitive strategy.
production management, and operations management - all of which
describe the same general discipline, the evolution of the term reflects
the evolution of modern operations management. The traditional view
of manufacturing management began in the eighteenth century when
Adam Smith recognized the economic benefits of specialization of labor.
He recommended breaking jobs down into subtasks and reassigning
workers to specialized tasks in which they would become highly skilled
and efficient. In the early twentieth century, Frederick. W.Taylor implemented
smith’s theories and crusaded for scientific management throughout the vast
manufacturing complex of his day. From then until about 1930, the traditional
view prevailed and many techniques we still use today were developed.
Production management became the more widely accepted term from the
1930s through the 1950s.As Frederick Taylor’s work became more widely known,
managers developed techniques that focused in economic efficiency
in manufacturing. Workers were “put under a microscope” and studied
in great detail to eliminate wasteful efforts and achieve greater efficiency.
At this same time, however, management also began discovering that
workers have multiple needs, not just economic needs. Psychologists,
sociologists, and other social scientists began to study people and
human behavior in the work environment. In addition, economists,
mathematicians, and computer scientists contributed newer, more
sophisticated analytical approaches.
With the 1970s emerged two distinct changes in our views.
The most obvious of these, reflected in the new name ---operations
management -------was a shift in the service and manufacturing sectors
of the economy. As the service sector became more prominent, the
change from “production” to “operations” emphasized the broadening
of our field to service organizations. The second, more subtle change
was the beginning of an emphasis on synthesis, rather than just
analysis, in management practices. Spearheaded most notably by
Wickham skinner, American industry was awakened to its ignorance
of the operations function as a vital weapon in the organization’s
overall competitive strategy.
