Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: functional organisation
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Scientific management, pioneered by F. W. Taylor, proposed methods to improve efficiency through standardization, time study, and specialized roles. Taylor’s organizational innovation focused on functional specialization of supervisory duties.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Functional organisation divides management and supervisory work by function (e.g., route clerk, speed boss, repair boss, inspector). A worker might receive instruction from several functional foremen, each an expert in a specific domain. This contrasts with line organisation, where authority flows vertically from a single superior.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify Taylor’s contribution: functional foremanship.Map to organisational form: functional organisation.Therefore, choose “functional organisation”.
Verification / Alternative check:
Management literature consistently describes Taylor’s eight functional foremen model as a hallmark of scientific management.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Line and line-and-staff structures were used elsewhere but not Taylor’s distinctive model; matrix is a later development combining functional and project lines.
Common Pitfalls:
Confusing Taylor with Fayol (administrative principles) or Weber (bureaucracy); mixing “line and staff” with Taylor’s functional foremanship.
Final Answer:
functional organisation
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