Question

“In Japanese companies, paternalistic style of management is in practice. If at all workers go to strike they wear a black badge but work more than normal working hours to gain the sympathy of the management.”
Identify the principle of Taylor highlighted in the above lines.

• A. Science not Rule of Thumb
• B. Harmony, Not Discord
• C. Cooperation, Not Individualism
• D. Development of Each and Every Person to His or Her Greatest Efficiency and Prosperity

Hint:

The Japanese practice of wearing black badges while working overtime to gain management sympathy is a standard textbook example of Taylor's principle of Harmony, Not Discord.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:
F.W. Taylor formulated four core principles of Scientific Management to maximize industrial efficiency: Science not Rule of Thumb, Harmony Not Discord, Cooperation Not Individualism, and Development of Each Person to Greatest Efficiency and Prosperity.

Step 1: Examining the Principle of Harmony, Not Discord:
Taylor emphasized that an enterprise requires complete harmony between management and workers rather than an adversarial relationship.
He advocated for a mutual Mental Revolution, where management shares prosperity with workers, and workers dedicate their best efforts to the organization.

Step 2: Analyzing the Japanese Management Context:
The case study describes the paternalistic management approach in Japanese companies:
“If at all workers go to strike they wear a black badge but work more than normal working hours to gain the sympathy of the management.”
This workplace example demonstrates a mindset of mutual respect and dedication rather than confrontation, illustrating Taylor's principle of Harmony, Not Discord.

Step 3: Distinguishing from Cooperation, Not Individualism:
While “Cooperation, Not Individualism” is an extension of this philosophy, the Japanese example of maintaining production during protests to foster mutual sympathy specifically illustrates Harmony, Not Discord.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Therefore, the correct principle is Harmony, Not Discord, corresponding to option (B).