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Title: The Scientific Management of Information Overload

Authors: Linda L. Brennan

Addresses: Author address listing can be found in the "About the Authors" section at the end of the article.

Abstract: Examining Frederick Winslow Taylor's seminal work, The Principles of Scientific Management, reveals why many of his ideas were considered controversial. While one might argue against his view of workers' motivation, the principles underlying his efforts towards productivity improvements still apply today. To make a case for the relevance of his contributions for management practice in the 21st century, this article shows first how Taylor's thinking relates to key aspects of lean manufacturing, a popular and contemporary business practice. The coherence of scientific management and lean principles are then further applied to a current and growing problem, information overload, to yield testable propositions for further study. Suggestions for addressing information overload, based on anecdotal evidence, are presented as illustrative.

Keywords: Scientific management; information overload; productivity improvements; lean manufacturing; 21st century management.

DOI: 10.1504/JBM.2011.141195

Journal of Business and Management, 2011 Vol.17 No.1, pp.121 - 134

Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *