Sunrise Footwear
Meena runs Sunrise Footwear, a small unit that makes school shoes. Each cutting knife, last and glue pot has its own numbered hook on the wall rack, and every worker hangs the item back on its hook after use. Arif, the supervisor, speaks of ‘our order’ and ‘our deadline’ in every meeting with the workers, and never of ‘my order’.
The workers come from different states and speak different languages. When promotions are due, Meena looks only at each worker’s work record, never at where the worker comes from.
Last year, a machine operator thought of a new way of laying out patterns on the leather. Meena let her try it out on the next order and gave her a cash reward when it cut waste.
Meena also found that the unit made shoes in fourteen sizes and five shades of black. She cut them down to six sizes and one shade.
Which result does Taylor’s scientific management link with the kind of step Meena took in the last paragraph of the passage?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Savings in the cost of labour, machines and tools used in the unit
Option (1) Less time for each job, as unnecessary movements of the workers are removed — Incorrect. This is the result of motion study, which cuts out needless movements such as lifting or changing positions. Meena's step deals with the range of products.
Option (2) Savings in the cost of labour, machines and tools used in the unit — Correct. Cutting out the extra sizes is simplification. Simplification removes unneeded varieties, sizes and dimensions of products. Taylor linked it with savings of cost of labour, machines and tools, along with smaller inventories.
Option (3) Higher output, as the one best way of doing each job is found and followed — Incorrect. Finding the one best way of doing a job is the aim of method study. Meena did not study how a job is done; she reduced the number of product types.
Option (4) Higher earnings for efficient workers, who are paid at a higher rate — Incorrect. This comes from the differential piece wage system, which pays workers above the standard a higher rate. It is about wages.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Standardisation and Simplification of Work … Simplification aims at eliminating superfluous varieties, sizes and dimensions while standardisation implies devising new varieties instead of the existing ones. Simplification aims at eliminating unnecessary diversity of products. It results in savings of cost of labour, machines and tools. It implies reduced inventories, fuller utilisation of equipment and increasing turnover. …” |