Did Taylorism fail because of a too positive image of human nature?
Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to critically question conventional views of the one-dimensional, mechanistic and negative image of human nature of Scientific Management. Both for worker behavior and for managerial behavior positive aspects of an image of human nature are reconstructed in organizational economic terms. Design/methodology/approach – Through institutional economic reconstruction, drawing on the methods and concepts of organizational and institutional economics, the portrayal of workers and managers by Scientific Management is critically assessed. Findings – It is suggested that a conceptual asymmetry exists in Taylor’s writings regarding the portrayal of human nature of workers and managers. Whereas for workers a model of self-interest was applied (through the concepts of “systematic soldering” and “natural soldiering”), Taylor portrayed managers through a positive, behavioral model of human nature that depicted the manager as “heartily cooperative”. The key thesis
