From Scientific Management to Service Management

Abstract

The mainstream management principles of today are still predominantly based on what has been called “scientific management”, which in turn can be traced back to the writings of Adam Smith. Today, the challenges for management have changed significantly, and the principles of “scientific management” are not applicable to the same extent as before in the industrial society. For the post‐industrial society, most firms face what has been called service competition, and hence, managing services becomes of strategic importance for service firms and manufacturers of goods alike. Discusses key facets of service management.