Craftsmanship versus Modern Management

Before we actually start compare them both, let us take a closer look at each of them.Let's begin with craftsmanship.

Craftsmanship can be defined as 'The production and delivery of quality goods or services from highly skilled workmen'.These quality goods made by using the process of planning, patience, accuracy and finishing each completely before the next, by skilled craftsman lasted a long time.

Craftsmanship can be found in every field or endeavor be it product sector or the services sector.

The characteristics of craftsmanship :

• Craftsmen are very dextrous
• They have no interdependencies
• Feel their professional life to be their actual life who believe that the product they produce is the reflection of themselves
• One step is complete before the product is actually moved to the next stage i.e there exists no parallelism in craftsmanship
• The sastisfaction levels of craftsmen are really high as they are students of their own profession who constantly thrive to improve

But in the end, it all boils down to what consumer wants. As time passed demand for goods and services kept increasing rapidly with increasing purchasing power of the consumers. Hence goods had to be delivered in mass numbers and this is when 'Mass Production' was introduced.

Now let's look at Modern Management

Mass production is the creation of many products in a short period of time using time-saving techniques such as assembly lines and specialization. It allows a manufacturer to produce more per worker-hour, and to lower the labor cost of the end product.This in turn allows the product to be sold for a lower cost.

But mass production entails complexity in the process of delivering goods and servies.This complexity is handled through 'Modern Management'.

The characteristics of modern management:

• In contrast to craftsmanship (craftsman only), here many workers are involved
• Interdependency is high
• Alieanation is high
• Higher degrees of parallelism in terms of work execution
• A non-worker is the head of the production when compared to the crafsman himself being both the worker and the head of his production 
• Workers will become experts in one area of the production line because of 'Deskilling'
• Specialization occurs and workers will be exposed to a single area of the production line instead of being skilled in all areas of production like a craftsman

We will understand this better when we talk about the 3 'E's of management :

1. Efficiency
2. Effectiveness
3. Excellence

Efficiency - It is related to the speed with which we perform the given task. 

Effectiveness - It is related to identifying the necessity of the task itself.

Excellence - It is the product of the above two factors.( Excellence = Efficiency * Effectiveness)

Adding to the above explanation :

Effectivenss defines "Who/What/When/Where/Why" 

Efficiency defines "How"

Therefore, any organisation that is into mass production and uses modern management techniques must try to attain 'more out of less' (efficiency) for 'more' (effectiveness) to ultimately reach excellence.