Frederick Taylor pioneered the principles of scientific management and his work remains not only relevant but evident across the spectrum of industry today. A quick glance into the organizational structure or operations procedures of just about any employer will reveal aspects of Mr. Taylor’s studies and teachings. My experience has been within the casino industry so I will cite examples from this.

It seems ironic that we can find so much evidence of scientific management in casino megaresorts when they put so much effort into the illusion of unrestricted, unscripted, unabashed fun and chance. The free flow of alcohol, the notable absence of windows and clocks, and the surreal décor are planned as much as possible to relieve patrons of their day-to-day obsession and obligation to time management. Instead, customers are encouraged to drink, eat, and revel until they physically can’t continue.

Not so coincidentally, the opposite end of the spectrum is simultaneously played out each day by the employees of these resorts. The “back of the house” hallways are adorned with timeclocks, and posters stressing policy, procedure, and efficiency results. Some of the hallways in the catacombs of Caesars Palace’s employee level are labeled with distinctive painted lines that employees can follow to get the quickest route to the dining hall or respective break rooms. The training academy is constantly reinforcing procedural classes that ensure consistency and efficiency for the most complex to the most mundane tasks. I worked in the Table Games department so I am specifically aware of required benchmarks such as minimum hands per hour required of Blackjack Dealers or rolls and spins per hour required of Dice and Roulette dealers respectively. Supervisor efficiency and volume was tracked on the computerized player rating system which simultaneously tracked how many players each supervisor rated on a daily basis as well as how accurately supervisors accounted for win/loss in their assigned sections.

The slot department worked under even more direct adherence to time restrictions as Supervisor and employee effectiveness was measured specifically to reflect their reaction times to machine service calls or jackpot payouts. One of Caesars’ subsidiary casinos in Kansas City actually had large