issupplementedbyabeliefthatbyworkingtoohardhedeprivessomeotherworkerofajob。ScientificManagement,therefore,setsitselftoworkoutbyexperimenttheexacttoolormachineappropriatetoeachaction,themosteconomicalandeffectivewaybywhichaworkercanworkthetoolormachine,andthebestmethodofselectingworkersforeachjobandofstimulatingthemtoperformeachactionwiththegreatestaccuracyandcelerity。Bymeansofstrictlyquantitativetestsitworksoutstandardtools,standardmethodsofworkandstandardtestsfortheselection,organisation,stimulation,andsupervisionoftheworkman。
Inhisexpositionofthiseconomy1Mr。Taylortakesashissimplestillustrationofchoiceoftoolsthe'art'ofshovelling。Lefttohimself,orworkingwithagang,theshovellerwilluseashovelwhoseweight,size,andshapehaveneverbeenconsideredinrelationtotheparticularmaterialithastomoveorthesortofmanwhohastouseit。'Byfirstselectingtwoorthreefirst-classshovellers,andpayingthemextrawagesfordoingtrustworthywork,andthengraduallyvaryingtheshovelloadandhavingalltheconditionsaccompanyingtheworkcarefullyobservedforseveralweeksbymenwhowereaccustomedtoexperimenting,itwasfoundthatafirst-classmanwoulddothebiggestday'sworkwithashovelloadofabout21pounds。'2Asaresultofthisdiscovery,insteadofallowingeachshovellertochoosehisownshovel,thecompanyprovidedeightortendifferentkindsofshovelsaccommodatedtotheweightofdifferentmaterialsandtootherspecial
conditions。Again,thousandsofstop-watchobservationsweremadetodiscoverhowquicklyalabourer,providedwithhispropershovel,couldpushtheshovelintothematerialsanddrawitoutproperlyloaded。Asimilarstudywasmadeof'thetimerequiredtoswingtheshovelbackwardandthenthrowtheloadforagivenhorizontaldistance,accompaniedbyagivenheight。'Withtheknowledgethusobtaineditwaspossibleforthemandirectingshovellers,firsttoteachthemtheexactmethodofusingtheirstrengthtothebestadvantage,andthentoassignthedailytaskbywhichtheycouldearnthebonuspaidforthesuccessfulperformanceofthistask。
For,thoughtheskilleddirectorcanprescribetherighttoolandtherightmethod,hecannotgettherequiredresultwithoutthewillingcooperationoftheindividualworker。Forthispurposeabonusisapplied,thesizeofwhichisitselfasubjectofscientificexperiment。Therelationofthisbonustotheordinarydayorpiecewagewillvarywiththevarioustypesofworkandworkers。IntheBethlehemSteelWorksitwasfoundthatthebesteffectinstimulatingenergywasgotbyabonusofabout60percent,beyondthewagesusuallypaid。'Thisincreaseinwagestendstomakethemnotonlythriftybutbettermenineveryway;theyliveratherbetter,begintosavemoney,becomemoresober,andworkmoresteadily。When,ontheotherhand,theyreceivemuchmorethana60percentincreaseofwages,manyofthemwillworkirregularlyandtendtobecomemoreorlessshiftless,extravagant,anddissipated。Ourexperimentsshowed,inotherwords,thatitdoesnotdoformostmentogetrichtoofast。'3
Consideringthatitwasclaimedthattheresultofthisnewplanofworkwastoraisetheaveragedailyoutputpermanfrom16to59tons,andtosecureanannualsavinginthelabour-billamountingtobetween$75,000and$80,000,itwouldhavebeeninterestingtofollowtheeffectsofarapidadvanceofwealthuponthedividend-receiverswhogainedsodisproportionateashareoftheadvantagesoftheneweconomy。
§;3。Sofarastheselectionandadaptationoftoolstothespecialconditionsoftheworkareconcerned,thereexistsnooppositionbetweenthebusinessandthehumaneconomy。Ifashovellercanshovelmorematerialwithoutgreaterexertionbyusingaparticularshovel,thesystemwhichensureshisusingthisshovelisbeneficialtoeverybody,assumingthathegetssomeshareofthevalueoftheincreasedoutput。Whenweturnfromasimpletooltomoreelaboratemachinery,itbecomesevidentthatquantitativetestingiscapableofachievingenormoustechnicaleconomies。Mr。Taylordescribesthegainsintheoutputofmetal-cuttingmachinesmadebymeansofsucheconomies。'Itspullingpoweratthevariousspeeds,itsfeedingcapacity,anditsproperspeedsweredeterminedbymeansoftheslide-rules,andchangeswerethenmadeinthecountershaftanddrivingpulleyssoastorunittoitsproperspeed。Tools,madeofhighspeedsteelandofthepropershapes,wereproperlydressed,treatedandground。Alargespecialslide-rulewasthenmade,bymeansofwhichtheexactspeedsandfeedswereindicatedatwhicheachkindofworkcouldbedoneintheshortestpossibletimeinthisparticularlathe。Afterpreparinginthiswaysothattheworkmanshouldworkaccordingtothenewmethod,oneafteranother,piecesofworkwerefinishedinthelathe,correspondingtotheworkwhichhadbeendoneinourpreliminarytrials,andthegainintimemadethroughrunningthemachineaccordingtoscientificprinciplesrangedfromtwoandone-halftimesthespeedintheslowestinstancetoninetimesthespeedinthehighest。'4
Thisillustration,however,makesitevidentthatwhenwepassfromtechnicalimprovementsoftoolstoimprovedmethodsofworking,weopenpossibilitiesofoppositionbetweenthebusinessandthehumaninterest。
Animprovementintheshapeorcontourofthe'cuttingedge'foraparticularmaterialisanunqualifiedgain。Soisadiscoveryastothewaysinwhichhardnessorsoftnessofmetalsaffectsthecuttingrate。Butwhenitisaquestionofevokingfromtheworkmanahigherpaceofmovementtomeettherequirementsofthespeeded-upmachine,nosuchconsistencyofinterestscanbeassumed。Thefactthatbyselection,instruction,andminutesupervision,workmencanbegottoworksuccessfullyatthehigherspeed,andregardthemselvesassufficientlycompensatedbyabonusof35percent,doesnotsettlethequestionofhumanvalues。Sofarastheselectiveprocesssimplychoosesthemenmosteasilycapableofworkingatahigherspeedandofeliminatingthosewhocouldnoteasilyorpossiblyadaptthemselvesto
it,nonetincreaseofhumancostisinvolved。Butsofarasthebonusandthe'athletic'spiritwhichitisusedtoevoke,5induceworkmentogiveoutanamountofmuscularornervousenergyinjurioustotheminthelongrun,thehumancostmaygreatlyoutweighboththesocialvalueoftheincreasedoutputandtheutilitytothemofhigherwages。Howcrucialisthisquestionofspeeding-upthehumanlabouriswellillustratedbytheexperimentsinbricklaying,bymeansofwhichthebricklayersengagedonstraightwork,wereraisedfromanaverageof120brickspermanperhourto350。ByalterationsofapparatusMr。Gilbrethdispenseswithcertainmovementswhichbricklayersformerlyconsiderednecessary,whilesavingtimeintheactualprocessoflayingbyusingbothhandsatthesametime,bricksbeingpickedupwiththelefthandatthesameinstantthatatrowelofmortarisseizedwiththeright。
'Itishighlylikelythatmanytimesduringalloftheseyearsindividualbricklayershaverecognisedthepossibilityofeliminatingeachoftheseunnecessarymotions。Butevenif,inthepast,hedidinventeachoneofMr。Gilbreth'simprovements,nobricklayercouldaloneincreasehisspeedthroughtheiradoption,becauseitwillberememberedthatinallcasesseveralbricklayersworktogetherinarowandthatthewallsallaroundabuildingmustgrowatthesamerateofspeed。Noonebricklayer,then,canworkmuchfasterthantheonenexttohim。Norhasanyworkmantheauthoritytomakeothermencooperatewithhimtodofasterwork。Itisonlythroughenforcedstandardisationofmethods,enforcedadoptionofthebestimplementsandworkingconditions,andenforcedcooperationthatthisfasterworkcanbeassured。Andthedutyofenforcingtheadoptionofstandardsandofenforcingthiscooperationrestswiththemanagementalone。Themanagementmustsupplycontinuallyoneormoreteacherstoshoweachnewmanthenewandsimplermotions,andtheslowermenmustbeconstantlywatchedandhelpeduntiltheyhaverisentotheirproperspeed。Allofthosewho,afterteaching,eitherwillnotorcannotworkinaccordancewiththenewmethodsandatthehigherspeed,mustbedischargedbythemanagement。Themanagementmustalsorecognisethebroadfactthatworkmenwillnotsubmittothismorerigidstandardisationandwillnotworkextrahard,unlesstheyreceiveextrapayfordoingit。'6
Thismakesitclearthat,thoughpartofthelargeroutput,orincreasedspeed,isgotbyimprovedarrangementsormethodsofworkthatneednottaxtheworkers,powers,partofitdoesinvolvetheirworking"extrahard。"
Notonlyabetterdirectionbutalargeramountofenergyisrequiredofthem,withanincreaseofwearandtearandoffatigue。Itisanunsettledpointofgreatimportance,howmuchoftheenlargedoutputcanbeimputedtotheformer,howmuchtothelatter。Evenmoreimportantistheallusioninthepassagejustquotedto'therigidstandardisation'towhichworkmenwillnotsubmit,unlesstheyarewellpaidtodoso。Forthisrigidstandardisationoftheworkinvolvesacorrespondingmechanisationoftheworkmen。Menwhoformerlyexercisedacertainamountofpersonalchoiceinthedetailsoftheirwork,asregardsactionandtime,mustabandonthisfreedomandfollowexactlythemovementsprescribedtothembythetaskmasterwithachartandastop-watch。Hewillprescribetheparticulartaskforeach,thetoolheshalluse,thewayheshalluseit,theintervalsofworkandrest,andwilltakeclosenoteofeveryfailuretoconform。Theliberty,initiative,judgment,andresponsibilityoftheindividualworkmanarereducedtoaminimum。
ThisisadmittedbytheadvocatesofScientificManagement,thoughinaqualifiedmanner。Oneoftheelementsofsuccessissaidtobe:'Analmostequaldivisionoftheworkandresponsibilitybetweentheworkmanandthemanagement。Alldaylongthemanagementworkalmostsidebysidewiththemen,helping,encouragingandsmoothingthewayforthem,whileinthepasttheystoodononeside,gavethemenbutlittlehelp,andthrewontothemtheentireresponsibilityastomethods,implements,speed,andharmoniouscooperation。'7ButinthebroaderdiscussionofthedifferencebetweentheordinarybusinessmethodandScientificManagement,inrelationtothenumerouslittleproblemsthatariseineverykindofwork,wearetoldthat,'theunderlyingphilosophyofthisordinarymanagementnecessarilyleavesthesolutionofalltheseproblemsinthehandsofeachindividualworkman,whilethephilosophyofScientificManagementplacestheirsolutioninthehandsofthemanagement。'8Elsewhere9itisstatedthatScientificManagement'involvestheestablishmentofmanyrules,laws,andformulaewhichreplacethejudgmentoftheindividualworkman。'
§;4。NowinendeavouringtoapplytothispolicyofScientificManagementastandardofhumanwelfare,weareconfrontedbythreequestions:——
1Whatistheeffectofthispolicyuponthehumancostsoflabour?
2Howfarwillanyincreaseofhumancostsoflabourbeoffsetbythegreaterhumanutilityofthehigherwagestheyreceive?
3Howfarisanybalanceofhumancosts,whichisimposedonspecialclassesofproducers,compensatedbytheincreasedwealthatthedisposalofsocietyatlarge?
ThereissometendencyamongtheadvocatesofScientificManagementtoburkeafulldiscussionoftheseissuesbyassertingthattheirpolicyisonlyafullerandmorerationalapplicationofthatprincipleofdivisionoflabourwhichisbygeneralconsenttheeconomicfoundationofmoderncivilisedsociety。Ifsomesacrificeofindividualfreedominindustrialworkisinvolved,itisassumedtobemorethancompensatedbygainstosocietyinwhicheveryindividual,asamemberofsociety,hashispropershare。
Butwecannotconsentthustorushtheissue。Foritmayturnoutthatthenewmethod,thoughbutastricterandfinerapplicationoftheold,carriesthiseconomysofarthattheincreasedhumancostsimposedupontheproducergrowfasterthanthehumangainswhichtheincreasedproductivityconferseitheruponhimoruponsocietyatlarge。Inotherwords,thehumanindictmentbroughtbythemid-Victorianhumanistsagainstthefactorysystemoftheirdayandrejectedonageneralsurveyoftheeconomicsituation,mightbevalidatedbytheincreasedstandardisationandspecialisationoflabourunderscientificmanagement。Forthoughthedivisionoflabourundermoderncapitalisminallitsbrancheshasnarrowedtherangeofproductiveactivityforthegreatbulkofworkers,asurveyofthoseactivitiesshowsthatwithintheirnarrowingrangetheremayanddoessurviveacertainscopeforskill,judgment,andinitiative,acertainlimitedamountoflibertyindetailedmodesofworkmanship。Moreover,theconditionsofmostorganisedworkformacertaineducationindisciplineandresponsibility。
Itisonlyasmallproportionoftheworkerswhoareconvertedintomereservantsofthemachine。Thoughlargeclassesareengagedinmonotonousroutine,thepacesandthedetailedmovementsarenotrigidlyenforceduponthem。Differentworkmenwillbedoingthesameworkinaslightlydifferentway。
Nowthestandardisationunderthenewmethodisexpresslydesignedsoastoextirpatetheselittlepersonalequationsoflibertyandtoreducethelabouroftheordinaryemployeetoanautomaticperfectionofroutine。
Itis,indeed,contendedbyMr。Taylorthattheknowledgeofeachmanthatheisworkingathishighestpersonalefficiencywillbeasatisfactiontohim,thattheattentionhemustpaytothedetailedordersofthetaskmasterwillevokeintelligenceandresponsibility,andthathisinitiativeinthewayofsuggestingimprovements,whichhashithertobeenprizedasanelementoflibertyandasourceofindustrialprogress,canbeconservedunderscientificmanagement。Butacarefulexaminationoftheillustrationsofthemethodcompelsourrejectionoftheseclaims。Theknowledgeofaroutineworkerthatheisspeededuptohishighestpitchbyamethodwhoseefficiencyisprescribedbyothers,doesnotyieldasenseofpersonalefficiency。Meremeticulousobedienceisnotapropertraininginthedisciplineofa'person',andaworkmanoperatingundertheseconditionswillnothavethepracticallibertyforthoselittleexperimentsintrialanderroronhisownaccountwhichmakeshissuggestionsofimprovementfruitful。
Mr。Taylor,however,carrieshisdefencesofarastodenyallnarrowingeffectsofsubdivisionoflabourontheworker。Admittingthattheworkmenfrequentlysaywhentheyfirstcomeunderthesystem,'Why,Iamnotallowedtothinkormovewithoutsomeoneinterferingordoingitforme,'heseemstothinkthefollowinganswersatisfactory:——
'Thesamecriticismandobjection,however,canberaisedagainstanyothermodernsubdivisionoflabour。Itdoesnotfollow,forexample,thatthemodernsurgeonisanymorenarroworwoodenamanthantheearlysettlerinthiscountry。Thefrontiersman,however,hadtobenotonlyasurgeon,butalsoanarchitect,house-builder,lumber-man,farmer,soldier,anddoctor,andhehadtosettlehislawsuitswithagun。Youwouldhardlysaythatthelifeofthemodernsurgeonisanymorenarrowingorthatheismoreofawoodenmanthanthefrontiersman。Themanyproblemstobemetandsolvedbythesurgeonarejustasintricateanddifficultandasdevelopingandbroadeningintheirwayaswerethoseofthefrontiersman。'10
Nowastothiswecanonlyreply,firstthatitisuntruethatthesurgeon'slifeonitsproductivesidetheissueunderdiscussionisasbroadandasvariedasthatofthefrontiersman。Inthesecondplace,evenifweacceptedtheviewthatanarrowfieldofactivityadmittedofasmuchvarietyandinterestasawiderfield,providedlibertyofactionwereequalinthetwo,thatviewisquiteinapplicabletothecaseatissue。Fortherealllibertyofactioninthesubdividedfieldoflabourisexcluded。
§;5。Sofar,then,asinitiative,interest,variation,experiment,andpersonalresponsibilityarefactorsofhumanvalue,qualifyingthehumancostsoflabour,itseemsevidentthatScientificManagementinvolvesalossorinjurytotheworkers。Arethere,however,anypersonalconsiderations,apartfromwages,thatmaybetakenasanoffset?Supposethatworkerscanbefoundofadullydocilecharacterwithalargesupplyofbrutemuscularenergy,willanyharmbedonethembyutilisingthemtocarrypig-ironortoshovelearthunder"scientific"supervision?Mr。Taylorhasaninterestingpassagebearingonthisquestion:'Nowoneoftheveryfirstrequirementsforamanwhoisfittohandlepig-ironasaregularoccupationisthatheshallbesostupidandsophlegmaticthathemorenearlyresemblesinhismentalmake-uptheoxthananyothertype。'11Theseox-likemen,itmaybeheld,donotreallysufferanyinjury,undergoanyhumancost,byhavingnoopportunityfurnishedthemforexercisingfacultiesandactivitiesofmindwhichtheydonotpossessandareunlikelytoacquire。Ifthen,ineverygradeofworkers,therearetobefoundenoughmenwhoappeardestinedbynatureforarigidlymechanicaltaskconductedunderservileconditions,itmaybethoroughlysoundsocialeconomytoputthemtoperformalllabourofsuchkindasisrequiredforthesupplyofhumanneeds。
Thisisaproblemofappliedpsychology,orofpsycho-physiology。ProfessorMü;nsterberg,inarecentvolume,12makesacontributiontowardsitssolution,andtowardsafinerartofScientificManagementthanthatwhichhasbeenevolvedbybusinessmen。Forsinceallindustryprimarilyinvolvesthevoluntaryorderedapplicationofhumanfacultiestomanualandmentalactions,thepsychologistmustbeinapositiontogiveimportantadviceinalleconomicoperations。Forhealoneisqualifiedbyscientificteststodiscoverandestimatethevariousmentalcapacitieswhichcountforsuccessinindustry,toascertainhowtheycooperateandconflict,andhowtheymaybebestappliedtotheperformanceofthevariousoperationsineachprocess。Attention,memory,ideas,imagination,feeling,volition,suggestibility,abilitytolearn,abilitytodiscriminate,judgment,space-sense,time-sense,andothermentalqualities,enterinvaryingmeasuresasfactorsofindustrialability。Economicpsychologymay,itiscontended,increasetheefficiencyofindustryinthreeways。
'Weaskhowwecanfindthemenwhosementalqualitiesmakethembestfittedfortheworktheyhavetodo;secondly,underwhatpsychologicalconditionswecansecurethegreatestandmostsatisfactoryoutputofworkfromeveryman;andfinally,howwecanproducemostcompletelytheinfluencesonhumanmindswhicharedesiredintheinterestsofbusiness。Inotherwords,weaskhowtofindthebestpossibleman,howtoproducethebestpossiblework,andhowtosecurethebestpossibleeffects。'13
Thefirstoftheseservices,fittingthemantothejob,involvesadoublepsychologicalenquiry,firstintothevocationalneeds,andsecondlyintothepersonalabilityofeachapplicanttomeettheseneeds。Wemustexaminethetasktolearnwhatcombinationofmentalqualitiesintheemployeeisrequiredtodoitwell,andwemustexamineeachapplicantforsuchworktolearnwhetherhepossessestherequisitequalities。
Twoillustrationswillservetoindicatewhatismeant。Theproblemofselectingfitmotor-menforelectricrailwayswasbroughttoProfessorMü;nsterberg'sattention。Todrivefastandatthesametimeavoidaccidentsweretherequirementsofthecompanies。Fitnessforthispurposehefoundtocentreinasinglementalprocess:——
'Ifoundthistobeaparticularcomplicatedactofattentionbywhichthemanifoldnessofobjects,thepedestrians,thecarriages,andtheautomobiles,arecontinuouslyobservedwithreferencetotheirrapidityanddirectioninthequickly-changingpanoramaofthestreets。Movingfigurescomefromtherightandfromthelefttowardsandacrossthetrack,andareembeddedinastreamofmenandvehicleswhichmovesparalleltothetrack。Inthefaceofsuchmanifoldnesstherearemenwhoseimpulsesarealmostinhibitedandwhoinstinctivelydesiretowaitforthemovementofthenearestobjects;
theywouldevidentlybeunfitforservice,astheywoulddrivetheelectriccarfartooslowly。Thereareotherswho,evenwiththecaratfullspeed,canadjustthemselvesforatimetothecomplexmovingsituation,butwhoseattentionsoonlapses,andwhiletheyarefixatingaratherdistantcarriage,mayoverlookapedestrianwhocarelesslycrossesthetrackimmediatelyinfrontofthiscar。Inshort,wehaveagreatvarietyofmentaltypesofthischaracteristicunifiedvarietywhichmaybeunderstoodasaparticularcombinationofattentionandimagination。'14
Anapparatuswasdevised,representingthepsychologicalconditionsinvolvedintheactualproblem,notamereminiature,butanadaptationwhichshouldcalloutandtestthesamementalqualities。Anumberofactualmotor-menwerethencarefullyexaminedintheworkingofthisapparatussoastotesttheamountsofspeedandaccuracyandtherelationbetweenthetwo。Quantitativeestimateswerethusreachedoffitnessinworkingtheapparatus,valuesbeingassignedrespectivelytospeedandaccuracy。
Inthiswayapsychologicalstandardoffitnesswasattained,suchaswouldbeavailableforselectingapplicantsforthemotorservice。Soinship-service,whereeverythingmayturnuponpromptandaccuratehandlingofasuddencomplicatedemergency。Shipofficersarefoundwhomasuddendangerparalyses,orkeepsvacillatinguntilitistoolate。Others,feelingonlytheurgencyofpromptaction,jumptoatoohastydecision。Thedesirabletypeis'themenwhointheunexpectedsituationquicklyreviewthetotalityofthefactorsintheirrelativeimportanceandwithalmostinstinctivecertaintyimmediatelycometothesamedecisiontowhichtheywouldhavearrivedaftergreatthought。'15Hereagainitwaspossibletoconductaseriesofexperiments,testingthementalprocessesandmeasuringthedegreesofrapidity,correctness,andconstancy。
Othertestscanbeappliedforthequalitiesdesirableinsuchworkasthetelephoneservice,inwhichmemory,attention,intelligence,exactitude,andrapidityareinvolved。Sometimesthementalqualitiescanbeseparatelytested,sometimestheirinter-relationissuchastorequireasimultaneoustesting。
§;6。Itisequallyobviousthatagooddealcanbedonetoincreasetheproductiveefficiencyofthosewhohavebeenselectedforanywork,bymethodsofteachingthatinvolvepsychologicalguidance。Inlearningsuchprocessesastypewritingandtelegraphy,forinstance,muchcanbeachievedbytechnicaladjustmentsofmovementsuchaswehavealreadydescribed,andbyconsideredadaptationsofmachineandmaterialstosuithumanfaculties。
Butmethodsofimprovingmemoryandsecuringamoreregularandaccurateattention,ofincreasing,therapidityofrepeatedactionswiththeleastnervouswearandtear,ofeducatingdelicacyoftouchandsightforspecificpurposes,theutilisationofrhythmictendencies,theproperbalanceofintervalsofworkandrest,theinfluenceofimitationandsocialcooperationinganglabour,andfinallytheeffectsofdifferentquantitiesandmodesofremunerationinevokingandmaintainingthevariousfactorsofefficiency——allsuchconsiderationsofferafruitfulfieldforpsychologicalinvestigation。
Hencepsychology,itisurged,cancontributegreatlytoproductivitybyfindingthebestmanforeachjobandadjustinghismentalequipmenttoconditionsofworkwhichintheirturncanbemodifiedtofithispowers。
But,regardingproductionasdesignedtosatisfyhumandemands,psychologycanbeutilisedalsotoassistingettingtherightquantitiesandqualitiesofgoodstotherightpersons。Commercialorganisationexistsforthispurpose。Itdoesstudythewantsanddemandsofconsumers。Butitmightdosowithmore'science'。ProfessorMü;nsterbergmakesanexceedinglyinterestingstudyoftheartsofadvertisingandofsellingoverthecounter,toillustratehowmuchmightbedonebysubstitutingexperimentallawsforinstinctiveandtraditionalpractices。Onecommentuponthisapplicationofhisscience,however,iscalledfor。Thoughthesocial-economicviewwouldobligethepsychologisttoapproachthesubjectspecificallyfromthestandpointoftheconsumerandthepsychologyofsatisfactionsinhisstandardofcomfort,ProfessorMü;nsterbergvirtuallyconfineshimselftothepsychologyofcommerceandofmarketingregardedfromthestandpointofthemanufacturerormerchant。
Thuspsychologycanbemadetodeviseandprescribeeconomiesofhumanpowerinindustry,which,likethetechnicalimprovementsofScientificManagement,wouldseemtoincreasegreatlytheproductivityofindustry,turningoutlargerquantities,andperhapsbetterqualities,ofgoods,withthesameamountoflabour。
§;7。Whatwouldbethehumanvaluationoftheseprocessesofscientificeconomy?Assumingthatthiseconomyfructifiesinanenlargingvolumeofwealth,itwouldappeartobeaccompaniedbyanincreaseofwelfare,unlessthehumancostsoflabourwerecorrespondinglyincreased,orthedistributionofthelargervolumeofwealthweremadesomuchmoreunequalthatitfurnishedasmallervolumeofutilityinitsconsumption。Neitherofthesequalificationsis,indeed,excludedbythetermsoftheeconomy。ForeachstrokeofScientificManagementisprimarilyjustifiedasaprofit-makingdevice,advantageoustothecapitalist-employerinaparticularbusiness。Itenableshimtoturnoutgoodsatalowerlabour-costandsotomakealargermarginofprofitontheirsale。Ifwesupposethiseconomytobeofwideorgeneraladoption,itwouldbeequivalenttoanall-roundincreaseinthetechnicalefficiencyoflabour。Unlesswesupposetheaggregatequantityofproductiontobeafixedquantityasuppositionnotinaccordancewithexperience,itwouldseemtofollowthatatleastaslargeaquantityofthismoreefficientlabourwouldbeemployedinturningoutanincreasedvolumeofgoods。Inthatevent,itwouldbepossiblethattheworkers,aswellasthecapitalistemployers,shouldenjoyahigherrateofremuneration。Whethertheywoulddoso,however,andtowhatextent,seemsquiteuncertain。ForthoughthepaymentofaconsiderablebonusinadditiontocurrentwageswasnecessaryintheexperimentsdescribedbyMr。Taylor,inordertoevokefromaparticulargroupofworkerssubmissiontothenewtermsofwork,itdoesnotfollowthat,onceadoptedbyallemployersinthetrade,themethodwouldentailorevenpermitacontinuanceofthishigherpay。Forthepioneerfirmadmittedlypaysthebonuspartlyinordertoovercomethepainsandscruplesofworkerssubjectedtoaspeeding-upsystem。Ifitdidnotpayabonus,theworkerswouldquitthisemploymentforsomeotherthatwasopentothem。Butifnootheremploymentupontheoldtermswereopen,thispartofthebonusmightbeunnecessaryasaninducement。
Eventhatpartofthebonuswhichseemstobedirectedtostimulatetheambitionandenergyoftheindividualworker,andtobreakupthehabitualslacknessofthegroupanditsregulationstroke,wouldseemtostandonaprecariousfooting,whenthenewmethodofworkwasoncewellestablishedanditselfbecameahabit。Onlythatpart,ifany,ofthebonus,orhigherwage,whichwasnecessarytoreplacethegreatermuscularornervouswearandtearofthespeeded-upandmoreautomaticwork,wouldnecessarilysurvive。
Itwouldstandasanecessarycostofproduction。If,however,asMr。TaylorandProfessorMü;nsterbergappeartohold,thescientificmanagementneedentailnosuchadditionalwearandtear,thereseemsnogroundforholdingthat,afterthemethodbecamegeneral,anybonustotheworkerswouldbenecessary。Andifitwereunnecessary,itwouldnot,indeedundercompetitivetermscouldnot,bepaid。Onthishypothesis,theadditionalwealthcreatedbytheimprovedefficiencyofthesystemmightgoentirelytocapital。Indeed,sofarasthedeterminationwerelefttoindividualbargaining,thisresultwouldappearalmostinevitable。Forthegreateraverageefficiencyoflabourwouldbeequivalenttoalargersupplyoflabourthoughitmightalsomeanabetterquality,andsincenoimmediateorcorrespondingincreaseofdemandforlabourneedaccrue,thepriceperunitoflabourwouldfall。Thiswouldmeanthatthelabourerwouldgetnohigherpaymentforhishigherproductivity。Eveniftheincreasingrateandamountofprofitsbroughtincreasedsavingandlargermassesofcompetingcapital,itwouldstillseemdoubtfulwhethertheaggregatedemandforlabourwouldbefoundtokeeppacewiththegrowthofthesupplywhichscientificmanagementpluspsychologicalselectionwouldyield。
Though,therefore,theaggregateproductincreased,itremainsdoubtfulwhetheranyconsiderableshareoftheincreasemustorwouldgotolabour。
Butsupposethatorganisationoflabourorsocialinterventionwereabletosecuresomeconsiderableriseofrealwagesfromtheenlargedproduct,sothatasconsumerstheworkerswerebetteroff,thehumanvalueoftheprocessisnotyetestablished。Tworelatedquestionsstillremainforsettlement。First,thatalreadytentativelyraised,thequestionwhethertheworkersmaynotsuffermorefromincreasedhumancostsofproductionunderthenewscientificré;gimethantheygaininhumanutilitiesofconsumption。Someofthe'science'initsapplicationwouldindeedappeartobewhollybeneficial。Theimprovedmethodsofselectingandoftraininglabour,soastogetthebestmanforeachjob,andtoenablehimtodohisworkinthebestway,ispuregain,providedthatbestwaydoesnotundulystrainhisenergyordullhismind。Otherelementsofappliedpsychologyaremoredoubtfulintheirneteffect。Thepracticesofscientificadvertisingandofsuggestivesellinghaveverylittleprovedutilityandarenearlyaslikelytobeappliedtoforcethewrongarticlesonthewrongpurchasersastodistributewealthalongthelinesofitsmaximumutilityforconsumption。
Thepersonsengagedforalivelihoodinpalmingoffgoodsonapublicirrespectiveofanyintrinsicmeritstheycontain,payaheavytollincharacterfortheworktheyarecalledupontodo。
§;8。But,turningtothemainproblem,thereremainstheissueoftheincreasedmechanisation,orstandardisation,oftheworkerunderScientificManagement。Admittingthatacertainamountofsubdivisionoflabour,andofdiminishingvariety,interestandinitiative,accruingtherefrom,isjustifiedinahumansensebythebenefitsofenhancedproduction,isthereanylimittothiseconomy,andiftherebe,isthatlimittransgressedunderScientificManagement?Thequestiondoesnotadmitperhapsofanygeneralorcertainanswer。Supposeitbeadmitted,asIthinkitmust,thateveryapplicationofthisScientificManagementdoessqueezeoutofthelabour-daysomehumaninterest,somecalluponinitiative,reason,judgment,responsibility,survivingunderpreviousconditionseveninthemostroutineandsubdividedtoil,mustwenecessarilyregardthislossasaheavyincreasedhumancostoflabour?Surelyitdependsupontheparticularlabourinquestion。Insome,perhapsmost,branchesofheavyroutinetoil,theshredsofhumaninterest,thecallsonpersonality,areusuallysotriflingthatitseemsabsurdtotakethemintomuchaccount。Theworkofcarryingpig-iron,orofshovellingcontinuallythesamematerial,containssolittlescopefortheplayofinitiative,responsibility,etc。,thatanysuchregimentationasisdescribedcanhardlybesaidtodamagethequalityoftheworkorthecharacteroftheworkerasaffectedbyhiswork。
Ifahigherefficiencyandalargeroutputcanenableasmallernumberofworkmentobekeptonlabourofsolowagrade,thereoughttobeanetsocialgain。Butthereisanothercompensationpossibleforanylossofliberty,orincreaseofmonotony,involvedinScientificManagement。
Ifitbeaccompaniedbyashorteningofthehoursoflabour,thedamageinflictedbytherigourofmechanicaldisciplinemaybecompensatedbyalargerleisure。Thiscompensation,ofcourse,isreducedorevennullified,ifthegreaterintensityoflabourintheshorterdaytakesmoreoutoftheman,asoftenhappens,thanwastakenoutbefore。But,assumingthatthisisnotthecase,andthatforalongerdullroutinework-dayissubstitutedashorterbutevenmoremechanicalday,anetgainforlabourisstillpossible。IamdisposedtoholdthatagoodcasemightbemadeoutforScientificManagementasregardsthoseordersofroutinelabourwhich,asordinarilycarriedon,containverylittleinterestorhumanity。Eventhen,however,thereisadangerthatdeservesattention。Ifthisregimentationcanreducethecostperunitofdull,heavymusculartoil,asislikely,itmaypreventthediscoveryandapplicationofwhollymechanicalsubstitutesforthiswork。
Butthehumaneconomyisfarmoredoubtfulinthecaseoflabourwhich,thoughsubdividedandmainlyofaroutinecharacter,stillcontainsamarginforthedisplayofskill,initiativeandjudgment。Toremovethesequalitiesaltogetherfromsuchworkandtovestthem,asisproposed,notevenintheoverseers,butinalittlecliqueofscientificexperts,wouldmeantheconversionoflargebodiesofskilled,intelligentworkersintoautomaticdrudges。Thelifeandcharacterofthesemenwouldsufferasaninevitablereactionofthisdrudgery,anditisdoubtfulwhetherasomewhatshortenedwork-dayandsomewhathigherwageswouldcompensatesuchdamage。Whilewemayrecognisethegeneraldesirabilityofdivisionandspecialisationoflabour,somedetailedlibertyandflexibilityshouldbelefttotheworker。
§;9。Indeed,werethefullrigourofScientificManagementtobeappliedthroughoutthestapleindustries,notonlywouldthehumancostsoflabourappeartobeenhanced,butprogressintheindustrialartsitselfwouldprobablybedamaged。ForthewholestrainofprogresswouldbethrownupontheScientificManagementandtheconsultingpsychologist。Thelargeassistancegiventotechnicalinventionbytheobservationandexperimentsofintelligentworkmen,theconstantflowofsuggestionfordetailedimprovements,wouldcease。Theelementsofcreativeworkstillsurvivinginmostroutinelabourwoulddisappear。Ontheonehand,therewouldbesmallbodiesofefficienttaskmasterscarefullyadministeringtheordersofexpertmanagers,ontheother,largemassesofphysicallyefficientbutmentallyinertexecutivemachines。Thoughtheproductivityofexistingindustrialprocessesmightbegreatlyincreasedbythiseconomy,thefutureofindustrialprogressmightbeimperilled。Fornotonlywouldtheartsofinventionandimprovementbeconfinedtothefew,butthemechanisationofthegreatmassofworkmenwouldrenderthemlesscapableofadaptingtheirlabourtoanyothermethodthanthattowhichtheyhadbeendrilled。Again,suchautomatismintheworkerswouldreactinjuriouslyupontheircharacterasconsumers,damagingtheircapacitytogetfullhumangainoutofanyhigherremunerationthattheymightobtain。Itwouldalsoinjurethemascitizens,disablingthemfromtakinganintelligentpartintheartsofpoliticalself-government。
Forindustrialservitudeisinimicaltopoliticalliberty。Itwouldbecomeevenmoredifficultthannowforamajorityofmen,accustomedintheirwork-daytomechanicalobedience,tostandupintheircapacityofcitizensagainsttheirindustrialrulerswhen,asoftenhappensuponcriticaloccasions,politicalinterestscorrespondwitheconomiccleavages。
IwouldnotdogmatiseuponthenecessityofthesehumandisadvantagesofScientificManagement。Themorerigorousroutineofthework-daymightbeadequatelycompensatedbyshorterhours,higherwages,increasedopportunitiesforeducation,recreation,andhomelife。Buttherecanbenosecurityforadequatecompensationsoftheseordersunderascientificmanagementdirectedprimarilybyprivateprofit-makingmotives。Forthereisnoguaranteethatthelargerprofitstoabusinessfirmdonotentailadamagetoitsemployees,notoffsetbythebonuswhichtheymayobtain。Norhavewetherequiredsecuritythatanysocialgaininthewayofincreasedproductandlowerpricesmaynotbecancelledbythehumaninjuryinflicteduponlargebodiesofworkersandcitizensbythemoremechanicalandservileconditionsoftheirlabour。
§;10。Alittlereflectionwillmakeitclearthatthecompletesuccessofsuchabusinesseconomywouldinvolveacorresponding'science'
onthesideofconsumption。Thestandardisedworkeroughtalsotobeastandardisedconsumer。Fortheregularreliableconformityofworkmustinvolveasimilarconformityindietandinotherhabitsoflife。Ifthe'scientificmanager'werethefullownerofhisworkmen,itwouldevidentlybeafunctionofhissciencetoworkoutexperimentally,withtheassistanceofthebio-psychologist,thecheapestandbestwayoflivingforeachparticulartradeandtypeofworker。Hewoulddiscoverandprescribetheprecisecombinationoffoods,themosthygienicclothingandhousing,themostappropriaterecreationsandthe'bestbooks'foreachclass,withaviewtotheproductiveefficiencyofitsmembers。Hewouldencouragebybonuseseugenic,anddiscouragebyfinesdysgenesicmarriagesamonghisemployees。Sofarasintelligentemployersareinapositiontodetermineortoinfluencetheexpenditureofthewagestheypayandthegeneralconductofthelivesoftheiremployeesoutsidetheworkinghours,theyaredisposedtopracticethispolicy。Wheretheyaretheownersofthetownorvillageinwhichtheworkersfinditmostconvenienttolive,theycanoftendosowithconsiderableeffect。
Philanthropicmotivesareoftencombinedwithbusinessmotives,andthecombinationmayoftenbegenuinelyconducivetothehumanwelfareofthecommunity。Temperance,sanitation,andhygiene,educationalandrecreativeopportunitiesmaybemadeavailable。Certainregulations,chieflyofaprohibitorynature,regardingtheuseofalcohol,betting,ormarriage,areimposedbysomeemployersasconditionsofemployment。Suchinterferencesoutsidethehoursoflabourare,however,exceptionalandaregenerallyjustifiedonspecialgroundsofeconomicsafetyandefficiency。
§;11。Butanaltogetherwiderissueisopenedupintheclaims,notoftheparticularemployerbutofindustrialsocietytoimposeorevokestandardsofconsumptionscientificallyadjustedtothevariousgradesofindustrialefficiency。Ifweregardanationasaneconomicsociety,puttingoutproductiveenergyinwealth-creation,itbecomesevidentthatsciencehasmuchtosay,andcanhavemore,regardingtheexpenditureofincomesandtheconsequentconsumptionofwealth。Thescienceofscientificmanagement,withallitspsycho-physicalapparatusformeasuringresults,canbeappliedtostandardsoflivingforindividualsandfamilies。ThebeginningsofthisideaarefoundinthedistinctionwhichfiguredsolargelyintheclassicalPoliticalEconomybetweenproductiveandunproductiveconsumption。ThediscussionsofArthurYoung,Edenandothers,regardingtherespectivemeritsofwheatandoatmeal,beerandtea,asingredientsofworking-classdiet,weredirectedavowedlybythisconceptionofeconomy。
Agoodfoodwasonethatyieldedmoremuscularenergyorenduranceperpennyofexpenditure。Themoreenlighteneddoctrineknownas'theeconomyofhighwages'wasearlyrecommendedbyphilanthropistslikeRobertOwen,orbusinessmenlikeMr。Brassey,onthescoreofexperimentsrelatingtothelargeroutputoflabour-powerwhichhigherwageswithbetterfeedingrenderedpossible。Buttherewasno'science'worthmentioninthesecrudeexperiments。Onlywithinrecentyears,withtheadvanceoforganicchemistryandphysiology,hasthe'science'ofdieteticsbeguntoemerge,analysingthevariousfoodsandassigningthemtheirvaluesasproducersoftissueandofenergy。Wearenowtoldthequantitiesofproteids,carbohydratesandfatscontainedinvariousfoods,anddietariesbasedupontheseanalysesareprescribedfordifferentsortsofworkers,andfordifferentagesofmembersofafamily。Atpresentthesciencedoesnotpretendtoanylargeamountofaccuracy,indeedwidedivergencesstillexistinitsveryfoundations。
Butthereisnoreasontodoubtthatfurtheranalysisandexperimentationmaybeabletoreachfoodstandardswhichontheconsumptionsidewillcorrespondtotheeconomyofstandardmethodsofworkunderscientificmanagement。Itmaybequitepossibletolaydownwithconsiderableexactitudetheamountsandcombinationsandintervalsoffoodforcoal-miners,weavers,clerks,motor-men,etc。,togetherwithestimatesoftheamountofexpenditurerequiredtomaintainthedifferentformsofindustrialefficiency。Theproductivevalueofotherelementsofthewage-earner'sexpenditurewillnotindeedadmitofsomuchexactitude,partlybecausehisown'utility'
obtainedfromsuchexpenditurewillnoteasilybeseparablefromthatofhisfamily。Butthoughfamilyexpenditurecannotthusberegardedasexclusivelydirectedbyproductiveconsiderations,thephysicalefficiencywhichisitschieftestmayberegardedprimarilyasanindustrialasset。Indeed,thisviewisimplicitinmosttalkofstandardsofcomfortandinmostdiscussionsofa'minimum'or'living'or'subsistence'wage。Itmeanssuchwageas,economicallyexpended,willenableawage-earnertorearanaveragefamilyinthatmeasureandkindofefficiencyrequiredtodoworkofasortsimilartothatbywhichheearnsthewage。Nodoubtthisnotionistemperedbysomeslightconsiderationsofeducationandofbetterment。
Butproductiveefficiencyisalwaysthebasicfactor。Foodandhousing,byfarthemostimportantelementsinworking-classexpenditure,areclearlyinprocessofbeingstandardisedbyhygienicsintheserviceofascienceofproductiveconsumption。
§;12。Twoothersciences,bywhichsocietymayseektostandardisethelivesofworkers,areeugenicsandeducation。Inbothofthesethehumanistsmayhaveafiercebattletofightagainstthedominionoftheindustrialists。Eugenics,ifitcangetrecognitionasasocialart,willregulatemarriageforthepurposesofgoodstock。Butgoodforwhat?Perhapsforindustryandwar,ifsomespecialistsshouldhavetheirway。Sotoowitheducation。Primaryeducationhasalreadybeenear-markedinourtownsfortheproductionofcheapclerks,andtechnicalandprofessionaltrainingundervariousguisesinvadeourcitadelsofhigherlearning。Allispartofthesamegreatclaimofsocietytoeconomiseandstandardisethebodyandthemindofitscitizen,primarilyinorderthathemaydomoreefficientlythesocialorroutineservicesitrequiresofhim。
Thiseconomicstandardisation,aswerecognise,isnotidenticalinmotivesorinoperationasitbearsrespectivelyupontheproductiveandconsumptivefunctions。Onitsproductivesideitisregulatedbyconsiderationsofprivatebusinessprofits。Itsprimaryaimistogetmentoworkinsuchawayastoproducethelargestmarginbetweenthewagenecessarytoevokefullefficiencyunder'scientificmanagement'andthemarketvalueoftheoutput。Indirectly,itisclaimed,thispolicyredoundstotheadvantageofindustrialsocietyinanincreaseofthebodyofconsumablewealth,someconsiderableshareofwhichwillpassintothegeneralstore。Onitsconsumptivesidethescientificstandardisationworksdifferently。Itispliedmoredirectlyasasocial-economicart,workingoutforthefamily,aswellasfortheindividualworkman,astandardofliving,physical,intellectual,andmoral,conducivetotheinterestsofsocietyregardedasaneconomicorwealth-producingentity。16Butthoughsociety,inthusseekingtosecurestandardsofeconomicefficiencyforitsfamilyunits,isnotdirectlyconcernedinfurtheringtheprofit-seekingendsofprivatebusinessfirms,indirectlyitisdoingso。For,solongasexpenditureofincome,orfamilybudgets,areestimatedstrictlyinaccordancewiththeeconomicefficiencytheyyieldtothepresentandprospectiveworkingmembers,theprocessisinrealitysupplementarytothescienceofbusinessmanagement。Forthebetterbirth,betterrearing,betterhealthandeducationwhichitfurnishes,willalleventuallybetranslatedintolargerquantityandbetterqualityoflabour-powerforscientificmanagementtohandleinitsvariousprofit-makingprocesses。
Nowthethoughtfulmembersoftheworking-classeshavealwayshalf-instinctivelyregardedwithsomesuspiciontheendeavoursofsocialreformerstomakethemusecheaperfoodsyieldingmorenutrimentforthemoney,temperancemovementstokeepdowntheirconventionalnecessaries,andtechnicaleducationtomaketheirlabour-powermoreproductive。Fortheyhavedoubtedwhetherthecheaperlivingortheincreasedproductivitywouldnecessarilycomehometotheminimprovedconditionsoflife。Norhastheirsuspicionbeenwhollygroundless。Thoughinthelongrun,itmightseemtofollowthatasconsumersandevenperhaps,thoughlesssurely,aswage-earners,theywouldgetsomegainfromthemoreeconomicaluseoftheirlabour-powers,thebulkofthevisiblegainsmightverywellpassintothehandsoftheemployingclassesinhigherprofitsorsalariesofmanagement。
ThisconsiderationopensthedeepercriticismwhichhumanismandSociologyareentitledandrequiredtopressuponthepolicyoftheindustrialeconomists。
Everyimprovementinthetechniqueoftheartsofindustryorofconsumptionmaybeconsideredasconducivetoeconomicprogress,yieldinganincreaseofmarketablewealth。But,ifsuchimprovementsincreasethehumancostsofproduction,ordiminishthehumanutilitiesofconsumption,asmayhappeniftheyconsistlargelyinthestandardisingofproductiveandconsumptiveprocesses,theymaybringnoincrease,possiblymaybringadecrease,ofhumanwelfare。Proposalsforscientificmanagementorforstandardiseddietariesarenotindeedtobecondemned,uponthegeneralapplicationofsuchcriticism。Foritisagreedthatsuchstandardisationwithincertainlimitsissociallyadvantageous。Thequestion,therefore,ispartlyoneofdegree,partlyastothesecuritythereexiststhattheeconomicgainsoftheimprovedeconomyshallbeproperlyapportioned。
§;13。Butthefinaltestwouldnotconsistindeterminingwhetherincreasedcostsanddiminishedutilitiesdidordidnotoffsettheprimafacieadvantagesoftheeconomicimprovements。Theartofsocialwelfare,humanism,willinsistuponconsideringthereactionsofthestandardisationofworkandconsumptionuponotherfacultiesandfunctionsthantheeconomic,andinconsideringprospectiveaswellaspresentgains。Ascientificrigourineconomyofworkandofexpenditure,whichshouldremove,bothfromtheindustryandthelivesofthegreatmassesofapopulation,allopportunitiesforinitiative,experiment,risk-takingandthedisplayofpersonality,mightreducethehumanvalueoflifefortheaverageman,andsoimpairtheworthofthesociety。Humanism,therefore,whileapprovingtheapplicationofsciencetotheartsofproductionandconsumption,insiststhatitshallbeshowntobetheservantnotthemasterofhumanity。Suchproofissought,becausetheassumption,sooftenmade,thatallsucheconomicprogressmustbehumanlyprofitable,isseentobeunwarranted。
A'scientific'viewofhumanindustrywouldestablishthefollowinglinesofinvestigation。
1Theproductiveabilityofeachproducerwouldbeconsideredinrelationtoitstechnicalefficiency,i。e。,thebestwayforhimtodohisjob。
2Hisspecialproductivefunctionwouldbeconsideredinitsreactionsauponhisgeneralstandardoflifeonitseconomicside,i。e。,inrelationtohisproductiveandconsumptivefunctions;buponhisindividualhumanlife。
3Thestandardofconsumptionofeachconsumerwouldbeconsideredinrelationtoitstechnicalefficiencyaforpurposesofproduction;
bforpurposesofindividualwelfare。
4Industryasasocialfunctionwouldbesubjectedtocriticismfromthewiderstandpointofsocialwelfare,i。e。,asoneelementcontributingtothelifeofanation。