The Principles of Scientific Management

cure the maximum prosperity for the employer, coup

perity may be permanent. In the same way maximum prosperity for each employee means not only higher wages than are usually received by men of his class, but, of more importance still, it also means the development of each man

ven to state this fact should be unnecessary. And yet there is no question that, throughout the industrial world, a large part of the organization of employers, as well as employees, is

ion the firm conviction that the true interests of the two are one and the same; that prosperity for the employer cannot exist through a long term of years unless it is accompanied by pr

unt of work out of them for the smallest possible wages, may be led to see that a more liberal policy toward their men will pay them better; and that some of those workmen who begrudge a fair and even a large profit to their e

greatest prosperity can exist only when that individual has reached his highes

o pairs of, shoes in a day, while your competitor and his workman are making only one pair, it is clear that after selling your two pairs of shoes you can pay your workman much higher wage

e greatest possible productivity of the men and machines of the establishment-that is, when each man and each machine are turning out the largest possible output; because unless your men and your machines are daily turning out more work than others around you, it is clear that competition will prevent your paying higher wages to your workmen than are paid to those of your competitor. And what is true as to the possibility of paying high wages in the case of two companies competing close beside one another is also true as to whole districts of

ent should be the training and development of each individual in the establishment, so that he can do (at his fa

s are the greatest sportsmen in the world. Whenever an American workman plays baseball, or an English workman plays cricket, it is safe to say that he strains every nerve to secure victory for his side. He does his very best t

s work. And in fact if he were to do his best to turn out his largest possible day's work, he would be abused by his fellow-workers for so doing, even more than if he had proved himself a "quitter" in sport. Under working, that is, deliberately working slowly so as to avoid doing a full day's work, "soldiering," as it is called in this country, "hanging

t of each man and each machine. What other reforms, among those which are being discussed by these two nations, could do as much toward promoting prosperity, toward the diminution of poverty, and the alleviation of suffering? America and England have been recently agitated over such subjects as the tariff, the control of the large corporations on the one hand, and of hereditary power on the other hand, and over various more

an even terms with our rivals. It would remove one of the fundamental causes for dull times, for lack of employment, and for poverty, and therefore would have a more permanent and far-reaching effect upon thes

fort of each workman to turn out each day his largest possible day's work, that the great majority of our men are deliberately

this condition, which may

workmen, that a material increase in the output of each man or each machine in

use, and which make it necessary for each workman to soldier, or

still almost universal in all trades, and in practicin

s which would result from the substitution by our

tle more fully t

n out of work, and yet the history of the development of each trade shows that each improvement, whether it be the invention of a new machine or the introduction of a better met

heir former labor cost, and in selling them so cheap that now almost every man, woman, and child in the working-classes buys one or two pairs of shoes per year, and wears shoes all the time, whereas formerly each workman bought perhaps one pair of shoes every five years, and went barefoot most of the

re ignorant of the history of their own trade even, they still firmly believe, as their fathers did befor

or is contemplating making, rules which have for their object curtailing the output of their members, and those men who have the greatest influence with the working-people, the

or those who are under paid. For every individual, however, who is overworked, there are a hundred who intentionally under work-greatly under work-every day of their lives, and who for this

this fallacious idea by educating not only the workmen but the whole of the country as to the true facts. And yet we are practically doing nothing in this direction, and are lea

nagement which are in common use-it is impossible in a few words to make it clear to one not familiar with this problem why it is that the ig

quotes herewith from

hanical Engineers, in J

is hoped will explai

die

men to take it easy, which may be called natural soldiering. Second, from more intricate second thoug

ng at a slow, easy gait, and that it is only after a good deal of thought and observation on his

it, who set up their own standards, and who work hard, even though it may be against their best interest

reased by bringing a number of men together on similar

that of the poorest and least efficient. When a naturally energetic man works

azy fellow gets the same pay that I

er these conditions will disclose facts

work he would immediately slow down to a speed of about one mile an hour. When, for example, wheeling a loaded wheelbarrow, he would go at a good fast pace even up hill in order to be as short a time as possible under load, and immediat

yer, who, when his attention was called to this state of things, answered: 'Well, I can keep

suffering is the systematic soldiering which is almost universal under all of the ordinary schemes of manageme

ecial energy and interest, the necessity of going slow and lagging behind his man when he came up to the ball, showing him that since they were paid

however, very serious, since it is done with the knowledge of

is done by the men with the deliberate object of keepin

he works by the day or on piece work, contract work, or under any of the ordinary systems, who does not devote a considera

e upon a maximum sum which they feel it is right for each of their classes

es that when his employer is convinced that a man is capable of doing more work than he has done,

tion of their men, or at best from records which are kept, showing the quickest time in which each job has been done. In many cases the employer will feel almost certain that a given job can be done faste

n are taught this by their elders, and all possible persuasion and social pressure is brought to bear upon the greedy and selfish men to keep them from

carefully selected men are given work in their places, both the natural loafing and systematic soldiering can be largely broken up. This can only be done, however, when the men are thoroughly convinced that there is no intention of establishing piece work even in the remote fu

ployer's side of the case and become imbued with a grim determination to have no more cuts if soldiering can prevent it. Unfortunately for the character of the workman, soldiering involves a deliberate attempt to mislead and deceive his employer, and thus upright and straightforward workmen are compell

by their employers, however reasonable, is looked upon with suspicion, and soldiering becomes such a fixed habit that men will frequently take

thumb methods in even the smallest details of the work of every trade. The enormous saving of time and therefore increase in the output which it is possible to effect through eliminating unnecessary motions and substituting fa

ays in common use for doing the same thing, perhaps forty, fifty, or a hundred ways of doing each act in each trade, and for the same reason there is a great variety in the implements used for e

y and analysis of all of the methods and implements in use, together with accurate, minute, motion and ti

nsibility for doing his job practically as he thinks best, with comparatively little help and advice from the management. And it will also show that because of this isolation of

nderstanding this science, without the guidance and help of those who are working with him or over him, either through lack of education or through insufficient mental capacity. In order that the work may be done in accordance with scientific laws, it is necessary that there shall be a far more equal division of the responsibility between t

of the workman should be preceded by one or more preparatory acts of the management which enable him to do his work better and quicker than he otherwise could. And each man should daily be t

tween the management and the men is of the es

he 30 per cent to 100 per cent increase in wages which the workmen are able to earn beyond what they receive under the old type of management, coupled with the daily intimate shoulder to shoulder contact with the management, entirely removes all cause for soldiering. And in a few years, under thi

nt is just beginning to be understood, whereas the management itself has been a gradual evolution, extending over a period of nearly thirty years. And during this time the employees of one company after another, including a large range and diversity of industries, have gradually changed from the ordinary to the scientific type of management. At least 50,000 workmen in the United States are now employed under this system; and they are receiving from 30 per cent to 100 per cent higher wages daily than are paid to me

ientific type. But unfortunately most of the readers of these papers have mistaken the mechanism for the true essence. Scientific management fundamentally consists of certain broad general principles, a certain philosop

nt-within the control of any man or any set of men can insure continuous prosperity to either workmen or employers. Prosperity depends upon so many factors entirely beyond the control of any one set of men, any state, or even any one country, that certain periods will inevitably come when both sides must suffer, more or less. It is claimed, however, that under scientific mana

throughout the civilized world, sooner or later, the writer is profou