SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT 290 SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT sequence of motions which result in the complete operation, it discovers those mo- tions which are unnecessary and in this way is able to build up a system of oper- ation which accomplishes the necessary work with the smallest loss of time and effort. The advocates of scientific manage- ment are strong believers in specializa- tion. They work on the theory that every man is fitted to accomplish one particu- lar task better than any other; that be- cause he can do it better, he will be hap- pier in doing it; and that because he is happy in his work it will be done with the greatest possible efficiency and the ieast amount of friction. It follows from this that it is a fundamental of scientific management to seek out the special quali- fications of every individual worker, and by training, teaching and encouragement to foster his individuality. The critics of the science protest that while such a system may be theoretically desirable, it is a practical impossibility. It is stated, however, that wherever it has been tried by those who have made a real study of it and have properly understood its prin- ciples, it has never been given up. As a necessary part of the develop- ment of each worker's individuality, more responsibility is placed upon him than is usual under the older system. In fact, Taylor, one of the leading exponents of the science of management, states that there should be an almost equal division of both work and responsibility between management and workman. He specifies, however, that this responsibility should be clearly defined — in other words, that every worker should know and under- stand the exact nature of the task he is expected to perform and that such con- ditions should exist that the daily work can always be accomplished. He advo- cates high pay as a reward for success- ful work with accompanying low pay in case of failure, thereby apparently com- ing in sharp conflict with the advocates of a uniform wage. He considers hearty co-operation between management and men a necessity for the successful work- ing of the system. In its details of organization, scientific management differs from the older type, in that it seeks to get away from the mil- itary idea of management, which has a single man at the head and a number of subordinates beneath him in a descend- ing order of power, each man being re- sponsible to the one above him and in command of all those below him. Just as it aims to develop the special talents of each individual worker, so it makes use of the special qualifications of each individual in the executive staff, and di- vides the responsibilitv among a srroup of specialists, each in charge of a depart- ment, and each, in his own department, of equal authority to the rest. A sharp division is first made between planning and performing. Five specialists control each division. On the planning side there is first the superintendent, whose task is to choose and advise the other special- ists, and to see that the right man is in charge of each department. Then comes the Order of Work and Route Man, who organizes the order in which work is done, and the route through the factory which an article follows in the course of manufacture. Thirdly, there is the In- struction Card man, whose duty it is to see that each workman is trained in his particular job, and to organize educa- tional work to that end. Next comes the Time and Cost Clerk, who keeps records of time and money spent on each manu- facturing process and so assists in check- ing waste and promoting efficiency. Fi- nally, there is the Disciplinarian, who studies, as it were, the psychological side of factory life, investigates the causes of dissatisfaction among the workers, or of jealousy among the executives, who smoothes out trouble and seeks to make the work run evenly and without friction. In the Performing Department there is the Gang Boss or, as some prefer to call him, the Instructor. In co-operation with the Instruction Card man he trains the workers in their tasks, brings out the in- dividual talents in each man and so en- ables him to attain his highest possible productive efficiency. Next is the Speed Boss, who controls the machinery of pro- duction, and takes care that the manu- facturing process runs at the speed of maximum efficiency. Thirdly comes the Repair Boss, whose duty it is to keep the machines in working order so that there is a minimum loss of time due to break- downs. Next, is the Inspector of Quality, who passes on the quality of the goods produced, and finally there is the Individ- ual Workman. The supporters of such a system of Sci- entific Management claim for it that it increases output, decreases cost of pro- duction, raises wages, eliminates waste, and leads to a spirit of contentment and co-operation among the workers. Its op- ponents scoff at it as Utopian and un- workable. An intermediate opinion would probably be nearest the truth. As stated in the early part of this article, the sci- ence is still more or less in the experi- mental stage. Many of the details have still to be tried out, probably some un- necessary matter will be eliminated, and much will be added. It will be found that many, if not most, large industries, to- day, display in their working a mixture of both the older and the newer scheme
