Until the recent rise of interest in psychology,
relatively little attention had been given
to the study of those habits which are developed
in business. When proper care is not
given to the formation of these habits developed
in connection with one's daily occupation,
wrong habits are certain to appear. The mason
makes two motions with his trowel where
he should make but one. The accountant
substitutes ``short cuts'' in adding where all
the operations should be taken in regular order
and made as automatic as the few short cuts
previously developed. The executive has the
<p 325>
habit of depending upon ``desultory'' memory
where the logical should be developed. The
salesman in speaking to a critical customer
says ``he don't,'' instead of saying ``he doesn't'';
``gents' goods'' instead of ``men's goods.''
Every investigation into the human actions
and the human methods of thinking as involved
in business reveals the presence of unfortunate
habits such as the examples here cited.
Therefore, one of the most noteworthy events
in the business and industrial world of the last
twenty years is the study of the occupation
habits of the workman to which reference was
made in the first paragraphs of this chapter.
The research has been especially successful
in dealing with the occupation habits of mechanics.
The fundamental discovery was made that
the workman's occupation habits are not such
as enable him to accomplish his task in an
economical and efficient manner. To discover
what occupation habits should be developed,
experts in each of several typical
establishments were assigned the task of
<p 326>
making a careful study of every movement of
eye, hand, foot, and body, and the rate and
sequence of all the movements necessary for
performing single tasks most easily and efficiently.
The experts were also to study the
tools, the materials, and conditions best
adapted to the work. In general, the experts
found the greatest opportunity for improvement
in the _*movements_ of the men. As a
result of this research, numerous processes
have been scientifically standardized. The
workmen have been taught the new and better
way and have been drilled till the processes
have been, so far as possible, reduced to occupation
habits. The workmen have been easily
induced to acquire the new habits, as their
earning capacity is thereby greatly increased.
Ordinarily, a considerable bonus is awarded to
all workmen who develop the desired habits
and perform the task exactly as prescribed by
the expert.
An investigation into the results secured
from the adoption of this scientific attempt
to study and to regulate the occupation
<p 327>
habits of workmen reveals most gratifying
success.
Mr. H. R. Hathaway, an expert engineer,
testifies that ``under this system a workman
can turn out from two to four times as much
work'' as he was able to accomplish when
working with his old habits,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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