DEFINITION OF REWARD.--Reward is defined by the Century
Dictionary as--"return, recompense, the fruit of one's labor or
works; profit," with synonyms, "pay, compensation, remuneration,
requital and retribution." Note particularly the word "retribution,"
for it is this aspect of reward, that is, the just outcome of one's
act, that makes the reward justly include punishment. The word
"reward" exactly expresses what management would wish to be
understood by the incentive that it gives its men to increase
their work.
DEFINITION OF PUNISHMENT.--The word "punishment" is defined
as--"pain, suffering, loss, confinement, or other penalty inflicted
on a person for a crime or offense by the authority to which the
offender is subject," with synonyms, "chastisement, correction,
discipline."
The word punishment, as will be noted later, is most unfortunate
when applied to what Scientific Management would mean by a penalty,
though this word also is unfortunate; but, in the first place, there
is no better word to cover the general meaning; and in the second
place, the idea of pain and suffering, which Scientific Management
aims to and does eliminate, is present in some of the older forms of
management Therefore the word punishment must stand.
REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS RESULT IN ACTION.--There can be no doubt
that a reward is an incentive. There may well be doubt as to whether
a punishment is an incentive to action or not. This, however, is
only at first glance, and the whole thing rests on the meaning of
the word "action." To be active is certainly the opposite of being
at rest. This being true, punishment is just as surely an incentive
to action as is reward. The man who is punished in every case will
be led to some sort of action. Whether this really results in an
increase of output or not simply determines whether the punishment
is a scientifically prescribed punishment or not. If the
punishment is of such a nature that the output ceases because of it,
or that it incites the man punished against the general good, then
it does not in any wise cease to be an active thing, but it is
simply a wrong, and unscientifically assigned punishment, that acts
in a detrimental way.
SOLDIERING ALONE CUTS DOWN ACTIVITY.--It is interesting to note
that the greatest cause for cutting down output is related more
closely to a reward than a punishment. Under such managements as
provide no adequate reward for all, and no adequate assurance that
all can receive extra rewards permanently without a cut in the rate,
it may be advisable, for the worker's best interests, to limit
output in order to keep the wages, or reward, up, and soldiering
results. The evils of soldiering will be discussed more at length
under the "Systems of Pay." It is plain, however, here that
soldiering is the result of a cutting down of action, and it is
self-evident that anything which cuts down action is harmful, not
only to the individual himself, but to society at large.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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