The Psychology of Management by L. M. Gilbreth (latest books to read txt) 📖

which is defined as — "The state of having or being a function." Functionalization as here used means — the state of being divided into functions, or being functionalized. "Functionalize" is given in the Century Dictionary, defined as "to assign some office or function to" — the note being made that it is rare. "Functionalize" may not be the best word that could be used in this connection, but there seems to be no other word in the English language which contains its full meaning, therefore we will use the word here in the sense of assigning work according to capacity or faculty. A faculty means — "A specific power, mental or physical; a special capacity for any particular kind of action or affection; natural capability."

Psychological Use of Functionalization. — The word "Function" is in constant use by modern psychologists, especially by those who believe that — "Psychology is the science of the self in relation to environment," 1 or that "Psychology is a scientific account of our mental processes."2 Sully defines a function as "a psychologically simple process," 3 and compares its elementariness to a muscular contraction as an element of a step in walking.

In investigating the principle of Functionalization as embodied in various forms of Management, we must note that, while Management can, and does under Scientific Management, attempt to functionalize work as far as possible, it will be impossible to come to ultimate results until a psychological study of the requirement of the work from the worker, and results of the work on the worker is made.4

Functionalization in Management. — "Functional Management" consists, to quote Dr. Taylor, "in so directing the work of management that each man from the assistant superintendent down shall have as few functions as possible to perform. If practicable, the work of each man in the management should be confined to the performance of a single leading function." 5

A study of functionalization as applied to management must answer the following questions:

1. How is the work divided?

2. How are the workers assigned to the work?

3. What are the results to the work?

4. What are the results to the worker?

Traditional Management Seldom Functionalizes. — Under Traditional Management the principle of Functionalization was seldom applied or understood. Even when the manager tried to separate planning from performing, or so to divide the work that each worker could utilize his special ability, there were no permanently beneficial results, because there was no standard method of division.

The Work of the Foreman Not Properly Divided. — The work of a foreman was not divided, but the well rounded man, as Dr. Taylor says,6 was supposed to have

1. Brain

2. Education

3. Special or technical knowledge, manual dexterity or strength

4. Tact

5. Energy

6. Grit

7. Honesty

8. Judgment, or common sense

9. Good health.

Dr. Taylor says — "Plenty of men who possess only three of the above qualities can be hired at any time for laborer's wages. Add four of these qualities together, and you get a higher priced man. The man combining five of these qualities begins to be hard to find, and those with 6, 7 and 8 are almost impossible to get."

Yet, under Traditional Management these general qualities and many points of specific training were demanded of the foreman. Dr. Taylor has enumerated the qualifications or the duties of a gang boss in charge of lathes or planers. 7 Careful reading of this enumeration will show most plainly that the demands made were almost impossible of fulfillment. 8

Another list which is interesting is found in "Cost Reducing System," a long list of the duties of the Ideal Superintendent or foreman in construction work. 9

QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES OF FIRST CLASS FOREMAN

A first class foreman must have:

bodily

strength

brains

common sense

education

energy

good health

good judgment

grit

manual dexterity

special knowledge

tact

technical knowledge.

He must be:

able to concentrate his mind upon small things

able to read drawings readily

able to visualize the work at every stage of its progress, and even before it begins

a master of detail

honest

master of at least one trade.

His duties consist of:

considering broad policies.

considering new applicants for important positions.

considering the character and fitness of the men.

determining a proper day's work.

determining costs.

determining the method of compensation.

determining the sequence of events for the best results.

disciplining the men.

dividing the men into gangs for speed contests.

fixing piece and day rates.

getting rid of inferior men.

handling relations with the unions.

hiring good men.

installing such methods and devices as will detect dishonesty.

instructing the workman.

keeping the time and disciplining those who are late or absent.

laying out work.

looking ahead to see that there are men enough for future work.

looking ahead to see that there is enough future work for the men.

making profits.

measuring each man's effort fairly.

obtaining good results in quality.

paying the men on days when they are discharged.

paying the men on pay day.

preventing soldiering.

readjusting wages.

retaining good men.

seeing that all men are honest.

seeing that men are shifted promptly when breakdowns occur.

seeing that repairs are made promptly before breakdowns occur,

seeing that repairs are made promptly after breakdowns occur.

seeing that the most suitable man is allotted to each part of the work.

seeing that the work is not slighted.

setting piece work prices.

setting rates.

setting tasks.

supervising timekeeping.

teaching the apprentices.

teaching the improvers.

teaching the learners.

In studying these lists we note —

1. That the position will be best filled by a very high and rare type of man.

2. That the man is forced to use every atom of all of his powers and at the same time to waste his energies in doing much unimportant pay reducing routine work, some of which could be done by clerks.

3. That in many cases the work assigned for him to do calls for qualifications which are diametrically opposed to each other.

4. That psychology tells us that a man fitted to perform some of these duties would probably be mentally ill fitted for performing others in the best possible way that they could be performed.

Work Not Well Done. — Not only does the foreman under Traditional Management do a great deal of work which can be done by cheaper men, but he also wastes his time on clerical work in which he is not a specialist, and, therefore, which he does not do as well as the work can be done by a cheaper man, and this takes more of his time than he ought to devote to it. The result is that the work is not done as well as it can and should be done.

A most perfect illustration of a common form of Traditional Management is the old story of the foreman, who, in making his rounds of the various parts of the work, comes to the deep hole being excavated for a foundation pier and says hurriedly — "How many of yez is there in the hole?" "Seven." "The half of yez come up."

The theoretical defects of the old type of management often seen before the advent of the trained engineer on the work include: —

 1. lack of planning ahead.

 2. an overworked foreman.

 3. no functionalizing of the work.

 4. no standards of individual efficiency.

 5. unmeasured individual outputs.

 6. no standard methods.

 7. no attempt at teaching.

 8. inaccurate directions.

 9. lack of athletic contests.

10. no high pay for extra efficiency.

11. poor investigation of workers' special capabilities.

In spite of the fact that under unfunctionalized management the foreman has far more to do than he can expect to do well, the average foreman thinks that he belongs to a class above his position. This is partly because the position is so unstandardized that it arouses a sense of unrest, and partly because he has to spend much of his time at low priced functions.

Under the feeling of enmity, or at least, of opposition, which often exists, openly or secretly, between the average Traditional Management and men, the foreman must ally himself with one side or the other. If he joins with the men, he must countenance the soldiering, which they find necessary in order to maintain their rates of wages. Thus the output of the shop will seldom increase and his chance for appreciation and promotion by the management will probably be slight and slow. His position as boss, combined with that of ally of the men, is awkward.

If he allies himself to the management, he must usually become a driver of the men, if he wishes to increase output. This condition will never be agreeable to him unless he has an oversupply of brute instincts.

The Workers Not Best Utilized. — Under the best types of Traditional Management we do find more or less spasmodic attempts at the functionalization of the worker. When there was any particular kind of work to be done, the worker who seemed to the manager to be the best fitted, was set at that kind of work. For example — if there was a particularly heavy piece of work he might say — "Let A do it because he is strong." If there was a particularly fine piece of work to be done he might say — "Let B do it because he is specially skilled." If there was a piece of work to be done which required originality, he might say — "Let C do it for the reason that he is inventive and resourceful;" but, in most cases, when the particular job on hand was finished, the worker selected to do it returned to other classes of work, and such special fitness or capability as he had, was seldom systematically utilized, or automatically assigned to his special function, neither was such experience as he had gained systematically conserved. Moreover, no such study of the work to be done had been made as would prove that the assignment of that particular worker to the work was right. The psychology of this was entirely wrong, — not only had no such study of the general and particular characteristics, traits, faculties, and talents of the man been made as would prove that he was the right man to be assigned, but the mere fact that he possessed one quality necessary for the work, if he really did possess it, was no sign that the other qualities which he possessed might not make him the wrong man to be chosen. Even if the man did happen to be assigned to work for which he was particularly suited, unless provision were made to keep him at such work only, to keep him well supplied with work, to allow time for rest, and to provide proper pay, he could not utilize his capabilities to the fullest extent.

Transitory Management Functionalizes. — Under Transitory Management, management becomes gradually more and more functionalized. With separated outputs and separate records, the worker's capabilities become apparent, and he can be assigned to the standardized positions which gradually evolve. Every recognition of individuality carries with it a corresponding functionalization of men and work.

Functionalization a Fundamental of Scientific Management. — With Scientific Management comes the realization that with close study and with functionalization only, can that provision and assignment of the work which is best for both work and worker be obtained. The principle is applied to every part of management, and results in

1. separating the planning from the performing.

2. functionalizing foremen.

3. functionalizing workers.

4. assigning competent workers to fitting work.

Separating the Planning from the Performing. — The emphasis on separating the planning from the performing in Scientific Management cannot be over-estimated. It is a part of Dr. Taylor's fourth principle of Scientific Management, "Almost equal division of the work and the responsibility between the management