Built into human nature is the desire to maximize time, making the most out of every day. Time impacts finances, and it is the one commodity that seems always to be lacking. The desire for more time and more productivity is not a new concept. However, developing better strategies to fully leverage time continues to improve every day. Starting in the 20th century, the building blocks to what would eventually be called Industrial Organization Psychology started to take shape. Industrial Organization Psychology is the concentrated effort of examining behaviors that exist in the work setting to improve employee conduct and the work environment.
An engineer by profession, Frederick W. Taylor was the earliest individual to associate the idea of using scientific principles to optimize employee performance and manufacturing techniques. Because of his theories, he is considered the founder of scientific management. His ideology of industrial management continues to impact mass production performance today. Taylor focused on observing the work environment in order to reduce or eliminate areas that either squandered time or produced a wasteful movement; stripping nonessential work patterns led to increased employee productivity. By finetuning performance, corporations can better predict revenue since expenses, production, and distribution are carefully measured. Taylor’s principles were later expanded upon by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, who were admirers of Taylor’s work.
The Gilbreths had a unique partnership; they were both married and cohorts. Frank began as a blue-collar bricklayer. Using his professional knowledge and his innate intelligence, Frank was able to systematize the movements of laying bricks to the point it almost triple the efficiency of the labors. Lillian was a catalyst for females in the Industrial Organization Psychology, where she focused on the human aspect in the workplace. Together, The Gilbreths combined time and motion philosophy with psychology. This combination revolutionized the workplace. The Gilbreths implement particular strategies in specific occupations such as clerical filing, cabinetmaking, lumberyard, and the fabrication of concrete slabs. These strategies caused an enormous increase in production within each of these professions.
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Factories and manual labor companies were quick to adopt the revolutionary principles of scientific management in order to increase profit. Today, jobs are much more complex and often require sophisticated problem-solving skills or the use of creative thinking. (PG 5) Since physical labor jobs have declined, the current employment opportunities require an intellectually, skilled workforce. The academic astuteness needed for software design, marketing, or corporate management is far less conducive to applying the scientific management philosophy.
Even though the scientific management philosophy is difficult to apply to intellectually-skilled positions, this way of thinking as been crucial for business development. Such progression has allowed the advancement of manufacturing facilities to combine both the idea of timed procedures with exciting technological advancements. Using both the past and present knowledge continues to improve the cost and quality of today’s enterprise.
