The Principles of Scientific Management

THE PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT 55 experiments we were not trying to find the maxi- mum work that a man could do on a short spurt or for a few days, but that our endeavor was to learn what really constituted a full day’s work for a first- class man; the best day’s work that a man could properly do, year in and year out, and still thrive under. These men were given all kinds of tasks, which were carried out each day under the close observation of the young college man who was con- ducting the experiments, and who at the same time noted with a stop-watch the proper time for all of the motions that were made by the men. Every element in any way connected with the work which we believed could have a bearing on the result was carefully studied and recorded. What we hoped ultimately to determine was what fraction of a horse-power a man was able to exert, that is, how many foot-pounds of work a man could do in a day. After completing this series of experiments, there- fore, each man’s work for each day was translated into foot-pounds of energy, and to our surprise we found that there was no constant or uniform relation between the foot-pounds of energy which the man exerted during a day and the tiring effect of his work. On some kinds of work the man would be tired out when doing perhaps not more than one-eighth of a horse-power, while in others he would be tired to no greater extent by doing half a horse-power of work. We failed, therefore, to find any law which was an accurate guide to the maximum day’s work for a first-class workman.