Efficiency Methods
An Introduction to Scientific Management

2o6 EFFICIENCY METHODS with past results almost valueless. Mr. H. B. Drury devotes a chapter of his treatise to an account of the chief American works in which the methods have been, or are now being, tried; but points out, among other just observations, that the magnitude of the changes recorded as results must depend very much on the previous state of the works in question. Again, we cannot set up one single criterion by which to judge and compare, nor will all the results which we want to see be measurable in figures. Figures might give directly the “ high wages with low labour cost ” which were Taylor’s aim, but these will bear the possible imputations of driving and otherwise exploiting workers. There is much to be said for the manager who is willing to stake his reputation on his small labour “ turnover,” indicating that his workers are neither exhausted nor dissatisfied, and that good workers are valued by the firm. This statistic would refute hostile criticism more effectually than the mere statement that there had been no strikes, which might merely mean no organization among the workers. But to weigh the value of the figures for labour turnover properly, we should need to know the labour conditions in the neighbourhood. Again, time is needed to show the full effect of a system which is to occupy a long time in installation; time to estimate the changes in finance, in organiza- tion, and in the mental and physical condition of all the employés. And, after results have been pub-