Efficiency Methods
An Introduction to Scientific Management

management: a preliminary discussion 17 a mistress or by an older servant. In our own time, however, till very recently, the majority of mistresses have expected a cook or a housemaid to be already a good cook or a systematic house worker when engaged; and many do so still. They have not enquired very closely how she had learned to be any such thing, or whether she had had any real training at all. They were most often unable to teach her anything themselves, and only helplessly annoyed if she was not able to cope with modern adjuncts to housekeeping, such as gas-cookers, electric lights or vacuum-cleaners. „ A movement of reform has set in, and is called " scientific ” housekeeping. It believes in training both mistresses and servants by people who have made a proper study of housekeeping and of training. And what emerges from scientific study is the need of ascertaining a standard best way of doing any particular work. This way is subject always to possible improvement, but can be imparted to others as the best known. All resources are used to determine the standard best—past experience, experiment, general scientific knowledge. The atti- tude entirely discouraged is that of the mistress or servant who has her “ own way ” of doing each specified thing—a way hoary with tradition. Quite often these people are even reluctant to impart their “ own way,” and like it to be their own secret. It would be irrelevant to carry comparison further* The creation of a standard best method in each operation of industry was mentioned in the last c