Efficiency Methods
An Introduction to Scientific Management

l8 EFFICIENCY METHODS chapter. The point of comparison here is that the new attitude of the scientific housekeeper is the same as that of the scientific manager. Another feature, however, appears which will be found of primary importance when we deal with the attitude of organized labour to the new ideas. It is the radical difference between the craft-spirit, the desire to keep experience and knowledge within a limited channel of communication, and the science-spirit, which gives open access for all to the increasing river of knowledge.1 The reformers of management like to contrast the old with the new, describing also an intermediate stage. The old is referred to as unsystematic or traditional; the intermediate is systematized or transitory; the new is scientific, labour-saving, or functional management, or industrial engineering, or efficiency engineering. It will be noted that they consider management as more of an engineer’s job than has been previously conceived. This is because he is supposed to be scientifically trained, and also because he should understand the operations to be performed in the shops; but he must be a rather special kind of engineer if he can grasp the commercial and educational aspects as well. It is easy to make out unsystematized manage- ment as generally bad. Records are usually kept 1 See M. L. Cooke, “ Spirit and Social Significance of Scientific Management,” Amer. Journal Pol. Econ., June, 1913. It is true that most people have characteristics of both spirits, and that the pure science-spirit, incorruptible in all conditions, is rather rare.