第 52 节
作者:
暖暖 更新:2021-02-24 23:00 字数:9321
more specialized it becomes the less each man creates of the unit; machine or ornament; the less he feels of achievement。 Go into a cotton mill and watch the machines and their less than human attendants at their over…specialized tasks。 Then ask how such workers can take any joy in work? Let us say they are paid barely enough to live upon。 What food does the desire for achievement receive? What feeds the love of the concrete finished product of which a man can proudly say; 〃I did it!〃 The restlessness of this thwarted desire is back of much of that social restlessness that puzzles; annoys and angers the better…to…do of the world。 As the factory system develops; as 〃efficiency〃 removes more and more of the interest in the task; social unrest will correspondingly increase。 One of the great problems of society is this: How are we to maintain or increase production and still maintain the love of work? To solve this problem will take more than the efficiency expert who works in the interest of production alone; it will take the type of expert who seeks to increase human happiness。 Native industry; the love of work are variables of importance。 No matter what social condition we evolve; there will be some who will be 〃slackers;〃 who will regard work as secondary to pleasure; who will take no joy or pride in the finished product; who will feel no loyalty to their organization; and vice versa; there will be those working under the most adverse conditions who will identify themselves; their wishes and purposes with 〃the job〃 and the product。 Nowhere are the qualities of persistent effort and interest of such importance as in industry; and nowhere so well rewarded。 In the habits of efficiency we have a group of mechanically performed actions and stereotyped reactions essential for work。 Except in certain high kinds of work; which depend upon originality and initiative; method; neatness and exactness are essential。 〃Time is money〃 in most of the business of the world; in fact time is the great value; since in it life operates。 The unmethodical and untidy waste time as well as offend the esthetic tastes; as well as directly lose material and information。 The habits in this sense are the tools of industry; though exactness may be defined as more than a tool; since it is also part of the final result。 He whose work…conscience permits him to be inexact; permits himself to do less than his best and in that respect cheats and steals。 The work…conscience is as variably developed as any other type of conscience。 There are those who are rogues in all else but not in their work。 They will not turn out a bad piece of work for they have identified the best in them with their work。 Contrariwise; there are others who are punctilious in all other phases of morality who are slackers of an easy standard in their work efforts。 This is as truly a double standard of morals as anything in the sex sphere;and as disastrous。 There is on every second wall in America the motto typical of our country; 〃Do it now!〃 To it could be added a much better one; 〃Do it well!〃 The energy of work and its promptness are only valuable when controlled by an ideal of service and thoroughness。 A great part of the morals of the world is neglected; part of the responsibility is not felt; in that a code of work is yet to be enunciated in an authoritative way。 I would have it shown graphically that all inefficiency is a social damage with a boomerang effect on the inefficient and careless; and in the earliest school; teaching the need of thoroughness would be emphasized。 Our schools are tending in the other direction; the curriculum has become so extensive that superficiality is encouraged; the thorough are penalized; and 〃to get away with it〃 is the motto of most children as a result。 In an ideal community every man and woman will be evaluated as to intelligence and skill; and a place found accordingly。 Since we live a few centuries too soon to see that community; since jobs are given out on a sort of catch…as…catch…can plan; it would be merely a counsel of perfection to urge some such method。 Nevertheless ambitious parents; whose means or whose self…sacrifice enable them to plan careers for their children; should take into solemn account; not their own ambitions; but the ability of the child。 A man is apt to see in his son his second self and to plan for him as for a self that was somehow to succeed where he failed。 But every tub in the ocean of human life must navigate on its own bottom; and a father's wishes will not make a poet into a banker or a fool into a philosopher。 Nothing is so disastrous to character as to be misplaced in work; and there is as much social inefficiency in the high…grade man in the low…grade place as when the low…grade man occupies a high…grade place。 We have no means of discovering originality; imagination or special ability in our present…day psychological tests; and we cannot measure intensity of purpose; courage and the quality of interest。 Yet watching a child through its childhood and its adolescence ought to tell us whether it is brilliant or stupid; whether it is hand…minded or word…minded; whether it is brave; loyal; honest; a leader or a follower; etc。 Moreover; the child's inclinations should play a part in the plans made。 A man who develops a strong will where his desires lead the way will hang back and be a slacker where dissatisfaction is aroused。 To that employer of labor who seeks more than dividends from his 〃hands;〃 who has in mind that he is merely an agent of the community; and is not obsessed with the idea that he is 〃boss;〃 I make bold to make the following suggestions: Any plan of efficiency must be based on sympathy and human feeling。 To avoid unnecessary fatigue is imperative; not only because it increases production; but because it increases happiness。 Fatigue may have its origin in little matters;in a bad bench; in a poor work table; or an inferior tool。 Chronic fatigue'1' alters character; the drudge and slave are not really human; and if your workers become drudges; to that degree have you lapsed from your stewardship。 Men react to fatigue in different ways: one is merely tired; weak and sleepy a 〃dope;〃 to use ordinary characterizationbut another becomes a dangerous rebel; ready to take fire at any time。 '1' The Gilbreths have written an excellent little book on this subject。 Doctor Charles E。 Myers' recent publication; 〃Mind and Work;〃 is less explicit; but worth reading。
More important than physical fatigue (or at least as important) is the fatigue of monotony。 If your shop is organized on a highly mechanical basis; then the worker must be allowed to interrupt his labors now and then; must have time for a chat; or to change his position or even to lie down or walk。 Monotony disintegrates mind and bodydisintegrates character and personalitybrings about a fierce desire for excitement; and the well…known fact that factory towns are very immoral is no accident; but the direct result of monotony and opportunity。 It's bad enough that men and women have to become parts of the machine and thus lowered in dignity; worth and achievement; it is adding cruelty to this to whitewash windows; prohibit any conversation and count every movement。 Before you may expect loyalty you must deserve it; and the record of the owners of industry warrants no great loyalty on the part of their employees。 Annoying restrictions are more than injuries; they are insults to the self…feeling of the worker and are never forgotten or forgiven。 That a nation is built on the work of its peopletheir steadiness; energy; originality and intelligence; is trite。 That anything is really gained by huge imports and exports when people live in slums and have their creative work impulses thwarted is not my idea of value。 Factories are necessary to a large production and a large population; but the idea of quantity seems somehow to have exercised a baleful magic on the minds of men。 England became 〃great〃 through its mills; and its working people were starved and stunted; body and soul。 Of what avail are our Lawrences and Haverhills when we learn that in the draft examinations the mill towns showed far more physical defects; tuberculosis and poor nutrition than the non…factory towns? Work is the joy of life; because through it we fulfill purposes of achievement and usefulness。 Society must have an organization to fit the man to his task and his task to the man; it must organize its rewards on an ethical basis and must find the way to eliminate unnecessary fatigue and monotony。 The machine which increases production decreases the joy of work; we cannot help that; therefore society must at least add other rewards to the labor that is robbed of its finest recompense。 A counsel of perfection! The sad part is that books galore are written about the ways of changing; but meanwhile the law of competition and 〃progress〃 adds machines to the world; still further enslaving men and women。 We cannot do without machines;nor can we do without free men and women。 The fact is that competition is a spur to production and to industrial malpractice; since the generous employer must adopt the tactics of his competitors whether in a Southern mill town or in Japan。 I must confess to a feeling of disgust