How did Scientific Management propose measuring worker efficiency?

Scientific Management emphasized the importance of optimizing worker efficiency through systematic observation and measurement. Time and motion studies were a key component of this approach, developed primarily by Frederick Winslow Taylor. These studies involved breaking down tasks into their individual components, timing how long each part took, and analyzing the movements required to perform tasks.

The goal of these studies was to identify the most efficient ways to complete a job by eliminating unnecessary motions and finding the best practices. By quantifying these elements, managers could create standard operating procedures that maximized productivity. This scientific approach to analyzing work processes directly informed how tasks were designed and how workers were trained, leading to increased efficiency in the workplace.

Other methods, such as assessing team outputs or evaluating employee well-being, do not specifically align with the core principle of Scientific Management, which focuses on individual task performance and quantifiable productivity. Performance reviews, while valuable in some contexts, are more subjective and less focused on the scientific measurement of efficiency compared to the structured analysis provided by time and motion studies.