work study

Observation, recording, analysis, and evaluation of how a task is carried out by workers. Work studies, such as time and motion studies, are associated with the scientific school of management. By looking at how workers perform a task, the person conducting the study can recommend ways in which that task could be performed more efficiently.

For example, a different layout of machinery might cut the time spent moving from one machine to another. Workers have tended to be suspicious of work studies because they see them as a way in which employers can force them to work harder for the same pay or secure redundancies. They are also seen as inhuman, treating workers as machines. However, work studies which are carried out with the consent and active participation of workers can lead to improved productivity and motivation.