Mechanization and industrialization adversely affected the workplace but increased productivity. Taylorism had as many good points as it did bad, and many workers did not like the new technology of streamline production.
I will show how these ideals were not always the best implementation of technology. I will also show that although engineers had a good plan, they did not always see the whole idea through to completion. Mechanization is the act of doing work with mechanical (machine) aid. Using a sewing machine to create clothing for sale and molding parts for farm machinery.
Introducing machines to do the work rather than skilled laborers created a more productive production of a particular good. Harvesters brought in more food, sewing machines produced more clothes, vulcanization machines created a stronger less malleable rubber. Each of these machines, and many others, replaced the slower more skilled worker. Owners and managers were able to replace higher priced skilled workers with lower wage, lower class workers on the production floor.
When adding in a large increase Industrialization in the workplace, allowed to product more goods at a lower price for a higher profit.Taylorism was an effort by Fredrick Taylor. He attempted to make the workplace more efficient in production. His techniques were ground breaking when it came to production.
In his attempts to reorganize workers, he created 4 ideas to implement, replace old methods, trained laborers, adequate supervision, and division of workload between workers and managers. These ideals proved very successful in production but left a lot to be desired in the laborers themselves. Making production incentives rather than wages made workers resentful and less productive.At the heart of Taylor’s reorganization, he wanted to make the task easier for the worker.
He wanted better conditions, adequate supply of needed goods, and the correct tools for the job. It is all good in theory but the neglect of the laborers themselves proved counter-productive. When faced with the end of specialized workers and low wage unskilled workers, the workforce took to the streets and started striking at the industry front door, creating lines and barriers for those who tried to work.Taylor’s methods introduced new thinking, new more efficient technologies, and time sensitive work environments.
Taylor’s ideas were great for production profits, but showed little regard for the workers themselves. Without specialized skills being enticing for managers; lower wage, repetitive, minimally trained workers had little to take pride in. Since most workers of this time were specifically trained or apprenticed laborers, the dominate labor force was mostly unhappy with the new techniques.
