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Scientific Management
Frederick Taylor studied work scientifically to find the one best way to do each task, selected and trained workers for it, and tied pay to output. It boosted productivity, but it treated people like parts in a machine.
A warehouse uses scanners to time every pick and sets a quota per hour. Output climbs, but injuries and turnover rise because the standard ignores fatigue and judgment.
Am I measuring the work, or squeezing the worker?
Assuming the efficient way is also the sustainable way. Standards that ignore people get gamed, resented, or quit.
Find one task at your job that is done five different ways by five people. What would it take to find and teach the best way, and what would you lose?
Why do delivery and warehouse jobs today are often described as 'digital Taylorism'?
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Because software now does what Taylor's stopwatch did: it breaks work into timed steps, sets the one best pace, and ties rewards or discipline to output.