The Theory of Business

第35章

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第35章

The Theory of Business 佚名

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The Theory of Business
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  thetechnologicalcharacterofthismachineprocesshasbeensetforthatsomelength。Themachineprocesspervadesthemodernlifeanddominatesitinamechanicalsense。Itsdominanceisseenintheenforcementofprecisemechanicalmeasurementsandadjustmentandthereductionofallmannerofthings,purposesandacts,necessities,conveniences,andamenitiesoflife,tostandardunits。Thebearingofthissweepingmechanicalstandardizationuponbusinesstrafficisalargepartofthesubject-matteroftheforegoingchapters。Thepointofimmediateinteresthereisthefurtherbearingofthemachineprocessuponthegrowthofculture,-thedisciplinaryeffectwhichthismovementforstandardizationandmechanicalequivalencehasuponthehumanmaterial。

  Thisdisciplinefallsmoreimmediatelyontheworkmenengagedinthemechanicalindustries,andonlylessimmediatelyontherestofthecommunitywhichlivesincontactwiththissweepingmachineprocess。Whereverthemachineprocessextends,itsetsthepacefortheworkmen,greatandsmall。Thepaceisset,notwhollybytheparticularprocessesinthedetailsofwhichthegivenworkmanisimmediatelyengaged,butinsomedegreebythemorecomprehensiveprocessatlargeintowhichthegivendetailprocessfits。Itisnolongersimplythattheindividualworkmanmakesuseofoneormoremechanicalcontrivancesforeffectingcertainresults。Suchusedtobehisofficeintheearlierphasesoftheuseofmachines,andtheworkwhichhenowhasinhandstillhasmuchofthatcharacter。Butsuchacharacterizationoftheworkman’spartinindustrymissesthepeculiarlymodernfeatureofthecase。Henowdoesthisworkasafactorinvolvedinamechanicalprocesswhosemovementcontrolshismotions。Itremainstrue,ofcourse,asitalwayshasbeentrue,thatheistheintelligentagentconcernedintheprocess,whilethemachine,furnace,roadway,orretortareinanimatestructuresdevisedbymanandsubjecttotheworkman’ssupervision。Buttheprocesscompriseshimandhisintelligentmotions,anditisbyvirtueofhisnecessarilytakinganintelligentpartinwhatisgoingforwardthatthemechanicalprocesshasitschiefeffectuponhim。Theprocessstandardizeshissupervisionandguidanceofthemachine。Mechanicallyspeaking,themachineisnothistodowithitashisfancymaysuggest。Hisplaceistotakethoughtofthemachineanditsworkintermsgivenhimbytheprocessthatisgoingforward。Histhinkinginthepremisesisreducedtostandardunitsofgaugeandgrade。Ifhefailsoftheprecisemeasure,bymoreorless,theexigenciesoftheprocesschecktheaberrationanddrivehometheabsoluteneedofconformity。

  Thereresultsastandardizationoftheworkman’sintellectuallifeintermsofmechanicalprocess,whichismoreunmitigatedandprecisethemorecomprehensiveandconsummatetheindustrialprocessinwhichheplaysapart。Thismustnotbetakentomeanthatsuchworkneedlowerthedegreeofintelligenceoftheworkman。Nodoubtthecontraryisnearerthetruth。Heisamoreefficientworkmanthemoreintelligentheis,andthedisciplineofthemachineprocessordinarilyincreaseshisefficiencyevenforworkinadifferentlinefromthatbywhichthedisciplineisgiven。Buttheintelligencerequiredandinculcatedinthemachineindustryisofapeculiarcharacter。Themachineprocessisasevereandinsistentdisciplinarianinpointofintelligence。Itrequirescloseandunremittingthought,butitisthoughtwhichrunsinstandardtermsofquantitativeprecision。Broadly,otherintelligenceonthepartoftheworkmanisuseless;oritisevenworsethanuseless,forahabitofthinkinginotherthanquantitativetermsblurstheworkman’squantitativeapprehensionofthefactswithwhichhehastodo。4*

  Insofarasheisarightlygiftedandfullydisciplinedworkman,thefinaltermofhishabitualthinkingismechanicalefficiency,understanding“mechanical“inthesenseinwhichitisusedabove。Butmechanicalefficiencyisamatterofpreciselyadjustedcauseandeffect。Whatthedisciplineofthemachineindustryinculcates,therefore,inthehabitsoflifeandofthoughtoftheworkman,isregularityofsequenceandmechanicalprecision;andtheintellectualoutcomeisanhabitualresorttotermsofmeasurablecauseandeffect,togetherwitharelativeneglectanddisparagementofsuchexerciseoftheintellectualfacultiesasdoesnotrunontheselines。

  Ofcourse,innocaseandwithnoclassdoesthedisciplineofthemachineprocessmouldthehabitsoflifeandofthoughtfullyintoitsownimage。Thereispresentinthehumannatureofallclassestoolargearesidueofthepropensitiesandaptitudescarriedoverfromthepastandworkingtoadifferentresult。Themachine’sregimehasbeenoftooshortduration,strictasitsdisciplinemaybe,andthebodyofinheritedtraitsandtraditionsistoocomprehensiveandconsistenttoadmitofanythingmorethanaremoteapproachtosuchaconsummation。

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