MANAGEMENT GURU FRANK BUNKER GILBRETH(1868 TO 1924)

INTRODUCTION: Born in Fairfield , Maine in 1868.

Start his early education from local academy.

In 1878 , moved to Boston , first attend Rice grammar school and later English high school.

Prepare to entry for Massachusetts institute of Technology(MIT) and passed the exam.

Like Taylor abandon his study and start work as an apprentice bricklayer in Whidden Construction Company from 1885 to 1895.

Rising from apprentice to become a supervisor and then chief superintendent at the age of 27.

INTRODUCTION: In 1895 , as a member of American Society of Mechanical

Engineers(ASME) left Whidden and establish his own company specialize in concrete construction.

Used first time his new inventions in his company like concrete mixer , conveyors and reinforcing bars.

Open office in Victoria street , London and expand his job from small jobs like waterproofing , cellar to building houses , factories , mills and civil engineering works like dams and canals.

INTRODUCTION:

Write different books to upgrade the current status of work and in order to minimize the unnecessary motions to make a job easy and increase the rest time.

Try to set a standardize accounting and work procedure to made the job easy and pleasurable.

Try to reduce the total motions in job from 18 to 4.5.

FLASHING POINTS OF GILBRETH MOTION STUDY :

Identify 15 variables of worker like anatomy ,creed , experience , mode of living , skill , temperament and training.

Identify 14 variables of surrounding , equipments and tools like lighting , heating, cooling ,ventilation , supervision , colors of the surrounding walls etc.

Identify 13 variables of motion including acceleration , automaticity , inertia and moment overcome , direction and effectiveness.

Together he develop 17 basic motion with the assistant of his wife Lillian Moller like select , hold , touch etc and they named it “therblig”

LILLIAN MOLLER GILBRETH : Born in Oakland , California in 1878. Obtain BA and MA degree in English from

university of California. Got married with Gillbreth in 1904. Due to interest of her husband toward the

business , she turned her education direction from English to psychology.

Receive her doctoral degree from university of California in 1915.

In 1912 , they published “Primer of Scientific Management “ in which they expand the concept of Taylor scientific management and focus more on motion studies than time study.

They describe the concept of “Micro motion study” for Butt company at New England that braided materials for electrical wiring.

GILBRETH AND LILLIAN CRITICISM ON TAYLOR WORK :

In 1920 , Gilbreth and Lillian declared the Taylor “Stop watch time study” as unethical , wasteful and inaccurate in their papers “An Indictment of Stop Watch Time Study”.

They considered that it provide inaccurate and useless data.

Gilbreth divide the fatigue into two categories :

Unnecessary : Resulting from the effort that does not need to achieve the desire results.

Necessary : Resulting from the work that must be done in order to achieve the specific result.

He considered that the unnecessary motions are eliminated through better design of workplace and necessary motion can be minimized through improved techniques and provision of rest periods.

GILBRETH AND LILLIAN CRITICISM ON TAYLOR WORK :

Gilbreth criticize the Taylor concept of depending on the physical capacity of the workers to overcome the fatigue.

He advocate in the reduction of the working days and introduce the increasing holidays with pay.

He emphasize the significance of total working environment in the maintenance of high level of productivity.