Taylorism and Productivity

Taylorism and its approach in improving labor productivity was quite fascinating. First of all, the idea that unnecessary motions of workers must be eliminated is very intuitive if trying to improve labor productivity, but what struck me is that this approach was only implemented so late in history. In retrospect, it would make sense if Taylorism was implemented much earlier in history, so it surprised me how much we take for granted today was not taken for granted in the past. Also, the most impressive part of Taylorism, in my opinion, was how he said that that 'rule of thumb' would be substituted by science because that prediction is quite accurate considering how science, engineering,  and technology have dramatically reshaped how anything is produced and greatly increased productivity. His insights into how production possibilities can expand with technological advancements were correct, in my opinion, because labor productivity has in fact been improved very dramatically with the application of science and engineering.

The scientific improvement of productivity is one of the best ways to create economic growth and prosperity, in my opinion of course. Thus, it leads me to the conclusion that the government and society should invest a large share of its resources and capital to further the increase of productivity. It is an obvious fact that people in countries with the greatest labor productivity have some of the highest standards of living, be it from extraction of natural resources, manufacturing, or any other sector of the economy such as services. It is imperative that we invest in our future to match the pace of historical increases of labor productivity. Furthermore, capitalist control of the economy does not seem to be as important as economy-wide productivity, but the correct implementation of capitalist control can increase the rate of increase of labor productivity.

It is fascinating how the simple notion of eliminating unnecessary  tasks performed by workers can affect the economy in a very direct way and comprehensive way. Thus, it astounds me how many nations and businesses in the world are against technological exchange for the betterment of life for mankind. On the contrary, the protection of intellectual rights is also very important and must be taken seriously, but there often seems to be inadequate exchange of information and technologies, and it's very important to note that the exchange has been accelerated with the introduction and wide-spread penetration of the internet. In my opinion, the elimination of unnecessary motions of workers to increase to increase productivity can be extended to the elimination of unnecessary intellectual tasks to improve productivity through more collaboration and exchange of information via the internet or other mediums. Thus, it shows how powerful the internet and its many resources such as search engines are in shaping the future of the world by making the future brighter for all of mankind.