Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878-1972) was a pioneer in blending psychology and engineering into the management of the workplace. In recognition of her accomplishments, Lillian Gilbreth was the first woman to be elected to the National Academy of Engineering,and until recently, the only woman to have been awarded the Hoover Medal for great, unselfish, nontechnical services by engineers to humanity. Her doctoral dissertation, The Psychology of Management, Gilbreth laid out three fundamental recommendations for management– focus on the worker’s well being, provide individualized training, and use psychological testing to match jobs with workers. In addition to these academic achievements, she was a mother to 12 children and become the role model for the mother in the book and subsequent movie “Cheaper by the Dozen”. For most of her early career, she was overshadowed by her husband and partner in the field of scientific management, Frank Gilbreth, with publications mostly credited to him.While her husband focused much more on the scientific and technical study of efficiencies in production, Lillian would be more concerned about worker welfare and reducing stress, fatigue, and boredom. Together, their partnership resulted in comprehensive and innovative publications in the field of workplace efficiency.
The crux of the Gilbreths’ work was the creative application of motion picture film to quantify the number of motions involved in a specific work task and the time required to carry it out. The resulting data and images provided a model in which to calibrate and adjust basic human motion for greater efficiency and less physical and mental stress. Due to the injuries and disabilities resulting from WWI, Frank and Lillian also became proponents of workplace solutions for those with disabilities. Their publications would help employers understand how to modify environments and workflows to accommodate the worker’s physical limitations. This book, “Motion Study for the Handicapped,” which was published in 1917, is considered the first book to provide in-depth investigation into occupational rehabilitation. In the volume, Frank demonstrates the application of motion pictures to break down the essential motions in a job and how to pare them down to their bare necessities, increasing production efficiencies and reducing worker fatigue substantially. He created flow charts and elaborate 3D models to track movements of workers and products through their various stages to develop better work environments.
The aim of this book is to present methods of least waste in training and placing the handicapped, to tell not only what has been done and what can be done but also actually how to do it and why it should be done in this manner…. Along with these the many manufacturers who have placed their devices at our disposal ; the managers and workers in the industries who have cooperated in our investigations and offered opportunities to those whom we have trained ; and especially, perhaps, the handicapped themselves, who have demonstrated their successful methods, offered their experience, voluntarily acted as subjects for investigations, and cheerfully followed all suggestions offered. The progress in work for the handicapped along all lines is astounding.
Mr. Gilbreth has set out to take moving pictures of as many champions or experts in various trades or sports as he can, in order to study their methods and find the points of similarity between their motions. So the champion typist of the world, an expert bricklayer, and Christy Mathewson, the famous baseball pitcher, have been photographed ; and a few months ago, in Germany, Gilbreth took pictures of the champion fencer of the world. He even hopes to get pictures of the champion oyster-opener of Rhode Island !…Motion study for the blinded, like Motion Study for the crippled, involves three branches of work— teaching the teachers of the blinded, teaching the blinded themselves, and discovering opportunities in the industries where the taught can be satisfactorily placed.
Again, through the packet method, which provides for the arrangement of materials on a proper support and in the required sequence and the proper position to be transported to the next operation, it is possible to combine ” Search ” (1), ” Find ” (2), ” Select ” (3), ” Grasp ” (4) and ” Position ” (5), and to make of the entire five elements one operation requiring nothing but a simultaneous reach and grasp. The elements ” Assemble ” (7), ” Use ” (8), and ” Dissemble ” (9) can also, in many cases, be performed without the use of the eyes and with the effort involved much minimized through the use of proper desks and work-benches, chairs, arm-rests and foot-rests. An enormous amount of fatigue can be removed on many types of operations if the forearms are properly supported.
motion picture film capturing worker movements
3D models created based on the film capture of movements for further study and training
a disabled worker equipped with a dictaphone to assist in managing orders
modified keyboard machine to aid a worker with one arm
taking motion pictures of a typist and analysis of the film
- Description:
- Gilbreth, Frank Bunker. Motion study for the handicapped. London : G. Routledge & Sons, 1920.
- Persistent Link:
- http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:4882964
- Repository:
- Widener Library
- Institution:
- Harvard University
FAQs
Soon afterward, two management theorists, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, came up with the idea of filming workers to analyze their motions. Their ideas have since been combined into one process (called time and motion studies) for analyzing the most productive way to complete a task.
What is the Gilbreths theory of management? ›
Rather than encouraging a company of many working parts, they valued efficiency above all else. The couple believed there is one best way to get any job done and that process should be replicated through the manufacturing process, eliminating extraneous steps and producing the most efficient results.
Who is the so called mother of management is Lillian Gilbreth? ›
Gilbreth became a pioneer in what is now known as industrial and organizational psychology. She helped industrial engineers recognize the importance of the psychological dimensions of work. In addition, she became the first American engineer ever to create a synthesis of psychology and scientific management.
Are any of the Gilbreth family still alive? ›
Gilbreth and Lillian M. Gilbreth were born between 1905 and 1922. While their father died at the early age of 55 (a month shy of his 56th birthday), his children, for the most part, took after their mother, as far as longevity is concerned. As the new century dawns, 8 of the Dozen are still with us.
What is Lillian Gilbreth known for? ›
Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878-1972), one of the first female engineers, worked with her husband Frank to invent 'time and motion study,' analyzing ways to make industrial processes, office tasks, and housework more efficient, reduce human error, and enhance the safety and satisfaction of workers.
What principle are Lillian and Frank Gilbreth responsible for? ›
Expert-Verified Answer. Explanation: Frank & Lillian Gilbreth are best known for: their use of motion studies to simplify work (used film cameras to conduct motion studies to improve efficiency by eliminating unecessary or repetitive motions.
Why are Frank and Lillian Gilbreth important to management? ›
The Gilbreths' discoveries about workplace efficiency were not limited to the need to increase output. They were also interested in how workers could reduce fatigue. From this industrial psychology perspective, they advanced ideas about how best to train and develop workers.
What is the management theory of Gilbert? ›
His theories in the late 19th/early 20th century focused on applying scientific principles to management to improve efficiency and productivity. He emphasized standardized work methods, incentives for higher output, and harmony between managers and workers.
What was the main purpose of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth's motion studies were to? ›
As associates of Frederick Taylor in the early 1900s, they were able to explore how time and motion studies could be used to identify the best possible way for a worker to complete a particular task. The results of such studies allowed for improvements to be made in employee satisfaction, efficiency, and productivity.
Who is the mother of modern management? ›
Just about everything written today about leadership and organizations comes from Mary Parker Follett's writings and lectures.
Meet Mary Parker Follett, the “Mother of Modern Management." Born in America in the 1860s to a well-off Quaker family, Follett studied at Cambridge University before graduating from Radcliffe College summa cum laude in 1898 (she was later rejected from Harvard on the basis of being a woman).
What was the relationship between Frank and Lillian Gilbreth? ›
Gilbreth married Lillian Evelyn Moller on October 19, 1904, in Oakland, California; they had 12 children. Their names were Anne Moller Gilbreth Barney (1905–1987), Mary Elizabeth Gilbreth (1906–1912), Ernestine Moller Gilbreth Carey (1908–2006), Martha Bunker Gilbreth Tallman (1909–1968), Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr.
Was the Gilbreth family Catholic? ›
It seems the Gilbreths had Catholic influence (attending Sunday school) but were by no means a highly religious family, and the parents were not open to many children out of any religious or moral impulse.
What happened to Mary Gilbreth? ›
In 1912, her daughter Mary died at age five from diphtheria.
What did Mr Gilbreth do for a living? ›
Explanation: Frank Bunker Gilbreth (July 7, 1868 – June 14, 1924) was an American engineer, consultant, and author known as an early advocate of scientific management and a pioneer of time and motion study, and is perhaps best known as the father and central figure of Cheaper by the Dozen.
What did Frank and Lillian Gilbreth do for IO psychology? ›
They redesigned jobs based on employee's perspectives, a new approach for the emerging discipline of industrial psychology. They developed ways to employ physically handicapped workers so they could become productive community members.
What are Frank and Lillian Gilbreth most noted for studying quizlet? ›
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth
(known for studying job motion) believed in Scientific Management and in there being only one best way to do any job. They were later described in a book and movie called Cheaper By the Dozen.
What did Frank and Lillian Gilbreth discover in their study of fatigue in the workplace quizlet? ›
What did Frank and Lillian Gilbreth discover in their study of fatigue in the workplace? Lighting and the color of the walls had an effect on fatigue.
What is the importance of Lilian's contribution in the field of management? ›
Lillian's interest was the psychological aspect of work efficiency. She continually pushed Frank to see the human factor at work. In the book Time out for Happiness their complementary viewpoints are clearly stated. Lillian's focus was always directed at the individual doing the work, in regards to management.
