3X2

EMPLOYMENT  PSYCHOLOGY

are  halts  and  inequalities  in  industrial  programs  which
frequently  delay  or  accelerate  the  productiveness  of  the
individuals  engaged.  (See  the  third  principle  governing
the  record  of  comparative  productiveness.)  For  this  reason ­
  it  would  be  unfair  to  compare  an  individual’s  productiveness ­
  with  a  fixed  standard  or  rate.  The  group  average
as  computed  here  must  of  necessity  reflect  all  these  conditions, ­
  by  being  low  when  the  conditions  are  adverse  and
high  when  they  are  favorable.  It  is  evident,  therefore,
that  the  group  average  combines  the  virtues  of  rigidity  and
flexibility.  On  the  one  hand,  it  serves  as  a  fixed  and  impartial ­
  standard  by  which  to  estimate  the  comparative
productiveness  of  each  individual.  On  the  other  hand,
it  is  a  fair  standard  to  go  by,  because  it  rests  upon  the
work  of  the  individuals  actually  concerned  and  varies
with  the  conditions  under  which  they  are  required  to
work.
The  method  of  computing  comparative  productiveness
described  does  not  take  into  consideration  the  continuity
of  productiveness  or  attendance.  For  a  variety  of  reasons, ­
  it  is  desirable  to  record  attendance  as  a  separate
item.  Every  efficiency  scheme  or  system  of  management
has  included  elaborate  charts  and  methods  of  keeping
attendance  records.  Many  of  these  have  been  distinguished ­
  by  their  artistic  rather  than  their  practical  merits.
The  simplest  and  most  flexible  method  of  keeping  an
attendance  record  is  the  percentage  method.  In  keeping
such  a  record,  absences  should  be  divided  into  two  kinds
and  only  two  kinds,  those  for  which  the  organization  is
to  be  debited  and  those  for  which  the  individual  worker
is  to  be  debited.  Among  the  former  must  be  included  all
time  lost  through  lack  of  work,  preventable  industrial
accidents,  legal  and  company  holidays,  vacations  and  any