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EMPLOYMENT  PSYCHOLOGY

yet  received  little  attention  but  which  is  becoming  daily
more  important;  that  is,  the  classification  of  workers  into
trades  and  grades.  One  of  the  greatest  hindrances  to  the
amicable  settlement  of  wage  disputes  has  been  the  lack
of  such  classifications.  When,  for  instance,  a  group  of
tool  makers  ask  for  a  certain  minimum  wage  for  all  firstrate
  tool  makers  and  another  minimum  for  all  second-rate
tool  makers,  the  rock  on  which  negotiations  often  split
is  the  question:  How  do  you  distinguish  between  what
constitutes  a  first-rate  and  a  second-rate  tool  maker?  The
workers  fear  that  the  manufacturer  will  make  the  classification ­
  to  his  advantage  if  he  is  allowed  the  final  word;
the  manufacturer  fears  that  unless  he  makes  the  classification ­
  himself  it  will  result  to  his  disadvantage.  Consequently, ­
  because  neither  party  to  the  discussion  possesses
an  impartial  or  impersonal  criterion  upon  which  to  base
a  classification,  the  misunderstanding  between  both
parties  grows.  This  is  a  situation  which  has  arisen  very
frequently  in  recent  years  and  which  is  bound  to  arise
with  increasing  frequency  as  the  organization  of  labor
continues  to  develop.  Now,  situations  of  this  kind  furnish ­
  a  perfect  illustration  of  the  value  and  impartiality
of  the  psychological  method.  It  will  be  remembered  that
the  introductory  chapter  described  employment  psychology ­
  as  the  application  of  exact  and  standard  measures
to  the  problems  of  employment,  in  contrast  with  the  crude
and  prejudiced  estimates  of  the  human  mind.  In  situations ­
  of  this  kind,  just  such  scientific  measures  are  needed.
The  manufacturer  does  not  rely  upon  the  judgment  of
the  workers,  and  the  workers  are  not  willing  to  rely  on  his.
Both  judgments  are  naturally  biased,  and  therefore  subject ­
  to  error.  In  order  to  solve  this  problem,  it  is  necessary
to  appeal  to  an  unbiased  and  impersonal  criterion.  Arbi ­