Maximum vs Fair and Reasonable

["Fred Nickols" <nickols@att.net>]

Earlier, Bob Farey wrote:

> I would amend this to:

> "THE principal objective of top management should be to 
> secure the maximum prosperity for the shareholders, coupled 
> with fair and reasonable rewards for all employees."

I am assuming that what he was amending is the statement below, which is a
not quite accurate quotation from The Principles of Scientific Management:

> "THE principal objective of management should be to secure 
> the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the 
> maximum prosperity for each employee."

Taylor's book (1911 trade edition) actually says on page 9:

"The principal object of management should be to secure 
the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the 
maximum prosperity for each employe."

The differences in the quotes might be nits but the amended version contains
a couple of significant differences; namely, from "maximum prosperity" for
"each" employee to "fair and reasonable rewards" for "all" employees.  There
is then a determination to be made as to what is "fair and reasonable".
Moreover, I can see the spin doctors hard at work now, exploiting the
difference between what is fair and reasonable for ALL employees from what
is fair and reasonable for EACH employee.  The use of ALL in place of EACH
seems to me to lump employees together instead of treating them as
individuals.

Somehow, I don't think that's what Taylor had in mind.  Regardless of the
truth of that (which obviously cannot be confirmed), it also seems to me
that the two quotes given by Farey were taken by John Balor as quotes by
Deming and Taylor.  I can find no other message by Farey which Balor might
have used to assert that Deming and Taylor's words were close to identical.

So, as I understand it, the first quote at the beginning of this message is
how Farey would restate Taylor's words and Taylor's words (close to the
original) is the second quote above.

Do I have things right?

Regards,

Fred Nickols
"Assistance at a Distance"
nickols@att.net
www.nickols.us