The best way to get the most productivity out of most workers is to assign them more tasks than they could ever possibly complete. Being constantly behind on everything, they're less likely to waste time, or wander off on tangents.
At least, that seems to be the operating theory of many employers.
Then there's the evils of accounting. Anyone with half a brain can deduce that it is more cost effective to have a secretary to do the typing, filing, scheduling and such for executives or, indeed, anyone with a skill set more valuable than typing, filing and scheduling.
But, the cost of a secretary is very easy to point to on a general ledger (as is the cost of hiring a professional to program your phones). The cost of non-secretaries spending their time doing secretarial things, instead of more value-creating things, is hidden, so no one complains about it.
Indeed, lately, I've been kind of obsessed with this idea of "hidden costs". I suspect it ties in with ideas of "efficiency" and definitely with the idea of "competitive advantage."
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At least, that seems to be the operating theory of many employers.
Then there's the evils of accounting. Anyone with half a brain can deduce that it is more cost effective to have a secretary to do the typing, filing, scheduling and such for executives or, indeed, anyone with a skill set more valuable than typing, filing and scheduling.
But, the cost of a secretary is very easy to point to on a general ledger (as is the cost of hiring a professional to program your phones). The cost of non-secretaries spending their time doing secretarial things, instead of more value-creating things, is hidden, so no one complains about it.
Indeed, lately, I've been kind of obsessed with this idea of "hidden costs". I suspect it ties in with ideas of "efficiency" and definitely with the idea of "competitive advantage."