12 Principles of Efficiency

Author: (American) Harington Emerson Zi Lang Mo Li Yun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: This book is a classic work by Harington Emerson, the father of efficiency, and marks the first time the global Chinese translation is launched, reviving the powerful principles of efficiency after a century. Efficiency is the only truly effective management theme; without it, everything will be in vain. Managers in modern companies who are troubled by efficiency and threatened by competition can not only draw inspiration from this book but also return to simplicity and discern right from wrong amidst the ever-emerging management trends and fashions. It is a landmark work in the history of management thought. How many times have we started from scratch, looking for so-called solutions when new problems arise in management? In reality, if we take a step back, we would find that our predecessors had already solved similar problems with their wisdom. Harington Emerson is widely recognized as the pioneer of efficiency research and the forerunner of the spread of efficiencyism. Like most people of his time, Emerson sought answers through science. Science is governed by certain principles and natural laws, and humans can treat management like other human activities with a scientific approach, therefore, there must be a set of scientific laws that management should follow. Emerson summarized these into the famous 12 principles of efficiency. The book elaborates on and explains each principle in a separate chapter. The first five principles are about human relationships, while the last seven are about methods, systems, and structures. These principles are not isolated but complementary, and through their coordination, they form the foundation for establishing management systems and improving efficiency. The ideas advocated in this book have been tested by practice for nearly a century and remain timeless. Managers in modern companies who are troubled by efficiency and threatened by competition can not only draw inspiration from this book but also return to simplicity and discern right from wrong amidst the ever-emerging management trends and fashions. It is a landmark work in the history of management thought. How many times have we started from scratch, looking for so-called solutions when new problems arise in management? In reality, if we take a step back, we would find that our predecessors had already solved similar problems with their wisdom. Harington Emerson is widely recognized as the pioneer of efficiency research and the forerunner of the spread of efficiencyism. Like most people of his time, Emerson sought answers through science. Science is governed by certain principles and natural laws, and humans can treat management like other human activities with a scientific approach, therefore, there must be a set of scientific laws that management should follow. Emerson summarized these into the famous 12 principles of efficiency. The book elaborates on and explains each principle in a separate chapter. The first five principles are about human relationships, while the last seven are about methods, systems, and structures. These principles are not isolated but complementary, and through their coordination, they form the foundation for establishing management systems and improving efficiency. The ideas advocated in this book have been tested by practice for nearly a century and remain timeless. Managers in modern companies who are troubled by efficiency and threatened by competition can not only draw inspiration from this book but also return to simplicity and discern right from wrong amidst the ever-emerging management trends and fashions.