Work Study

Definition of Work Study:

“Work study is a generic term for those techniques, particularly method study and work
measurement, which are used in all its context and which lead systematically to the
investigation of all the factors, which effect the efficiency and economy of the situation being
reviewed in order to effect improvement.”
The main objective of work study is to improve productivity of men, machines and materials. The
aim of work study is to determine the best method of performing each operation and to eliminate
wastage so that production increases with less fatigue. The work study is also used in determining
the standard time that a qualified worker should take to perform the operation when working at a
normal place.

Objectives of Work Study:

The following are the objectives of work study:

1. Increased efficiency,

2. Better product quality,

3. To choose the fastest method to do a job,

4. To improve the working process,

5. Less fatigue to operators and workers,

6. Effective labour control,

7. Effective utilisation of resources,

8. To decide equipment requirements,

9. To pay fair wages,

10. To aid in calculating exact delivery,

11. To formulate realistic labour budgeting, and

12. To decide the required manpower to do a job.

Steps of Work Study

Steps Involved in Work Study:
The steps of work study are:
(i) It selects the jobs which are to be studied;

(ii) It examines critically the recorded facts which are already done;

(iii) It records from direct observations all the matters which are happened;

(iv) It defines new method;

(v) It also installs the new method;

(vi) It also maintains the new standard;

Definition and Concept of Method Study:

Method study is basically conducted to simplify the work or working methods and must go towards
higher productivity. It is always desirable to perform the requisite functions with desired goal and
with minimum consumption of resources. Method signifies how a work is to be done i.e.
description of how we consume resources in order to achieve our target?

Method Study may be defined as:

“A procedure for examining the various activities associated with the problem which ensures a
systematic, objective and critical evaluation of the existing factors and in addition an
imaginative approach while developing improvements.”
There are three aspects of its application:
(1) Method study proper is concerned with broad investigation and improvement of a
shop/section, the layout of equipment and machines and the movement of men and
materials.

(2) Motion study is a more detailed investigation of the individual worker/operator, layout of
his machines tools, jigs and fixtures and movement of his limbs when he performs his job. The
 ergonomics aspect i.e. studies of environment, body postures, noise level and surroundings
temperature also form part of investigation

(3) Micro motion study i.e., much more detailed investigation of very rapid movements of the
various limbs of the worker.
Objectives of Method Study!
Always, the objective of method study is to simplify the job and develop more economical methods
of doing it. Method study is systematic both in investigation of problem being considered and in
the development of its solutions. It can be stated as one of most penetrating tools of investigation
available to management.

Important objectives of method study are:

(1) The improvement of processes and procedures.

(2) Factory and work place layout improvement.

(3) Improvement in the design of plant and equipment.

(4) Reduction in unnecessary fatigue and movements.

(5) Use of improved materials, machines and manpower.

(6) Better Working conditions.

Steps or Procedure Involved in Methods Study

The basic approach to method study consists of the following eight steps. The detailed procedure
for conducting the method study is shown in the following figure.
1. SELECT the work to be studied and define its boundaries.
2. RECORD the relevant facts about the job by direct observation and collect such additional data
as may be needed from appropriate sources.
3. EXAMINE the way the job is being performed and challenge its purpose, place sequence and
method of performance.
 Method study procedure

4. DEVELOP the most practical, economic and effective method, drawing on the contributions
of those concerned.
5. EVALUATE different alternatives to developing a new improved method comparing the cost-
effectiveness of the selected new method with the current method with the current method of
performance.
6. DEFINE the new method, as a result, in a clear manner and present it to those concerned, i.e.,
management, supervisors and workers.
7. INSTALL the new method as a standard practice and train the persons involved in applying it.
8. MAINTAIN the new method and introduce control procedures to prevent a drifting back to
the previous method of work.

Work Measurement
Work measurement is concerned with the determination of the amount of time required to perform
a unit of work. Work measurement is very important for promoting productivity of an organization.
Work measurement provides basis for proper planning. Since it is concerned with the measurement
of time it is also called ‘Time Study’.

Work measurement has been defined by British Standard Institution as, “The application of
techniques designed to establish the time for a qualified worker to carry out a specified job
at a defined level of performance”. This time is called standard or allowed time. Time study may
also be defined as “the art of observing and recording the time required to do each detailed
element of an industrial operation”.

There are various ways in which work may be measured and a variety of techniques have been
established. The basic procedure, irrespective of the particular measurement technique being used,
consists of three stages ;

 analysis phase in which the job is divided into convenient, discrete components, commonly
known as elements;
 measurement phase in which the specific measurement technique is used to establish the
time required (by a qualified worker working at a defined level of performance) to complete
each element of work;
 synthesis phase in which the various elemental times are added, together with appropriate
allowances (see below), to construct the standard time for the complete job.

Objectives of Work Measurement:

1. To compare the times of performance by alternative methods.

2. To enable realistic schedule of work to be prepared.

3. To arrive at a realistic and fair incentive scheme.

4. To aid in preparing budgets.

5. To determine standard costs.

6. To assist in the organisation of labour by daily comparing the actual time with that of target
time.

Techniques of Work Measurement

For the purpose of work measurement, work can be regarded as:

1. Repetitive work: The type of work in which the main operation or group of
operations repeat continuously during the time spent at the job. These apply to work cycles
of extremely short duration.
2. Non-repetitive work: It includes some type of maintenance and construction work, where
the work cycle itself is hardly ever repeated identically.

Various techniques of work measurement are:

1. Time study (stop watch technique),

2. Synthesis,
3. Work sampling,
4. Predetermined motion and time study,
5. Analytical estimating.

Generally, the following procedure is followed in conducting stop watch time study:

1. Selection of task to be timed: Select the task or job that needs to be timed for study purpose. There are
various priorities on the basis of which task or job to be studied is selected such as bottleneck or repetitive
jobs, jobs with longer cycle time, to check correctness of existing time, comparison of two methods etc.

2. Standardize the Method of Working: To achieve performance standard accuracy it is necessary to

record the correct method of working.

3. Select the operator for study: Select the consistent worker whose performance should be average or
close to average so that observed times are close to normal times.

4. Record the details: The following information is recorded on observation sheet: Name of labour,
task/job performed, department, section of work activity, general information about activity performed
etc.

5. Break the task into element: Each operation is divided into a number of elements. This is done for easy
observation and accurate measurement.
6. Determine number of cycles to be measured: It is important to determine and measure the number of
cycles that needs to be observed to arrive at accurate average time. A guide for the number of cycles to
be timed based on total number of minutes per cycle.

7. Measure the time of each element using stop watch: The time taken for each element is measured
using a stop watch. There are two methods of measuring. viz., Fly back method and Cumulative method.
The time measured from the stop watch is known as observed time.

8. Determine standard rating: Rating is the measure of efficiency of a worker. The operator„s rating is
found out by comparing his speed of work with standard performance. The rating of an operator is
decided by the work study man in consultation with the supervisor. Various rating methods used are
speed rating, synthetic rating and objective rating.

9. Calculate the Normal time: The observed time cannot be the actual time required to perform the work
for a worker. Therefore, Normal time needs to be calculated. Normal time is the time that a worker takes
when working at normal pace. It is calculated as below: Normal Time = Observed time * Rating

10. Determine the allowance: A worker cannot work all the day continuously. He will require time for rest
going for toilet, drinking water etc. Unavoidable delays may occur because of 106 tool breakage etc. So
some extra time is added to the normal time. The extra time is known as allowance. It is generally allotted
as per the company policy.

11. Determine the standard time: The standard time is the sum of Normal time and allowances. Thus it is
calculated as below: Standard Time = Normal Time + Allowances

Work Sampling
Work-sampling is defined as a technique for determining and predicting the total or the proportion
of the time consumed by a specified activity. It is dependent upon the observations that have been
made over a while to record the frequency of the events that are being performed and the
happenings in that instant.

Work-sampling is a statistical concept which permits recognition, analysis and enhancement of

job responsibilities, organisational workflows, performance competencies and tasks.

An essential use of the work-sampling method is predicting the standard time for a manufacturing
task conducted manually. It is used in several processes like telemarketing, manufacturing
and customer service.

The general characteristics of work-sampling method are as follows-

 It requires sufficient time to complete the study

 It is feasible for the work-sampling method to study multiple workers at a time
instead of one single worker or a small group
  The cycle time of work-sampling is generally lengthy
 The work cycle is non-repetitive

Applications
The applications of work-sampling process are as follows-

 Work-sampling enables a fair share of job distribution amongst the workforce

 It is applied to find an estimate about delay times that are unavoidable for deciding
about the delay allowances
 The data that is available from the work-sampling method has proved a great help in
the process of production planning
 A work-sampling method is a helpful tool for the administration as it helps in
evaluating the efficiency levels of the various departments in the organization
 The work-sampling assist the management in an organization to find all the data and
information of idle time and its cause
 Work sampling can be applied for the utilization of cranes, machine tools, trucks, etc
 It is used to get an estimate of the percentage of time consumed by various job
activities like inspection, repair, and supervision
 Work sampling is a useful tool that is applicable in finding time standards for repair
work, office work, maintenance work, etc

Labor Selection Process

Every organisation creates a selection process because they have their own requirements. Although,
the main steps remain the same. So, let’s understand in brief how the selection process works.
1. Preliminary Interview
This is a very general and basic interview conducted so as to eliminate the candidates who are
completely unfit to work in the organisation. This leaves the organisation with a pool of
potentially fit employees to fill their vacancies.

2. Receiving Applications

Potential employees apply for a job by sending applications to the organisation. The
application gives the interviewers information about the candidates like their bio-data, work
experience, hobbies and interests.

3. Screening Applications

Once the applications are received, they are screened by a special screening committee who
choose candidates from the applications to call for an interview. Applicants may be selected
on special criteria like qualifications, work experience etc.
 4. Employment Tests

Before an organisation decides a suitable job for any individual, they have to gauge their
talents and skills. This is done through various employment tests like intelligence
tests, aptitude tests, proficiency tests, personality tests etc.

5. Employment Interview

The next step in the selection process is the employee interview. Employment interviews are
done to identify a candidate’s skill set and ability to work in an organisation in detail. Purpose
of an employment interview is to find out the suitability of the candidate and to give him an
idea about the work profile and what is expected of the potential employee. An employment
interview is critical for the selection of the right people for the right jobs.

6. Checking References
The person who gives the reference of a potential employee is also a very important source of
information. The referee can provide info about the person’s capabilities, experience in the
previous companies and leadership and managerial skills. The information provided by the
referee is meant to kept confidential with the HR department.

7. Medical Examination

The medical exam is also a very important step in the selection process. Medical exams help
the employers know if any of the potential candidates are physically and mentally fit to
perform their duties in their jobs. A good system of medical checkups ensures that the
employee standards of health are higher and there are fewer cases of absenteeism, accidents
and employee turnover.

8. Final Selection and Appointment Letter

This is the final step in the selection process. After the candidate has successfully passed all
written tests, interviews and medical examination, the employee is sent or emailed an
appointment letter, confirming his selection to the job. The appointment letter contains all the
details of the job like working hours, salary, leave allowance etc. Often, employees are hired
on a conditional basis where they are hired permanently after the employees are satisfied with
their performance.

Importance of the Selection Process

1. Proper selection and placement of employees lead to growth and development of the
company. The company can similarly, only be as good as the capabilities of its
employees.
 2. The hiring of talented and skilled employees results in the swift achievement of
company goals.

3. Industrial accidents will drastically reduce in numbers when the right technical staff is
employed for the right jobs.

4. When people get jobs they are good at, it creates a sense of satisfaction with them and
thus their work efficiency and quality improves.

5. People who are satisfied with their jobs often tend to have high morale
and motivation to perform better.

Wage Payment
Definition of Wages
Wage is termed as a compensation that is given on the basis of the amount of work done and the
hours spent in doing that. Wages are variable and do vary with day to day functioning of an
individual. Wages are given to labours who are engaged in manufacturing processes and get the
compensation on a daily basis.

Labour is paid on the basis of hours and in order to increase the pay, extra hours have to be devoted
to fetch more.An individual is paid for his presence, not for his absence i.e. in case a person do not
come for the work he will not be paid for that day.

The waged person are said to be doing “blue collar labour job” which implies that an individual
is engaged in the unskilled or semi-skilled job and is drawing wages on a daily basis.

Difference Between Salary and Wages

The term salary and wages is often confused by people and is used interchangeably. But the truth
is that both these terms differ from each other and hold different meanings. Salary is a fixed
amount paid or transferred to the employees at regular intervals for their performance and
productivity, at the end of the month whereas wages are hourly or daily-based payment given to
the labour for the amount of work finished in a day.

The main difference between salary and wages lies in the fact that salary is fixed, i.e. it is
predetermined and agreed between the employer and employee, while wages are not fixed, as it
varies depending on the performance of the labour. This article presents you the important
differences between salary and wages in tabular form.
Comparison Chart
BASIS FOR
SALARY WAGE
COMPARISON

Meaning A fixed pay that an individual A variable pay that an individual

draws for the work done by him draws on the basis of hours spent in
on an annual basis. completing the certain amount of
work.

Skills Skilled personnel Semi-skilled or unskilled

Type of cost Fixed Variable

Rate of payment Fixed rate Wage rate

Payment cycle Monthly Daily

Basis of payment Performance basis Hourly basis

Paid to whom Employees Labor

Nature of work Administrative-office work Manufacturing-process work

KRA Yes No
(Key resultant area)

Extra pay for extra No Yes

hours

Top 3 Methods of Wage Payment

The following points highlight the top three methods of wage payments. The methods are: 1. Time
Rate System 2. Piece Rate System 3. Incentive Wage System.

Method # 1. Time Rate System:

Under this method of wage payment, the workers are paid the wages on the basis of time. In this
system of wage payment, the workers are paid the wages on the basis of time as, per hour, per day,
per week, per fortnight or per month etc. This system does not consider the production of the
employees during this time.

The amount of wages under this system is calculated as under:

Wages = Time spent by the worker × Rate of wages according to time.

Suitability of Time Rate System:

This system of Wage Payment is particularly suitable in the following circumstances:
1. When it is not possible to measure the production in terms of units or in any other terms.

2. When the work is of high standard.

3. When it is not possible to divide the production into units.

4. When the production is of the nature that it requires efficiency more than the speed.

5. When the worker is undertraining.

Merits of Time Rate System:

1. Simplicity:
It is very easy to calculate the amount of wage under this system.

2. Certainty of the Amount of the Remuneration:

This system of wage payment provides certainty of the amount of wage payment to the employee.
It develops the feeling of confidence and certainty among them.

3. High Quality of Production:

As this system of wage payment has no concern with quantity of production, quality of production
produced by the workers under this system is very high.
4. Proper Utilisation of the Factors of Production:
As this system is not related with speed, the workers perform their work in very confident manner.
They make the best Utilisation of the factors of production.

5. Co-Operation between Labour and Capital:

This system of wage payment brings the industrial peace because it satisfies the workers and the
industrialists. Thus, it develops harmony and cooperation between labour and capital.

6. Best System for Artistic Work:

This system of wage payment is most suitable for artistic work.

7. Co-Operation and Unity of Workers:

As all the employees doing the work for same nature get the same amount of wages, this system
develops the feeling of co-operation and unity among the workers.

8. Suitable for the Health of Workers:

This system of wage payment is suitable from the point of view of health of workers.

Demerits of Time Rate System:

1. Need of Intensive Supervision:
This system requires intensive supervision over workers. It increases the cost of supervision.

2. Lack of Incentive:
This system of wage payment makes equal payment to both the efficient and inefficient workers.
Therefore, efficient workers do not get any incentive for more production.

3. Encouragement of Labour Unions:

This system encourages labour unions. Sometimes, these labour unions misuse their powers.

4. Misuse of Time by Workers:

Under this system of wage payment, the workers do not make proper Utilisation by their time.

5. Fall in the Quantity of Production:

Under this system of wage payment, the quantity of production decreases because the workers do
not get any incentive for increasing the production.

6. High Cost of Production:

As the production is low and the payment to the worker is more, this system increases the cost of
production.

7. It Kills the Efficiency of Workers:

As this system does not make any difference between efficient and inefficient workers, it kills the
efficiency of efficient workers.

8. Increase in Cost Per Unit:

This system increases the cost per unit of production. Under this system, the cost per unit of
production is uncertain because the quantity of production differs from time to time.

9. Difficult to Measure the Efficiency:

Under this system of wage payment, it is very difficult to measure the efficiency of workers
because all the workers of equal status are paid the wages at equal rate.

Method # 2. Piece Rate System:

Under this system of wage payment, the workers are paid the wages on the basis of quantity and
quality of work performed by them. Under this system, the rates of wages are determined according
to quantity and quality of work and the workers are paid according to these rates.

The amount of wages to be paid to a worker under this system is calculated as under:
Wages = Units of production × Rate per unit.

Suitability of Piece Rate System:

This system of wage payment is very suitable in the following conditions:
1. When the work is of standard nature.

2. When the work can be measured easily.

3. When there is a great need of increase in the production.

Merits of Piece Rate System:

1. Incentive to More Work:
This system encourages the workers to do more and more work because they get their wages
according to their work.

2. Proper Utilisation of Machines:

Under this system, the workers use their machines and equipment with proper care because they
feel that if their machine is out of order, their work will be held up and their wages will be low.

3. Increase in the Quantity of Production:

The system of wage payment gets more production because all the workers make their best efforts
to increase the production.

4. Best Utilisation of Time:

As the workers are paid according to their work, they make the best possible utilisation of their
time. They do not want to waste their time.

5. Decrease in the Cost of Production:

This system decreases the cost of production because the maximum production is done by the
workers in the minimum time. It decreases the cost per unit of production also.

6. Decrease in the Cost of Supervision and Administration:

This system of wage payment minimises the needs of supervision. It reduces the cost of
supervision.

7. Easy and Simple:

This system of wage payment is very easy to understand and very simple to calculate.

8. Improvement in the Standard of Living of Workers:

Workers get more wages because they produce more. It increases their efficiency and productivity.
It increases their remuneration also which improves their standard of living.

9. Mobility of Workers:
This system of wage payment increases the mobility of workers because they can change their
enterprise easily.

10. Measurement of the Efficiency of the Workers:

This system provides an opportunity to measure the efficiency of the workers. It makes proper
distinction between efficient and inefficient working staff of the enterprise.

11. Justified:
This system of wage payment justified also because the workers are paid the wages according to
the work performed by them.
12. Helpful in Maintaining Industrial Peace:
This system brings industrial peace also because it satisfies both the workers and the employer.

Demerits of Piece Rate System:

1. Lack of Unity among Workers:
This system lacks the unity and mutual co-operation among workers. They feel themselves
competitor to each other.

2. Loss of Workers on the Failure of Machines etc.:

It because of any reason, the machines fail or the power fails, the work of workers is held up and
they lose their wages.

3. Misuse of the Factors of Production:

The workers do not pay proper attention towards the factors of production. They only want to
increase the speed of production.

4. Adverse Effect on the Health of Workers:

This system motivates the workers to do more and more work. It affects the health of workers
adversely.

5. Low Quality of Production:

This system of wage payment does not pay any attention on the quality of production. As a result
of it the quality of production falls down.

6. Unsuitable for Artistic Work:

This system is not suitable for artistic work because artistic work cannot be paid only on the basis
of quantity of production.

7. Uncertainty of Wages:
As the amount of wages depends upon the quantity of production, the actual amount of wages to
be paid is always uncertain. The workers also cannot estimate their remuneration in advance.

Method # 3. Incentive Wage System:

There are two basic systems of wage payment—time rate system and piece rate system. Both the
systems have their merits and demerits. No system can be considered suitable for all times and
under all circumstances. To maintain the merits of both the systems and to overcome the demerits
of these systems, some experts have developed the systems of incentives wage.
These systems are also known as incentive wage systems, progressive wage system and bonus
schemes etc. Under these systems, both the time and speed are considered as the basis of wage
payment.

These systems provide incentives to the workers to produce more and more maintaining the quality
as well. The workers are paid bonus or premium for the additional work. It is important to note
that almost all the systems incentive wages provide for minimum guaranteed wages to the workers.

Characteristics of an Ideal Incentive Wage System:

1. It must be easy to calculate and to understand.

2. The standards of work must be determined on scientific basis.

3. It must establish direct relationship between efforts and remuneration.

4. It must give a guarantee of minimum wage to all the workers.

5. It must be in the interests of both the employers and the employees.

6. It must be flexible but stable.

7. It must be framed in the manner so that it may be used widely for all the activities of the
enterprise.

8. It must be helpful in increasing the production as well as productivity.

Advantages of Incentive Wage System:

i. There is increase in the prospect of workers to earn more. As shown by F. Herzberg good salary
is one of the hygiene factors in the absence of which people are unhappy and dissatisfied. Wage
incentive offers them the prospect of earning more.

ii. The scientific work study which is done before introducing a wage incentive plan brings about
improvements in methods, workflow, and man-machine relationship and so on.

iii. There is effective reduction in the supervision costs Closer supervision of employees becomes
unnecessary because workers become more responsible. Rather than the supervisor chasing the
workers the workers themselves sometimes chase the supervisor for materials, tools, etc.
iv. Employees promptly expose all such problems before management which retard their earnings.
Management becomes more alert in areas such as flow of process materials, adequate spares, etc.

v. Employees are encouraged to become “inventive”. They invent and adopt ways and means to
achieve their production targets with lesser exertion and lesser expense of energy. They come
forward with new ideas and suggestions.

vi. There is improvement in discipline and industrial relations. Go-slow and similar other
techniques are not resorted to by the workers to express their dissatisfaction with management
policies and practices. There is increase in workers’ punctuality and decrease in absenteeism.

vii. There develops a feeling of mutual co-operation among the workers as their operations are
interdependent and any hold-up at one point may affect the production and earning at other points.

Incentive and Motivation – What’s the difference?

Incentive and Motivation – What’s the difference? We’ve got a vested interest in
understanding, naturally. When it comes to incentives and motivation – how would you
define the differences? They tend to come hand in hand as one, but like a riddle, they do n’t
work without each other and they are separate entities.

Motivation is the behaviour

Motivation is behaviour. Just like wanting that last KitKat or thinking ‘I need to get to the
gym’ motivation is a behaviour led process leading to action. From the wor d motive,
motivation is the process that we use to accomplish goals.

“The term motivation refers to factors that activate, direct, and sustain goal-directed
behaviour… Motives are the “whys” of behaviour – the needs or wants that drive behaviour
and explain what we do. We don’t actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one exists
based on the behaviour we observe.”(Nevid, 2013)

It’s the drive that gets us off the sofa and onto the treadmill, or to stay a little longer at
work. Just like willpower, self-control and controlling urges, getting motivated isn’t a set
point. Some people will be motivated by different things, and motivation is equally
awkward because it fits into both unconscious and conscious decision making.

Motivation = Emotion

Motivation can be affected by peers – what you think you should be doing, unconscious
goals – things you do without really analysing them, and outright self-reward – looking for
or working towards a determined incentive or a reward. Don’t forget that a pay-check is
itself an extrinsic reward or incentive.

Incentives are your tools

The key thought behind any ‘incentive’ should be that incentives are the ‘tools’ you can
use to create action and that they can be motivational, but it’s all about balance. Too much
focus on external incentives and you could tip people into externalised motivation (driven
only by the carrot) and too little and you don’t see the growth, passion and results they help
achieve.
For example, if you love work, go the extra mile, pull in amazing deals, beam with a smile
and don’t get rewarded, get watched like a hawk, overlooked or ignored – you’re going to
go into a ‘slump’. Why pull out all the stops when a standard day will do? Who cares if
you miss a few things anyway? An incentive may pull you out briefly, but you’ll be
rewarded for something you find limited pleasure in. Without fixing and tending to the
individual’s core reasons to be motivated – their desire to have a certain job, to help people,
to make themselves proud – and instead you lay on the incentives, you’re no better than if
you hadn’t tried