Prepare for the Management and Organizational Behavior Exam. Test your knowledge with flashcards and multiple-choice questions complete with explanations. Ace your exam with confidence!

Multiple Choice

Which management pioneers devised a classification scheme identifying 17 types of hand motions called therbligs?

Pioneering motion study in management introduced a way to break manual work into its simplest movements to see where efficiency could be improved. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth created a classification system called therbligs, a set of 17 basic hand motions used to analyze how tasks are performed and to identify unnecessary movements. By examining each motion, they showed how work methods, tools, and workspace layouts could be redesigned to minimize wasted effort and reduce fatigue. This approach is a hallmark of early scientific management focused on workflow optimization. The other figures listed contributed to different management ideas—bureaucratic structure, administrative principles, and general time-and-motion ideas tied to Taylor—but they did not develop the therblig taxonomy.

Pioneering motion study in management introduced a way to break manual work into its simplest movements to see where efficiency could be improved. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth created a classification system called therbligs, a set of 17 basic hand motions used to analyze how tasks are performed and to identify unnecessary movements. By examining each motion, they showed how work methods, tools, and workspace layouts could be redesigned to minimize wasted effort and reduce fatigue. This approach is a hallmark of early scientific management focused on workflow optimization. The other figures listed contributed to different management ideas—bureaucratic structure, administrative principles, and general time-and-motion ideas tied to Taylor—but they did not develop the therblig taxonomy.