I was intrigued by this blog post at the Economist titled On "bullshit jobs". It explores how administrative work today compares to assembly line jobs in the past.
One part of this blog post reads: "The issue is that too little of the recent gains from technological advance and economic growth have gone toward giving people the time and resources to enjoy their lives outside work. Early in the industrial era real wages soared and hours worked declined. In the past generation, by contrast, real wages have grown slowly and workweeks haven't grown shorter."
It is easy to see that time and resources are both in shortage across anyone you meet, anywhere in the world. So as this author frames the argument, I think jobs or any kind of work is always about using one's time and resources in the most efficient possible way.
The problem for me is in definitions. How do each of us define "efficient"? It is likely to be very diverse: For one person, efficiency might be the best possible situation for themselves. For another, it might be the best possible situation for a group of people. For yet another, it might not be about situations at all but about saving.
The possibilities are many. Without a firm, universal definition of what "efficient work" or "efficient outcomes" means, then it becomes difficult to decide how we should all use our time and resources.
Other thoughts:
One part of this blog post reads: "The issue is that too little of the recent gains from technological advance and economic growth have gone toward giving people the time and resources to enjoy their lives outside work. Early in the industrial era real wages soared and hours worked declined. In the past generation, by contrast, real wages have grown slowly and workweeks haven't grown shorter."
It is easy to see that time and resources are both in shortage across anyone you meet, anywhere in the world. So as this author frames the argument, I think jobs or any kind of work is always about using one's time and resources in the most efficient possible way.
The problem for me is in definitions. How do each of us define "efficient"? It is likely to be very diverse: For one person, efficiency might be the best possible situation for themselves. For another, it might be the best possible situation for a group of people. For yet another, it might not be about situations at all but about saving.
The possibilities are many. Without a firm, universal definition of what "efficient work" or "efficient outcomes" means, then it becomes difficult to decide how we should all use our time and resources.
Other thoughts:
Comments
Post a Comment