FOREWORD

Without going into historical details, it has now been proved that even good improvisation causes a lower income than necessary. Any under-estimation of the full scope of management in horticulture can be dangerous for the existence of many enterprises.

Management specialists working in horticulture can show us with examples how income can be raised and work pleasure can be influenced favourably by using techniques

• to study work methods;
• to make time studies and to establish time standards;
• to achieve a proper balance of available labour and needed labour;
• to plan and to control work;
• to motivate the execution of work;
• to simplify work methods;
• to improve transport, storing and lay-out;
• to optimize processes and systems with the assistance of mathematical models of operations research;
• to introduce and to use personnel management methods;
• to educate, to train and to advise workers and management;
• to criticize and to improve organisation structures;
• to achieve better man-machine relations;
• to recruit and to select labour;
• to improve the social work environment /human relations/;
• to develop new so-called management styles.

This summary makes clear that the concept of "Work Study" is too restrictive for the work to be done. We should not be only concerned with method study and time measurement. Psychological and sociological research have directed our attention to human behaviour and motivation, which cannot be ignored in coming to good work methods and a good organization.

Management is like control of an organism. No change in organisation or work methods should be introduced until the manager has thought about the possible side-effects. It has been felt in our Commission that studies of individual operations, although useful in themselves, are insufficient and that an enterprise should be seen as a whole. More attention should be paid to total systems and processes in the enterprises. It is evident that researchworkers, advisers etc. will be confronted with problems of the adjustment of people or groups to a changing environment, and will be increasingly involved in the humanization of work. "Motion and Time" study are evolving to what is called in the United States "Industrial Engineering". According to the definition of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers, Industrial Engineering is "concerned with the design improvement and installation of integrated systems of men, materials and equipment. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design, to specify, to predict and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems". We can conclude that although the work of the work study man on the work spot will remain important, we shall face a development in which he will be involved in the integration of different disciplines, which have the study of labour in horticulture as a common object. Next to work methods, and the social aspects of labour, the co-operation of workers and enterprises will have to be taken into consideration in order to increase efficiency. It goes without saying that the background of the work study man is not sufficient for doing this work alone. This work will only be succesful when it is integrated with other labour disciplines.

So we change over from work study in the strict way to system study. In the future we shall not only be dealing with rationalizing but also with humanizing work. This is why we have changed the name of our Commission from "Work Study in horticulture" to "Labour and Labourmanagement in horticulture". By doing this, stress has been laid on a more interdisciplinarian approach to work in horticulture. The Commission will pay attention to total labour systems in enterprises and deal with the exchange of experiences and views as to the development, testing, introduction and application of management tools, techniques and procedures in the field of planning, executing, controlling and motivation of work, both in small and in big enterprises in horticulture.

The activities of the Commission will only be sensible if they will result-in a direct or indirect way-advantages for enterprises in horticulture. For this reasons the meetings of the Commission have been always open both to research workers and to management teachers, advisers, representatives of trade unions and, last but not least, to those working in horticultural enterprises. There is not only a need for more research, but also for more training, advice and appreciation by management. The latter is of great importance. When the background knowledge which is necessary for more thinking in figures and more use of management techniques is missing, all research and advice is useless and discouraging. I hope therefore that our Commission, which is concerned with the productivity and human well-being increasing number of management specialists and labour scientists with other training and experience, who are looking for an opportunity to exchange methods, results and ideas.

Management in horticulture is not easier than in industry. Similarly the problems of research workers advisers, teachers and practical workers are no easier. Unlike their collegueas in industry, they are mostly working in isolation, which has many disadvantages. Our Commission would like to break this isolation. I know from my experience that this would encourage everybody's work and bring about a crosspollination which would be very fruitful. By doing this, a contribution to a well-balanced approach to technical, economic, organisational and human aspects of horticultural production will be achievable in the interest of productivity and human well-being in horticulture.