1868–1924

Frank B. Gilbreth

Frank Bunker Gilbreth was an American builder, engineer, and management consultant who developed motion study with his wife and professional partner, Lillian Moller Gilbreth. After leaving school, he learned bricklaying and built a contracting career before turning full-time to management consulting in 1912. The Gilbreths used observation, photography, and specially designed equipment to analyze how tasks were performed, seeking to remove needless motions, reduce fatigue, and improve methods. They worked within scientific management but broke with Taylor in 1914 and gave greater attention to the human as well as technical side of work. Gilbreth belongs in this library because Motion Study records an influential shift from timing output to redesigning the movements and conditions of work itself.