--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time was minutely calculated everywhere…" description: "\"“Time was minutely calculated everywhere in the vast plant so that top managers knew precisely what everyone was supposed to be doing at a given moment..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/richard-sennett-27792_assembly-line_time-was-minutely-calculated-everywhere_2645511.jpg" --- # Time was minutely calculated everywhere in the vast plant… ![“Time was minutely calculated everywhere in the vast plant so that top managers knew precisely what everyone was supposed to be doing at a given moment. Bell was struck, for instance, by how General Motors “divides the hour into ten six-minute periods…the worker is paid by the numbers of tenths of…” quote by Richard Sennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/richard-sennett-27792_assembly-line_time-was-minutely-calculated-everywhere_2645511.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/richard-sennett-27792_assembly-line_time-was-minutely-calculated-everywhere_2645511.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/richard-sennett-27792_assembly-line_time-was-minutely-calculated-everywhere_2645511.jpg) > ““Time was minutely calculated everywhere in the vast plant so that top managers knew precisely what everyone was supposed to be doing at a given moment. Bell was struck, for instance, by how General Motors “divides the hour into ten six-minute periods…the worker is paid by the numbers of tenths of an hour he works.”27 This minute engineering of work time was connected to very long measures of time in the corporation as well. Seniority pay was finely tuned to the total number of hours a man or woman had worked for General Motors; a laborer could minutely calculate benefits of vacation time and sick leave. The micrometrics of time governed the lower echelons of white-collar offices as well as manual labor on the assembly line, in terms of promotion and benefits.”” [Richard Sennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Precise time tracking in factories creates a rigid work rhythm, linking micro‑tasks to long‑term corporate goals. **In simple terms:** Exact timing controls work and benefits. Key Takeaway Recognize how time measurement shapes labor. Themes labor control time management corporate culture Mood analytical critical Type sociological philosophical When to use this quote - factory floors - office environments - human resources Key Concepts industrial engineering sociology Questions to Reflect On - How does minute timing affect worker autonomy? - Can flexibility improve productivity? A Different Perspective Micro‑time control can dehumanize workers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assembly line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assembly-line/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Manual labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manual-labor/) [Sick leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sick-leave/) [Vacation time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vacation-time/) ## Related quotes > [I try something new every night. 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