bedaux system: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowTechnical/Historical
Quick answer
What does “bedaux system” mean?
A specific historical method of work measurement and wage payment, also known as the Bedaux point system, designed to calculate and reward efficiency.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A specific historical method of work measurement and wage payment, also known as the Bedaux point system, designed to calculate and reward efficiency.
More broadly, it refers to any systematic approach to industrial time-and-motion studies and incentive-based pay that originated from Charles Eugène Bedaux's early 20th-century theories. It is often cited in discussions of scientific management and labor history.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is equally historical and technical in both varieties.
Connotations
In both regions, it carries connotations of early 20th-century industrial management, often associated with Taylorism and debates over worker exploitation versus efficiency.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary usage in both dialects, found primarily in historical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “bedaux system” in a Sentence
The Bedaux system was implemented at [COMPANY].[AUTHOR] analysed the impact of the Bedaux system.Workers were paid according to the Bedaux system.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bedaux system” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The factory was Bedaux-ed in the 1930s.
- Management sought to Bedaux the production line.
American English
- The plant was Bedauxed to improve output.
- They planned to Bedaux the warehouse operations.
adverb
British English
- The work was measured Bedaux-efficiently.
- They managed the process quite Bedaux-like.
American English
- Production was organised Bedaux-style.
- The evaluation was done Bedaux-rigorously.
adjective
British English
- Bedaux-based remuneration
- a Bedaux-style analysis
American English
- Bedaux-inspired efficiency methods
- a Bedaux-type point scheme
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in historical case studies of management practices.
Academic
Found in papers on labor history, industrial sociology, and the history of management thought.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Used as a reference point in industrial engineering and operations management history.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bedaux system”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bedaux system”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bedaux system”
- Misspelling as 'Bedoe system', 'Bedow system', or 'Bedeaux system'.
- Using it as a general term for any performance-related pay (it is a specific historical system).
- Incorrect capitalisation: writing 'bedaux system' instead of 'Bedaux system'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It was developed by the French-American industrialist and management consultant Charles Eugène Bedaux (1886-1944).
Not in its original, branded form. However, its principles of work measurement and incentive pay influenced later management and performance-related pay systems.
It was the standard unit of measurement in the system, representing a fixed amount of work (a combination of work and rest) expected to be performed in one minute.
It was often criticised by labour unions and workers for being exploitative, as it was seen as a tool to speed up work and increase managerial control over the labour process without fair compensation.
A specific historical method of work measurement and wage payment, also known as the Bedaux point system, designed to calculate and reward efficiency.
Bedaux system is usually technical/historical in register.
Bedaux system: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbɛdəʊ ˌsɪstəm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbɛdoʊ ˌsɪstəm/ or /beɪˈdoʊ ˌsɪstəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not applicable.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: BED + AUX (like 'auxiliary') – a system that was an auxiliary tool to measure work, invented by a man named Bedaux.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORK IS MEASURABLE UNITS (The system metaphorically turns human labor into quantifiable 'points' or 'units' like a currency).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'Bedaux system' primarily used?