ABSTRACT
Units of work are sometimes described as operations, like turning a knob, pulling a lever, or measuring a diameter, on a machine tool. When a number of operations hang necessarily together–as in setting a machine tool, or diagnosing a fault in it, or monitoring the displays on the control panel of a continuous process plant–they can sensibly be put together to define a task. Related to the principle of classification, but certainly not the same, is an ordering of data according to the demands upon human operators which tasks impose. Abilities, or skills as they are more commonly conceived, are whatever it is that people possess in order to cope with the demands which tasks impose. Mathematical models were illustrated, by Dr. Cooper and by Dr. Uebe, in the service of manpower planning; and Professor Burke's model of engineers' salaries in relation to economic influences has inter-disciplinary theoretical applications as well as relevance to real-life educational and manpower planning issues.
