Kharkiv Institute of Labor (All-Ukrainian Institute of Labor) (Kharkivskyi instytut truda, Vseukrainskyi instytut truda) — was a research center based in Kharkiv from 1921 to 1930. The institute conducted pioneering research in the areas of intellect psychology, the application of mathematical-statistical methods, and computing machines for processing statistical information. It also delved into the organization of industrial and agricultural production, optimization of work and management processes in both commercial and governmental organizations. In addition to scientific research, the institute provided consultancy and developed projects for trade, industrial and cooperative enterprises, as well as public organizations and institutions. It was one of the leading centers of the movement for scientific organization of labor (NOT) in the early Soviet Union.
History
The Kharkiv Institute of Labor was established in 1921 by the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR, "On the Establishment of the Institute for the Scientific Study of Labor". It was initiated by a small circle of enthusiasts, with F.R. Dunaevsky, M.Y. Syrkin, and A.Y. Lapin playing leading roles. During the 1920s, Soviet press and publications regarded the institute as one of the centers of the Scientific Organization of Labor (Nauchnaya organizatsiya truda - NOT) movement. The institute's founders were inspired by the ideas of refining the organization of people's labor and increasing economic productivity "10 times compared to pre-war levels and 30 times compared to the current status". The institute was envisioned as an organizational platform to attract "scientific forces" and provide a conducive environment for interested specialists to carry out productive research.
Initially, the institute functioned as a public initiative and was funded by the South Bureau of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions. It was located in a building at 3, Hospital Lane. The initial allocations allowed the institute to acquire a vast amount of the latest foreign literature, leading to the creation of a large library with publications on production and management organization, modern mathematical-statistical methods, labor psychology, and the theory of intelligence. By 1924, the institute's library housed 6,718 publications and had established a scientific card catalog.
In 1922, the institute's activities experienced a brief hiatus due to its transfer to the jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat of Education (Narkompros) of the USSR and a shortage of funding.
In 1923, the institute held a competition to fill vacancies for research scientists. Both standard intelligence tests and the institute's own developments for assessing the creative abilities of the candidates were employed. Among the ten contestants who were hired, Evsei Liberman stood out.
By 1924, the institute secured funding to acquire modern equipment, specifically the tabulating "Powers" machines. A computational station was established and equipped to serve the institute's laboratories. This enabled the processing of extensive statistical data, including the results from mass IQ tests, and primary data from industrial and financial institution surveys.
In the mid-1920s, the institute proposed several projects aimed at reforming public education in Ukraine, restructuring tax accounting, establishing efficient agricultural enterprises based on tractor technology, and organizing industrial enterprises using innovative forms of production accounting. These proposals did not receive support from Soviet organizations. Some were deemed politically unacceptable, while others faced resistance from groups vested in the status quo or were misunderstood by leadership entrenched in traditional working methods. Despite extended efforts, including seeking the support of the People's Commissariat of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspectorate (NK RKI), the institute's endeavors mostly ended in stalemate. The institute's key proposals remained unimplemented.
Researchers at the institute made a series of insightful theoretical generalizations regarding management challenges. Their studies in the field of intelligence psychology were pioneering for Soviet psychological science. Additionally, the institute was at the forefront in the USSR in its extensive use of mechanical tabulating machines for processing large-scale statistical data and employing contemporary methods of correlation-regression analysis at the time. The approaches proposed by the institute, in several instances, served as a comprehensive alternative to Soviet policies in the areas of education, agricultural collectivization, and industrial industrialization.