Busy work

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Busy work in education and work settings
– Constant processing of paperwork as a form of busy work
– Engaging in busy work to maintain an appearance of activity
– Workers believing that constant urgency is important, leading to disproportionate distribution of actual work
– High levels of constant busyness being detrimental to business operations
– Taking shortcuts to accomplish tasks quickly can negatively affect work quality

Busy work in military settings
Busy work used in armed forces to prevent boredom and idleness
– Tasks such as drill, memorizing regulations, and cleaning chores

Sources on busy work in military settings
– John Kotter, Forbes Magazine, January 19, 2012
– Randall M. Miller, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life in America, 2009
– The British Medical Journal, March 13, 1875 (as a source for busy work in military settings)

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Unspecified subtopic (not provided in the content) Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busy_work

Busy work (Wikipedia)

Busy work (also known as make-work and busywork) is an activity that is undertaken to pass time and stay busy but in and of itself has little or no actual value. Busy work occurs in business, military and other settings, in situations where people may be required to be present but may lack the opportunities, skills or need to do something more productive. People may engage in busy work to maintain an appearance of activity, in order to avoid criticism of being inactive or idle.

Chores such as mopping outdoors can be busy work.
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