Productivity Machines

How productivity culture and technology became emblematic of the American economic system in pre- and postwar Germany. The concept of productivity originated in a statistical measure of output per worker or per work-hour, calculated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. A broader productivity culture emerged in 1920s America, as Henry Ford and others linked methods of mass production and consumption to high wages and low prices. These ideas were studied eagerly by a Germany in search of economic recovery after World War I, and, decades later, the Marshall Plan promoted productivity in its efforts to help post–World War II Europe rebuild. In Productivity Machines, Corinna Schlombs examines the transatlantic history of productivity technology and culture in the two decades before and after World War II. She argues for the interpretive flexibility of productivity: different groups viewed productivity differently at different times. Although it began as an objective measure, productivity came to be emblematic of the American economic system; post-World War II West Germany, however, adapted these ideas to its own political and economic values. Schlombs explains that West German unionists cast a doubtful eye on productivity's embrace of plant-level collective bargaining; unions fought for codetermination—the right to participate in corporate decisions. After describing German responses to US productivity, Schlombs offers an in-depth look at labor relations in one American company in Germany—that icon of corporate America, IBM. Finally, Schlombs considers the emergence of computer technology—seen by some as a new symbol of productivity but by others as the means to automate workers out of their jobs.

This is the first book to examine the “nuts and bolts” of production processes. It proposes a truly consilient approach to modeling production processes – one that goes beyond the vague principles found in standard economics – and provides details that are consistent with the applied mechanics and engineering literature. Providing a credible analysis of some of the most pressing questions of our era, such as the productivity slowdown and the information paradox, and bridging the gap between engineering, applied physics, economics, and management science, this book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in industry, the modern economy, and how physical factors constrain productivity growth.

The mathematical models of productivity theory allows for the productivity rate of manufacturing machines and systems to be modelled with results that are validated by their actual output. This book presents the analytical approaches and methods to define maximal productivity rate of manufacturing machines and systems, based on the parameters of technological processes, structural design, reliability of mechanisms, and management systems.

Based on analysis of owners' and managers' needs, this manual shows how to carry out training designed to improve productivity and working conditions in small and medium-sized enterprises. It encourages real shop-floor improvements based on local axperience and action learning. Forms, checklists and guides are included.; An accompanying ""Trainer's Manual"" is also available (ISBN 92-2-106410-7).

First published in 1997, this volume joined the debate assessing the potential of the Just-In-Time management philosophy from the manufacturing industry for Singapore’s construction industry by examining the "off-site" prefabrication of precast concrete components in Singapore, in comparison with traditional management systems. In the wake of the 1991 Strategic Economic Plan of Singapore, which forecasted alarmingly low productivity in the local construction sector, the authors noted that construction in Japan was 35% more productive, whilst Finland was 75% better. Highlighting immense potential for the JIT approach, they explore the JIT philosophy, traditional systems, construction wastes and comparisons between construction and manufacturing.

The productivity slowdown of the 1970s and 1980s and the resumption of productivity growth in the 1990s have provoked controversy among policymakers and researchers. Economists have been forced to reexamine fundamental questions of measurement technique. Some researchers argue that econometric approaches to productivity measurement usefully address shortcomings of the dominant index number techniques while others maintain that current productivity statistics underreport damage to the environment. In this book, the contributors propose innovative approaches to these issues. The result is a state-of-the-art exposition of contemporary productivity analysis. Charles R. Hulten is professor of economics at the University of Maryland. He has been a senior research associate at the Urban Institute and is chair of the Conference on Research in Income and Wealth of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Michael Harper is chief of the Division of Productivity Research at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Edwin R. Dean, formerly associate commissioner for Productivity and Technology at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is adjunct professor of economics at The George Washington University.