Topic: Productivity
You’ll Be Interrupted — Why Not Plan for It?
A team of researchers weighs contingent planning against traditional time management
When Manufacturers Commence Exporting, They Become More Efficient
Looking at costs, in a sample of 5,000 plants in Chile, remarkable productivity gains occur
Unearthing the Negative Consequences of Managing to Quarterly Earnings
A 2017 study on workplace injuries spurs more research on perils of corporate short-termism
Trying Out Bonus-Pay Theory on Unsupervised, Low-Skill Tasks
Incentives boost output, but benefits level off at a fairly low point
Too Much Free Time? Blame Solitude or Lack of Productive Activity
Even abundant free time, used in meaningful pursuits, brings happiness
The Role of Chance Encounters in Silicon Valley Innovation
Cellphone signals and patent citations approximate a theory’s long-sought paper trail
The More They Do It, the More Some People Prefer To Continue a Tedious Task
Even when there’s an easy-to-access better alternative, some prefer their rut
The Makeup of Your Team Should Dictate How and When You Have Meetings
Team size and how staffer productivity varies are crucial considerations
Status among Team Members: Conflict and Productivity
Groups with unsettled hierarchies can benefit from disagreements that establish a pecking order
Startling Productivity Leap: an Algorithm, Not a Manager, Assigns Work
Warehouse pickers perceive process to be fairer
Should the U.S. Aim for a Zero-COVID-19 Policy?
Tolerating a low level of transmission just might be the better strategy
Quantifying Team Leadership Approaches: To Do, or to Direct Others?
In a field often ruled by personality, a rational model is proposed
Private Equity Boosts Nursing Home Staffing — When Compelled by Competition
But in uncompetitive markets, the financial owners cut staff
Picked All the Low-Hanging Fruit? Finding Opportunity in Mathematical Models
After management does its best, new analytical approaches take effectiveness up another notch
Not All Second Chances Are Good Ones
Hengchen Dai finds that hitting the reset button can help those who have recently struggled, but erodes the motivation and execution of top performers
Motivating Workers with a Sacred Symbol: Promise and Peril
A Chinese garment factory tidied up after golden coins were displayed