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This paper investigates the effect of work interruption on workers' subsequent productivity. We employ a data set of individual productivity and machine conditions, in which each worker faces the chance, on a daily basis, that her machine will break down randomly. Our analysis finds that compared to a workday with smooth production, experiencing a machine breakdown is associated with a 3.3 percentage point decline in the worker's productivity the following day. We discuss possible explanations for the observed effect, including negative emotions, increased cautiousness in operating the machine, and proficiency loss. Our findings shed light on the importance of understanding and managing interruptions in the workplace, and contribute to a growing literature on the determinants of productivity at the micro level. History: Accepted by John List, behavioral economics. Funding: X. Cai acknowledges financial support from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central University [Grant 0140ZK1110]. S. Zhong acknowledges financial support from the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 1. Supplemental Material: Data and the online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ mnsc.2017.2792. Keywords: productivity * labor supply * work interruption * reference dependence * emotion, 1. Introduction Interruptions are common in the workplace and costly to individuals, firms, and organizations. From equipment breakdowns to unscheduled meetings and communication requests, unplanned breaks from a smooth and [...]

Abstract As the supply chain revolution continues, small and medium-sized enterprises and smaller facilities of large companies experience an increased pressure from their adjacent supply chain partners and their own [...]

This article is primarily a research-provoking exposition against the management approach used in the 2013 government furlough program. It is intended to prompt potentially productive research investigations on the impact [...]

Byline: P. L. Rika Fatimah (1), A. A. Jemain (1), K. Ibrahim (1), S. Mohammad Nasir (1), M. A. Khairul Anuar (1) Keywords: Family roles; Performance appraisal; Work policy; Workplace; QFD; Measurement Abstract: Determining priority importance is a matter of concerns among the organization to improve their performance. One of the important aspects that should be considered by the organization is management of human resources, comprising of members who have their own family life. In this paper, we deliver a new perspective for organization to provide priority importance for their members with respect to family matters in order to inculcate the sense of belonging in the organization. To be effective in considering family matters in the organizational policy making, closer look of family characteristics are required. The idea of translating several family characteristics as quality variables and applying the quality function deployment (QFD) method to these variables could present a new way of improving the decision making in the organization by considering the process of decision in the family. Quality function deployment for family (QFDF) produces a friendly interpretation of a highly complex and intangible matters around family life thus, making the assessment of a family easier. QFD is applied on the data gathered from a questionnaire survey based on 1,213 families in West Malaysia, Malaysia. Twelve variables are identified as voice of family, where seven of them are found to have the highest priority of importance. These variables could also be translated into quality variables in the context of organization, the strategy of improvement for the family could be interpreted as strategy for improvement in the organization. Furthermore, the results of this study provide suggestion to improve actions for managing human resource. In the discussion, three most high ranked variables from both perspectives of family and organization are considered. Author Affiliation: (1) Quality & Productivity Improvement (PSSM), Faculty of Science & Technology (FST), National University of Malaysia (UKM), 43600, Bangi, Selangor D. E., Malaysia Article History: Registration Date: 07/07/2008 Received Date: 14/04/2008 Accepted Date: 07/07/2008 Online Date: 25/07/2008

Recent years have seen increasing interest in assessing the prestige and productivity of programs in communication. An NCA doctoral reputational study was published in 2004, and a new National Research Council assessment is underway that will for the first time include the communication field. Two systems relying on objective appraisal of faculty productivity have been launched since 2005, one by the Academic Analytics Corporation and the other by the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship (the ComVista database). This study details similarities and differences among the four systems' methodologies raising questions about features of these studies' strategies for sampling and measurement. ComVista ranks, based on objective assessment of publication productivity, were highly correlated with the subjectively based NCA reputational ranks. The common practice of restricting assessment of publication productivity to a small span of years reduced this correspondence. Recommendations are provided for improving future assessments. Keywords: Reputational Studies; Publication Productivity; ComVista; NRC; FSPI; NCA

Implications of the state in which industrial employment shares change over time are discussed on the basis of production inputs. Constant total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the manufacturing sector creates a balanced aggregate growth path, thus promoting structural change.

Development of model to study relation between effects of sizes of establishments in localities on their profitability is described.

The determinants of labour productivity in United Kingdom are examined.

Results of study of usefulness of four distance function models using stochastic analysis to measure efficiency of English and Welsh police forces are presented.

Byline: Michael K. Judiesch (1) Keywords: utility analysis; individual differences in job performance; employee productivity; management decision making; personnel selection Abstract: This study compared nursing supervisors' percentile estimates (15th, 50th, and 85th) of staff nurse performance made in terms of dollar value and two alternative metrics--output (number of patients cared for) and staffing (number of nurses required to staff a unit). Of the three estimation procedures, nursing supervisors were most confident in the accuracy of their output-based estimates and least confident in the accuracy of their dollar value-based estimates. Estimates of the standard deviation of performance as a percentage of mean performance (SDp) ranged from 19% for the staffing-based estimate to 29% for the output-based estimate. Contrary to expectations, dollar value-based SDp estimates were only minimally correlated with staffing- and output-based SDp estimates. I conclude that allowing supervisors to make percentile estimates in terms of familiar metrics has potential value for improving the accuracy and managerial acceptability of utility analysis. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Management and Marketing, Manhattan College, Manhattan College Parkway, Riverdale, NY, 10471 Article History: Registration Date: 17/10/2004

In this paper, the theoretical basis for construction labor productivity measurement is presented. In particular, the theoretical basis for baseline productivity measurements is developed by examining a productivity database consisting of 23 projects involving masonry construction. An important hypothesis is presented showing that as the design becomes more complex, the baseline productivity worsens. It is also hypothesized that higher values of the coefficient of variation indicates a higher variability in management and craft skills and in the use of technology. Two measures are proposed to measure the performance of individual projects: The disruption index and the project management index. These two measures identify the best and worst performing projects. Cumulative probability distributions of the disruption index and the project management index were also developed to evaluate the 23-project database and compare it with other databases. The hypotheses developed from the 23-masonry project database were tested against an 8-project database of concrete formwork and a 12-project database of structural steel erection. Strong support for each hypothesis was found using the two additional databases.

Change orders have become an everyday occurrence in construction. It is widely accepted by both owners and contractors that change orders have an effect on the labor efficiency, but these effects are difficult to quantify and frequently lead to disputes. Data from 61 mechanical construction projects were collected to develop a statistical model that estimates the actual amount of labor efficiency lost due to the change orders. The input variables needed in the model are as follows: (1) The original estimated labor hours; (2) impact classification; (3) total estimated change hours; (4) number of change orders; and (5) the timing of changes. The results of this study show that impacted projects have a larger decrease in labor efficiency than unimpacted projects. Additionally, the later a change order occurs in the life of a project the more impact it will have on the labor efficiency. The results appear to be consistent with the intuition of experienced professionals. Although each project has unique characteristics, the resultant model provides owners and contractors with a baseline measure of lost labor efficiency.

Timely statistics on output, employment, and productivity are essential to understanding the performance of the U.S. economy. This study examines newly available quarterly GDP-by-industry statistics to determine whether they can [...]

Construction operations involve complex resource interactions and are typically performed in the field with exogenous factors such as inclement weather conditions and equipment breakdowns. The complexity of resource interactions combined with external factors creates a transient environment for construction operations. This research uses computer simulation techniques and a graphical method, DISCO (Dynamic Interface for Simulation of Construction Operations), for the evaluation of the transient effects of construction operations. DISCO uses the CYCLONE schematic model diagram of a process as the modeling framework and allows breaks or interruptions in the simulation run and stopping of the simulation time clock to investigate the transient states of resources and tasks in a process. The scope of the study focuses mainly on the transient effects caused by the process mobilization of construction operations every day. Two construction operations are used as case studies for the investigation. Results of the study and observations are discussed.

Measuring and monitoring absence encourages an attendance culture. Maintaining this efficient control of sick leave requires that computer information systems be utilized in compiling and processing the data. Working to efficiently monitor absenteeism, the New York Department of Health has created and executed a sick leave information system. This system is based on the types of absenteeism reported and the reasons for them. Complemented by management supervision this absence control system is effective.

9 Conceptually, research organizations should be much like other white-collar organizations. Why, then, bas there been little progress in developing performance indicators for those types of firms? This article identifies [...]

The effects of extrinsic feedback on participation, role perceptions, motivation, job satisfaction, and productivity in participative systems for monitoring group performance were investigated. The perceptual, affective, and behavioral aspects of 45 track crews and 31 trade teams in six districts of a state railway were evaluated. The results indicated that extraneous feedback had a considerable effect on role ambiguity, motivation, job satisfaction, and productivity. Considerably lower levels of role stress did not occur after the self-management system was implemented.

Productivity in nutrition programs for the elderly that utilize an assembly-serve production system Measurement of productivity using activity sampling has gained wide acceptance and has been performed in hospitals [1,2] [...]

Differentiating High from Low Productivity Performance in City Governments Demands for government services is enormous. Resources do not exist to meet this demand, and accountability for present use of resources [...]