Productivity Measurement Review 42. [antikvár]

IN THIS NUMBER Productivity Measurement is but a small, though important, branch of the combined disciplines of economies, statistics, mathematics and management. It is not surprising, therefore, that from time to time, there recurs an interest in its concept. Although much of this soul-searching is taking place in Francé at the moment (it will be remembered that the coining of the term " productivity " is imputed to Quesnay and it was defined as " production per factor unit" by a working party of the French National Committee for Productivity under the chairmanship of Professor Jean Fourastié and subsequently adopted by the O.E.E.C. in 1950), the three articles in this number devoted to discussion of the concept are by a Norwegian (Professor Kari Borch), an American (Mr. R.W. Fenske) and an Australian (Mr. E. J. Thompson). This is indicative of the world-wide interest in the subject which has developed from the attention paid to it by the O.E.E.C. The O.E.C.D., which succeeded the latter organisation in 1960 and indeed continues the legal personality of the O.E.E.C., although it has a declared interest in policies designed to further economic growth, has come to regard the methodology of productivity measurement and the diagnostic technique of inter-firm comparisons as by-ways of purely technical or operating activities, which stray from the highway of intergovernmental consultation and co-ordination with regard to growth policies generally. Its activity in this field, therefore, is scheduled to end this year and this Review will have to find fínancial support elsewhere in order to continue publication. However, whilst Productivity Measurement Review continues to constitute, in part, a fórum for the discussion of " alternative policies for economic development, " we are pleased to publish an article in this number by Dr. C.A. Blyth, Director of the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research and his colleague Mr. G. A. Crothall, which carries exactly that title. A perusal of this article will make it quite clear that the technical quality of this type of analysis is exceptionally high. Our audience is a speciálist one-our Review fills a widely felt need and we have no doubt that our readership will gladly pay an increased price next year (for 6 issues per annum instead of the present 4), rather than see the Review die. Plánt level productivity measurement is represented in this issue by an article from another American, Professor S. S. Stephenson of the C. W. Post College of Long Island University, New York State and inter-firm comparisons by another Norwegian, Mr. O. Irgens of " Industrikonsolent A.S., " Bergen. The latter's extremely interesting and well-developed methodology is illustrated by a case study from the textile industry. The essence of the system is the setting up of small technical co-operation groups administered by a permanent secretariat who possess expertise in the measurement of