Premium
Have British Workers Been Working Harder in Thatcher's Britain? A Re‐Consideration of the Concept of Effort
Author(s) -
Guest David E.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
british journal of industrial relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.665
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-8543
pISSN - 0007-1080
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8543.1990.tb00997.x
Subject(s) - productivity , measure (data warehouse) , work intensity , point (geometry) , work (physics) , production (economics) , index (typography) , labour economics , economics , industrial organization , operations management , computer science , engineering , economic growth , microeconomics , mathematics , data mining , mechanical engineering , geometry , world wide web
Increased intensity of work has been frequently cited as part of the explanation for the productivity gains in British manufacturing industry during the 1980s. One of the main sources for this claim has been the PUL (Percentage Utilization of Labour) index, a measure of throughput at the point of production. Analysis of the underlying rationale for this measure leads to the conclusion that it is not a sound basis on which to assess workers' effort. This article examines the concept of effort in some detail and considers the validity of psychological and psychophysiological measures. Whichever measure is used, the evidence provides little support for the contention that workers' effort has been a significant factor in productivity increases.