There is a wide variety of perspectives for productivity analysis. The
back- grounds of different researchers and practitioners who work on
this topic include such fields as economics, business administration,
and industrial engineering, among others. Within each such field, there
are different schools of thought on the theory and application of
productivity analysis. Often it is not difficult to observe a lack of
communication among the advocates of these separate schools. The purpose
of this book is to present in a single volume samples of alternative
approaches to productivity analy- sis. This may be considered as a first
step toward a better communication among practitioners and researchers
in the fields of management, industrial engineering, and economics. The
focus of the book is on the United States, where the productivity growth
problem has been acute for some time. The book begins with a brief
overview chapter that covers some of the issues involved in productivity
analysis and a sample of methodological ap- proaches presently in use.
After this introduction, we move to Chapter 2 where Solomon Fabricant
presents the issues related to measurement and analysis at the
macroeconomic level. In Chapter 3, C. Lowell Harriss discusses concepts
that he considers es- sential for productivity growth: capital
formation, technological progress, and freedom.
