An Overview of Productivity Improvement Efforts in Army Organizations
Abstract
This paper presents an overview of the types of productivity improvement efforts being conducted in the Army. The activities of the formal Army programs, which are associated with comptroller offices, typically reflect the traditional industrial engineer approach stressing efficiency with relatively little emphasis on behavioral science concerns. An exception is the Productivity Enhancement, Measurement and Evaluation (EEMI) program which includes projects such as quality circles that are based on behavioral science principles and techniques. The activities of the Army's Organizational Effectiveness (OE) program do not usually make productivity improvement their principal focus, although productivity indicators may be used to evaluate OE operations. Examples are presented of Army productivity improvement projects based on behavioral science approaches. These include gainsharing, quality circles, and organizational interventions founded on sociotechnical systems theory. Problems encountered in the measurement of productivity are discussed, and a pilot study to develop and test measures of scientist/engineer productivity is also described.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA138589
Entities
People
- Laurel W. Oliver
- Paul Van Rijn
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences