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The first essay titled “Fundamental Sources of Long-run Labour Productivity Improvements in Canada” examines the importance of Research and Development activities, as well as the stock of public infrastructure, and economic openness as sources of growth in labour productivity in the Canadian economy within the last four decades. The second paper titled “R&D Spillovers, Innovation, and Entry” extends a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of R&D spillovers on entry and the resulting equilibrium market structure. It is shown that the degree of spillovers plays a fundamental role on the number of firms entering the market, their R&D activities, and social welfare. The third paper titled “The Search for New Drugs: A Theory of R&D in the Pharmaceutical Industry” uses a dynamic model of optimal patent design and in the presence of information externalities studies the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An African leadership paradigm: The missing link for productivity and empowerment in Business - The case of Lesotho is a study done in response to socio-economic problems facing Lesotho due to a lack of, or an out-of-step kind of leadership prevailing in the business sector in that country. This study is a mixture of theory and application. The chronological framework of production, empowerment and leadership practices in Lesotho is presented so as to create the context within which the study is conducted. The examples of leadership practices and theories explaining the leadership behaviour of past and contemporary African leaders are also presented because an African leadership paradigm relies more on skills and wisdom than on techniques and specific knowledge. Explaining this paradigm therefore has to be done through presenting real experience, not through a list of principles. This study takes the position that there is a need for leadership transformation in Lesotho business. This transformation should represent a fundamental shift in the relationship of business with individuals and the society as whole. This implies therefore that Lesotho businesses have to reconnect with the people that comprise them. The African leadership paradigm described in this study is argued to be an appropriate approach that would help realize this shift because it emphasizes collaboration, open lines of communication in all directions throughout the company, and advocates creativity and innovation. Furthermore, the organizational structure advocated by the African leadership paradigm is seen as a means to achieve objectives, not an end in itself. The structure is flatter, formed around teams and task forces. It has also been observed that the view of business leadership in Lesotho is currently a mechanistic one, and it is now time to replace this mechanistic view with a more organic one. The latter would recognize the biological nature of business and the sanctity of individual human life. Moreover, today business has become a very different place. International boundaries have faded as business takes on a more global perspective. The technology of the information age has contracted the time it takes to communicate and make decisions. The African leadership paradigm takes a panoramic view of this change and finds its place in it. The integration provided in this study describes an African perspective framework for leadership, thus placing the African leadership paradigm firmly in perspective and linking the entire framework to actual leadership practices. It is argued in this study that an African leadership paradigm should be used as a guiding approach in the business sector in Lesotho. This would help in determining how this approach fits into the total organizational picture. It is believed that a balanced effort to improve leadership qualities would yield the most effective motivational climate in the business sector. It is also argued that an African leadership paradigm should not be regarded as something extreme over and above the duties of leaders, but rather as a way of leadership, a way of doing better what is done now. It is an approach to increase the effectiveness of the business and to fully utilize human resources in solving work problems. Forces of change such as globalisation and smart partnerships and how they transform the way business is done, are also observed in this study. These forces have a major influence on whether a business could either succeed or go down in flames. The study suggests that the focus of Lesotho business during this transition period should be to find or create partnerships that would provide profitable business relationships and raise competitiveness. This is because the world is increasingly becoming a global market where integration across traditional borders is evident in almost every dimension of life. Therefore the focus should be on getting beyond organizational boundaries to more profitable, more desirable relationships such as smart partnerships. These partnerships enlarge the pie and in doing so let each party emerge as winner. The partners open up the borders between their companies and this enables them to tap into the productivity that lies between their establishments, and as a result they make substantial mutual gains. Lesotho business leaders are therefore urged to transcend boundaries in order to survive. It is also observed that globalisation poses ethical challenges for business and hence the call for business ethical codes and philosophical moral reasoning such as utilitarianism and deontology for business in Lesotho. This compels Lesotho not only to adapt to the globalisation of the world economy but to a new leadership paradigm that would facilitate ethical business behaviour, that is, the proposed African leadership paradigm. In a nutshell this study assumes that leadership in Lesotho should have exposure to effective principles of leadership and that they need to acquire skills and attitudes advocated by the proposed African leadership paradigm. The emphasis should be on motivation, communication, personal effectiveness, collaboration, decision-making and coordination of functions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Afrika-Ieierskapsparadigma: Die ontbrekende skakel nodig vir produktiwiteit en bemagtiging in Besigheid - Die geval van Lesotho is 'n studie wat gedoen is in reaksie op die sosio-ekonomiese probleme wat Lesotho in die gesig staar as gevolg van die afwesigheid van, of die onbevoegde soort leierskap wat die besigheidsektor van daardie land karakteriseer. Hierdie studie is 'n mengsel van beide teorie en toepassing. Die kronologiese raamwerk van produksie, bemagtiging en leierskapspraktyke in Lesotho word voorgehou met die oog daarop om die konteks waarin die studie gedoen word uit te spel. Voorbeelde van die leierskapsgebruike en teorieë wat die leierskapsoptrede van eertydse en kontemporêre Afrikaleiers verduidelik, word voorgehou omdat 'n Akrika- leierskapsparadigma juis afhanklik is van vaardighede en wysheid, eerder as van tegnieke en gespesifiseerde kennis. Hierdie paradigma word dus verduidelik deur die weergee van werklike ervaring, eerder as om 'n lys van beginsels voor te lê. Die studie neem die posisie in dat daar die behoefte bestaan aan die transformasie van leierskap in Lesotho-besigheid. Hierdie transformasie behoort 'n fundamentele verskuiwing in die verhouding van besigheid tot individue in die samelewing in die geheel te behels. Dit impliseer dus dat Lesotho besigheid weer moet skakel met die mense wat hulle in die eerste plek uitmaak. Die Afrika-leierskapsparadigma wat in hierdie studie beskryfword, word voorgehou as 'n toepaslike benadering wat sal help om hierdie verskuiwing mee te bring, juis omdat dit klem plaas op samewerking, oop kommunikasie kanale in alle rigtings deur die maatskappy, as ook omdat dit kreatiwiteit en innovasie aanmoedig. Verder word die organisasiestruktuur wat deur die Afrika-leierskapsparadigma voorgehou word gesien as 'n middelom 'n doel te bereik en nie 'n doelop sigself nie. Die struktuur is as't ware plat en gesentreerd om spanne en taakgroepe. Dit word gestel dat die huidige sienmg van besigheidsleierskap in Lesotho meganisties van aard is, en dat dit nou tyd is om hierdie meganistiese siening met 'n meer organiese siening te vervang. So 'n siening sal die biologiese aard van besigheid en die onaantasbaarheid van die menslike lewe erken. Boonop is die hedendaagse besigheidswêreld 'n heel ander wêreld. Internasionale grenslyne vervaag soos wat besighede 'n meer globale perspektief begin aanhang. Die tegnologie van die informasie-era het die tyd wat dit neem om te kommunikeer en om besluite te neem ingekort. Die Afrika-leierskapsparadigma neem vanuit 'n panoramiese blik op hierdie veranderinge sy posisie daarteenoor in. Die intergrasie wat deur hierdie studie voorgestel word, beskryf 'n raamwerk vir leierskap vanuit 'n Afrika-perspektief en plaas die Afrika-leierskapsparadigma in perspektief deur die hele raamwerk in te skakel by werklike leierskapspraktyke. Die studie hou voor dat 'n Afrika-leierskapsparadigma as 'n riglyn-benadering in die besigheidssektor van Lesotho gebruik behoort te word. Dit sal help om vas te stel hoe hierdie benadering by die oorhoofse organisatoriese prentjie inpas. Dit betoog dat 'n gebalanseerde poging om leierskapskwaliteite te verbeter die mees effektiewe motiverende klimaat in die besigheisektor sal vestig. Dit argumenteer ook dat 'n Afrika -leierskapsparadigma nie as 'n uiterste, bo en behalwe die gewone pligte van leiers, beskou behoort te word nie, maar eerder as 'n nuwe manier van doen vir leiers, 'n manier van doen wat beter is as wat tans die geval is. Dit is 'n benadering om die effektiwiteit van besigheid te bevorder en om menslike hulpbronne ten volle te benut in die oplossing van werksprobleme. Veranderingskragte soos globalisering en "smart partnerships" en die wyse waarop hulle besigheidspraktyke beïnvloed word ook ondersoek in hierdie studie. Sulke kragte het 'n wesenlike invloed op die sukses van 'n besigheid, al dan nie. Die studie stel voor dat die fokus van die Lesotho besigheidssektor tydens hierdie oorgangsperiode daarop gemik behoort te wees om samewerking te vestig wat winsgewende besigheidsverhoudinge sal verseker en wat meedingendheid sal aanwakker. Die rede daarvoor is die neiging in die wêreld na 'n globale mark waar integrasie oor tradisionele grense heen 'n kenmerk word van byna alle aspekte van die lewe. Die fokus behoort dus te wees daarop om verbyorganisatoriese grenslyne te strek na meer winsgewende, meer gesogte verhoudinge soos "smart partnerships." Hierdie verhoudinge verseker groter opbrengste en elke party tree by wyse van spreke as wenner na vore. Die betrokke partye dra daartoe by dat die grense tussen hulle maatskappye vervaag en dit stel hulle in staat om voordeel te trek uit die produktiwiteit wat tussen hulle instansies lê en om sodoende substantiewe, wedersydse wins te maak. Daar word gevolglik 'n beroep gedoen op Lesotho se besigheidsleiers om grense te transendeer om hulle eie voortbestaan te verseker. Daar word betoog dat globalisering etiese uitdagings vir besighede inhou en juis daarom word daar 'n beroep gedoen om besigheids-etiese kodes en filosofiese morele redenering soos die utilitarisme en die deontologie vir die besigheidsektor van Lesotho. Dit moedig Lesotho aan om nie net in te val by die huidige globaliserings neiginge van die wêreldekonomie nie, maar om 'n nuwe leierskapsparadigma daar te stel wat etiese besigheidspraktyke sal fasiliteer, dit wil sê, die voorgestelde Afrikaleierskapsparadigma. In 'n neutedop saamgevat begin hierdie studie by die aanname dat die leierskapsgarde van Lesotho blootgetsel behoort te word aan effektiewe leierskapsbeginsels en dat hulle nodig het om die vaardighede en ingesteldheid wat in die Afrikaleierskapsparadigma voorgehou word, te bekom. Motivering, kommunikasie, persoonlike effektiwiteit, samewerking, besluitneming en die koërdinasie van funksies behoort benadruk te word.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjamas nekilnojamojo turto įmonių darbuotojų darbo efektyvumas ir jo didinimo galimybės panaudojant naujausias technologijas – biometrinę kompiuterio pelytę bei VGTU studentų ir dėstytojų sukurtą internetinę ekspertinę sistemą, duodančią patarimus darbuotojų našumui didinti. Darbe apibendrintai aprašomas Lietuvos ūkio darbo našumas, jo pasikeitimai per pastaruosius metus, bei veiksniai, turintys didžiausią įtaką darbo našumui. Taip pat darbe aprašomos biometrinės technologijos, apžvelgiamas jų panaudojimas nekilnojamojo turto sektoriuje ir galimybė jas pritaikyti darbo efektyvumui didinti. Atlikus stebėjimus biometrine kompiuterio pelyte ir nustačius didžiausią įtaką darbuotojų našumui darančius veiksnius, remiantis A. Maslowo poreikių teorija buvo sukurta ekspertinė darbo našumo didinimo sistema. Išanalizavus darbo su biometrine pelyte ir sukurta ekspertine sistema rezultatus, darbo gale pateikiamos darbo išvados ir pasiūlymai. / The labour productivity problem and possibility to improve labour productivity by using biometric technologies and web-based expert system, developed by students and academics of VGTU is analyzed in this thesis. Summarized description of the labour productivity in general, its progress during few past years in Lithuania and factors that make the biggest influence on the level of labour productivity are described. Also the work contains overview of the biometric systems, usage of them in real estate and the possibility to increase labour productivity. After making observations during work with biometric mouse and identifying factors that affect productivity the most, the expert system, based on the A.Maslows hierarchy of needs was developed. Conclusion and suggestions were made after performing the analysis of the results of working with the biometric mouse and web-based expert system.

The aim of my diploma thesis is to conduct the analysis of labour productivity with the connection to business cycle phases and their aspects. The analysis is concerned about the evaluations of measuring the labour productivity, these evaluations are important to do for better insight to their problematic. Also, the analysis deals with the factors that affect the effectivity of using factors of production. The thesis is divided into two parts - theoretical and practical. The theoretical part deals with the problematics of labour productivity, economic growth and their interconnection according to the technical literature. The market development and especially the development of insurance market, and prescribed indemnity are analysed in the practical part of the thesis. It is important to say that indemnity and its development are the essential parts of the insurance market. Also, the practical part is concerned with the labour productivity and the commission for insurance agents. The insurance company Generali is described there. The problematics of labour productivity and activity are observed on the specific groups of workers in this join-stock company. There are chosen workers from their individual positions on which the indexes are better shown. I evaluate these indicators and create a proposal for improving the labour productivity. This proposal makes also a good contribution to the direction of insurance company and its manager. The improvements include for instance: the focusing not only on newcomers but also on existing agents, who have done a good job for the company in the past and they create a good reputation for its business; a subsequent improvement is the better motivation for newcomer workers. I suggest that these newcomers should be bound to one existing insurance agent. Thanks to this it could be a good motivation and professional development for existing insurance agents, who would not only teach newcomers but above all improve themselves.

The aim of the diploma thesis is to evaluate the current system of remuneration and productivity of human resources in a company. Furthermore, measures are proposed to improve the current situation based on the data obtained. In the first part of the thesis, on the basis of secondary data, it defines the remuneration system, total reward and remuneration strategy. Then the thesis focuses on wage forms and employee benefits. The next section describes the factors affecting productivity, its types and measurements. In the last part it examines human resources management, defining its basic concepts, functions and strategies. Production plant called Mektec Manufacturing Corporation Europe CZ s.r.o. operating in České Budějovice has been selected for the processing of the second part. At first there is the characterisation of the company in general. Furthermore, the thesis pays attention to the applied remuneration system and internal productivity measurement. The necessary information was obtained on the website and personal consultation with the company's employees. Subsequently, an analysis of work productivity in the period from 2012 to 2017 is performed using formulas based on value added and revenues of products and services. The next part deals with the relationship of the development of personal and total costs and the comparison of labor productivity development with the growth rate of personnel costs. Finally, based on the analysis of the labor productivity and the actual remuneration model recommendations have been articulated suggesting how to develop an improved remuneration model.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo a elaboração de um método para se prognosticar a produtividade da mão-de-obra na execução dos sistemas prediais hidráulicos e o consumo unitário de materiais destes sistemas em dois momentos distintos: fase de viabilidade do empreendimento (método simplificado) e na fase de anteprojeto ou projeto de arquitetura (método analítico). São apresentados os fundamentos que nortearam a elaboração do método proposto, envolvendo a conceituação sobre produtividade da mão-de-obra, consumo unitário de materiais e sistemas prediais. Além destes fundamentos teóricos, faz-se o detalhamento do método de coleta e processamento das informações para a obtenção destes indicadores, abordando o planejamento da coleta de dados, a coleta de dados propriamente dita e seu processamento. Os resultados sobre a produtividade da mão-de-obra são relativos a quatro canteiros de obras localizados no Estado de São Paulo, enquanto que os resultados sobre o consumo unitário de materiais são frutos da análise e levantamento de informações de 12 projetos de sistemas prediais hidráulicos de edifícios residenciais de múltiplos pavimentos. Como contribuição desta tese destaca-se a obtenção de indicadores de produtividade da mão-de-obra considerando as tarefas e subtarefas inerentes à execução dos sistemas prediais, com distintos níveis de esforço, diferentemente dos manuais de orçamentação, que trazem estes indicadores apenas por tipo de material empregado e tipo de conexões. Quanto ao consumo unitário de materiais, o método simplificado permite o prognóstico das quantidades de tubos e conexões tendo-se como variáveis de entrada o número de apartamentos-tipo por pavimento e sua respectiva área. O prognóstico destas quantidades, utilizando-se o método analítico, é feito com base no número e tipo de ambientes molháveis existentes no apartamento-tipo e no número de pontos de consumo/captação de água destes, além de equações elaboradas a partir da observação das concepções dos sistemas nos projetos analisados. Os métodos de prognóstico do consumo unitário de materiais foram aplicados a um caso real e a diferença entre as quantidades de tubos e conexões levantadas em projeto e as quantidades prognosticadas foi de 16% (tubos) e 22% (conexões), para o método simplificado, e 1% (tubos) e 4% (conexões), para o método analítico, indicando a aplicabilidade dos métodos propostos, para estes sistemas. A diferença entre a quantidade de mãode- obra (homens-hora) prognosticada utilizando-se o TCPO (2003) e a prognosticada utilizando o método proposto foi de 71%, indicando a necessidade de um maior aprofundamento na exploração dos indicadores de produtividade da mão-de-obra na execução destes sistemas. / The objective of this work is to elaborate a method aimed at evaluating the labour productivity in the execution of hydraulic systems and the unitary consumption of materials in these systems in two distinct moments: at the undertaking viability phase (simplified method) and at the architecture project phase (analytical method). The concepts that guided the elaboration of the proposed method involving conceptions on labour productivity, unitary consumption of materials and building systems will be presented. Besides these theoretical concepts, the detailing of the collection method and data processing for the evaluation of these indices will be performed, which include from the data collection planning, the data collection itself to the data processing. The results on labour productivity correspond to the survey of these parameters in four building sites in the state of São Paulo, while those on the unitary consumption of materials are a result of analysis and survey of information from 12 hydraulic systems of multiple-pavement residential buildings. The evaluation of labour productivity indices considering tasks and subtasks inherent to the execution of building systems with different effort levels is one of the contributions of this research, unlike budgeting handbooks that bring these parameters only in terms of the type of material and connections employed. Regarding to the unitary consumption of materials, the simplified method allows estimating the quantity of pipes and connections, considering the type and number of apartments per floor and their respective area as input variables. The prognostic of these quantities using the analytical method is performed based on the number and type of rooms provided with hydraulic building systems in the apartment and on the type, number of water consumption/intake points of these apartments, as well as on equations elaborated from the observation of conceptions in the projects analyzed. The proposed methods for unitary consumption of materials were applied to a real case and the difference between the quantity of pipes and connections measured and predicted was 16% (pipes) and 22% (connections), for the simplified method, and 1% (pipes) and 4% (connections) for the analytical method, validating the proposed methods for these systems. The difference between labour employed (man-hour) predicted using budgeting handbooks and those predicted using the proposed method was 71%, indicating the need of further analysis of labour productivity indices in the hydraulic building systems.

One of the main underlying sources of economic growth is productivity. An economy can grow by either accumulation of its inputs, namely labour and capital, or improvements in productivity. The latter implies that more can be produced with the same amount of inputs, generating a greater amount of income that can be distributed among the economy's population. With rising per capita incomes, an economy can provide higher living standards and well-being. This thesis analyses variations in economic and productivity trends among the states of Australia and the USA. It investigates whether disparities in GSP per capita, labour and multifactor productivity among the states have declined (converged) or widened (diverged), during this period. The analysis is undertaken at a national level as well as for specific industries to identify the sectoral sources of the various trends. Further, in an interstate analysis the performance of individual states is examined to identify those that may have had a major role in accounting for the observed trends. The analysis employs both cross - section and time - series techniques. Contrary to earlier studies, this thesis finds that lately the interstate dispersion of per capita incomes and productivity has stopped decreasing. In Australia, once the Mining sector (which is a special case) is excluded from the analysis, the levels of GSP per capita and labour productivity in the various states are found to have neither converged nor diverged. Convergence trends among the US states observed prior to the 1990s have not only slowed down but even reversed into divergence. Divergence in labour productivity started during the 1980s in the service industries and was followed by the Manufacturing sector (and here in particular by the Electronic and Electrical Equipment industry) during the 1990s. There appears to be a belt of states in the West (and a few states in the North-East) which started off relatively poorly but managed to catch-up with the richer states due to an above average growth performance in labour productivity and multi factor productivity. Some of these states did not only manage to catch-up with richer ones but continued to surge ahead, causing the observed increase in the interstate dispersion in recent years. Policy makers, especially those in the states that are falling behind need to develop policies that will lead to an increase in the rate of productivity growth. In order to achieve this they must foster industries, which are conducive to higher growth rates and adopt policies that would increase the productivity of the labour force. These policies will need to create an environment in which productivity enhancing innovation can be sustained. States need to engage in research and development activities to ensure the invention and the adoption of new technologies.

The purpose of this analytical study is to determine the degree of application of Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy and practices in the industrial corporations in Jordan. Through detailed examination of primary and secondary empirical data from these corporations, the study examines the link between TQM and labour productivity. The population of the study consists of all Jordanian shareholding corporations listed under the industrial category in Amman Stock Exchange. In late 1998, this consisted of a total of 90 companies. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed in investigating the relationship between TQM implementation and labour productivity. Detailed survey responses from 76 participating companies were classified into two groups: high-level TQM implementation and low-level TQM implementation. About 60% of these companies were classified as companies with high-level TQM. Descriptive analysis of the survey responses plus company report data found that mean labour productivity measurements for companies with high-level TQM were significantly higher than for those with low-level TQM over the years (1993-1998). Also mean growth rates of labour productivity measurements for companies with high-level TQM were higher than for those with low-level of TQM during this period. Regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant positive relationship between TQM and labour productivity. This relationship showed a high positive slope in companies with ISO 9000 certification, and considerably lower (but still positive) slope in companies without ISO 9000 certification. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

According to the Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman, “productivity isn’t everything, but in the long-run it is almost everything”. It is unfortunate that the productivity in the construction industry has lagged behind the manufacturing industry for the last several decades. The research presented in this thesis aims to improve productivity in the infrastructure sector of the construction industry by developing and validating Best Productivity Practices Implementation Index (BPPII) for Infrastructure projects. The BPPII Infrastructure is a check list of practices that are considered to have a positive influence on labour productivity at the project level for infrastructure projects. These practices have been identified through a literature review and consultation with industry experts, and have been anecdotally proven to positively affect productivity. These practices have been grouped together into a formalized set of BPPII’s categories, sections, and elements. Each practice and its planning and implementation levels have been completely defined. Each practice in the index has been assigned a relative weight based on its importance in affecting labour productivity. In total, there are 61 elements, 20 sections, and 6 categories. The six categories of the BPPII Infrastructure are: (1) Materials Management; (2) Construction Machinery and Equipment Logistics; (3) Execution Approach; (4) Human Resources Management; (5) Construction Methods; and (6) Health and Safety. The productivity factor defined as a ratio of estimated productivity and actual productivity was used as a metric to collect information about labour productivity. Data were collected for infrastructure projects on the planning and implementation level of practices, on the productivity factor, and on project schedule performance. The research hypothesis tested was that projects that have a high level of implementation of best practices as defined by the BPPII Infrastructure will have a better productivity performance than projects which have a low level of implementation of best practices. The regression analysis confirms that the BPPII score has a strong positive relationship with the productivity factor. ANOVA tests confirm that there is statistically significant difference between the productivity of projects that have a high level of implementation of practices and those that have a low level of implementation. Also, it was found that projects that have a high score on the index perform better in terms of project schedule performance than projects which have a low score on the BPPII Infrastructure.