A 138589 Research Note 84 - 55 AN OVERVIEW OF PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS IN ARMY ORGANIZATIONS

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 Recommendations made include: greater coordination and collaboration ng people managing, planning, and implementing productivity improv ent efforts; use of multi-disciplinary teams in such efforts; increased a reness of the difficulties involved in productivity 'measurement; and th need for designing productivity measurement systems to insure that thy reflect organizational goals and are integrated with employees' personal goals.