Labor Productivity: A Quantitative Analysis in the Essay

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Labor Productivity: A Quantitative Analysis

In the aforeposed article Professors Randolph Thomas and Karl Raynar attempt to comprehensively examine the effects on labor productivity resultant from management's deliberate scheduling of overtime hours (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). While such tactics have been highly utilized historically with the intent of increasing productivity, the overworking of employees seems a bit counterintuitive with respect to the enhancement-related goal. This conundrum has been the cause of much controversy because of its potential for unlawfulness (exceeding the mandated 40-hour work week) and its potential for humanistic labor exploitation. In analyzing this litigious topic, Thomas and Raynar collected continuous feedback from four industrial projects for a period of 122 weeks (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). In doing so, these experts narrowed their study into a direct unit-based efficiency model (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). That is, in their selection of the industrial sector as the arena for their work, they were able to define productivity increases and decreases by the number of marginal units produced. Additionally, the Pennsylvania State University professors added a somewhat revolutionary component to their study by considering the loss of efficiency as a strict function of time (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). They also examined scheduled overtime with relation to the work environment, ultimately finding that environmental deficiencies are direct contributors to labor deficiencies. Being that Thomas and Raynar were investigating various different projects, they were able to estimate a universal conversion equation from the available company resources in order to garner analogous figures (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). This equation is stated below:

where I is equal to the item number from the respective company manual and j is equal to the manual number (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). Using this conversion factor and the baseline productivity benchmark equation (where productivity is equal to total work hours divided by total quantity produced), Thomas and Raynar were able to successfully equate statistics from multiple projects in order to obtain a more cumulative analysis (Thomas & Raynar, 1997).

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In compiling their data and executing their study Thomas and Raynar examined several routine tasks completed by small crews of workers. Their respective efficiency was accumulated and depicted as a function of the length of the workweek: (Thomas & Raynar, 1997)

The proctors noted that the reduced efficiencies found in the two-day and three-day workweek were caused by bad weather (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). However, as illustrated, Thomas and Raynar did statistically find that scheduled overtime (time scheduled that would create a five-day or six-day workweek) does in fact reduce efficiency (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). The diminishment of the average number of units produced in a certain time period was certainly related to the increased work hours, though this intensification of labor came with a number of efficiency-reducing variables. Such inputs included environmental shortcomings and increases in absenteeism as a result of overworking (Thomas & Raynar, 1997). The relevant literature surrounding the disadvantages of increasing labor hours tends to support the professors' findings. In fact, experts at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations have determined that, "standard weekday work hours, work-at-home options and reduced workweeks are all associated with reduced employee absences" (Dionne & Dostie, 2007, p. 108). Therefore, in addition to the industrial productivity declines resultant from intense schedules and subsequent exhaustion, vital team members are often absent because of the high time demands. However, increasing an employee's required work hours can have other negative consequences that may also result in unsolicited outcomes like perpetual absenteeism and increases in healthcare costs for the employer. Overworking has been proven to be the cause of several severe health problems (Iwasaki, Takahashi, & Nakata, 2006). Such problems can cause prolonged absences and ghastly hospital bills.

As a result of the various unwanted outcomes, many firms that require large amounts of human resources have had to come up with innovate….....

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