'Surfing' The Wave of Productivity

Within this article I will endeavour to use a popular Barbadian rally driver, Paul 'The Surfer' Bourne, as a model of the behaviour that is necessary within the pursuit of productivity and quality. The idea for this article came after my fiance and I entered an Independence Day charity event, which raised funds for The Challenor School, by offering drives (on the Vaucluse track) with some of the island's best rally drivers.

 

Some Thoughts Related To Productivity Enhancement

 Within this article I will endeavour to use a popular Barbadian rally driver - Paul "The Surfer" Bourne - as a model of the behaviour that is necessary within the pursuit of productivity and quality. Productivity has been interpreted (Gray & Jurison, 1995) as a measure of how efficiently an organisation manipulates its resources/factors of production (human, capital, materials, energy, knowledge etc) within the production of goods and services.

 

Organisational Productivity and Factors that Affect It

In light of the increasing attention being paid to the concept of productivity as a facilitator of competitiveness, I thought it prudent to discuss the phenomenon. Productivity has been interpreted (Gray & Jurison, 1995) as a measure of how efficiently an organisation manipulates its resources/factors of production (human, capital, materials, energy, knowledge etc) within the production of goods and services. However, productivity is not only related to the fostering of maximum efficiency by doing things right but also involves the attainment of maximum effectiveness (i.e. reaching organisational goals) by doing the right things. Organisational productivity can be evaluated in relation to a particular decision criteria e.g. prior productivity level (workers, management, company etc), competitor productivity, industry productivity or national productivity.

 

Economic Development: A Systems Approach

Development has been defined (Dunn, 1971) as 'The ability of an organization, community or society to change (transform itself) is the result of research and planning'. Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of Harvard University's Center for International Development and Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations, has proposed that there are two pillars of development that facilitate economic growth and competitiveness. These two determinants are social investment and the business/economic environment.

 

Productive Tourism Professionals

Ambition Never Gets Anywhere Until it Forms a Partnership With Work. A challenge that faces our nation (like any other developmentally focussed country) is the meshing of economic and financial development with the social advancement of our citizens. Thus, any intervention aimed at advancing the Tourism Sector should be complementary to the desire of Barbadians to experience an improved quality of life - from an environmental, financial, psychological and social perspective.

 

Pride & Industry - 100% Bajan

The older generation has often admonished some of us younger ones, that 'the devil finds work for idle hands'. I believe that this piece of advice seeks to create a positive work ethic and sense of direction within those of us to whom it has been addressed.

 

Community Based Organisations: Productive Enterprise

Dr. Eric Williams, former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago asserted 'Development has a face and that face is the face of man. Development, therefore, must cater for the total needs of man'. Development has also been defined (Dunn, 1971) as 'The ability of an organization, community or society to change (transform itself) as the result of research and planning'.

 

The Customer Service Challenge

More often than is desirable, it is said that Barbadian businesses do not provide the level of customer service sought by increasingly demanding consumers. The irony is that the very service providers who are guilty of inadequate service delivery or inappropriate attitudes are themselves consumers of goods and services (and might very well be highly demanding when on the other side of the transaction).

 

Corporate Partnership

The ILO Caribbean Office has developed the Programme for the Promotion of Management-Labour Co-operation (PROMALCO) with a view to initiating a change process that would overcome the legacy of adversarial industrial relations in the Caribbean and create conditions for cooperation, trust and partnership in the interest of safeguarding the competitiveness of Caribbean enterprises and creating opportunities for employment and decent work.

 

Productive Visioning

The issue of faith has been alluded to within the Bible when it is stated, 'Now faith is substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' (Hebrews 10: 1) and 'What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also' (James 2:14 & 26). What clearly comes out from the preceding is that the process of moving from a dream towards success, must involve disciplined effort or as the older folks might say 'elbow grease'.