Productivity Measurements: Untangling White‐Collar Web

Abstract

This paper presents a model for measuring work in predominantly white‐collar organizations. The model, based on Saaty's “analytical hierarchy,” allows for quantification of complex, highly interactive factors influencing productivity. Thus, it provides a basis from which management may adjust previously unassessed determinants of their organization's productivity. The organization on which the model was tested raised productivity by an average of 17% within two years, with some departments increasing productivity by as much as 38%. These increases were directly attributed to the organization's use of the productivity measurement system.