Affecting Labor Productivity Research Articles

Public Health Investment, Human Capital Accumulation, and Labour Productivity: Evidence from West Africa

Abstract The study of public health investment, human capital accumulation, and labour productivity are essential in formulating policies that drive economic development. This study examines the individual and interactive effects of public health investment and human capital accumulation and the interactive effect of human capital accumulation and financial opportunity on labour productivity in West Africa from 1992 to 2020, respectively. The interactive effect of human capital accumulation and financial opportunity has not been given any attention in the literature. The following findings are apparent in the study: One, public health Investment and human capital accumulation positively affect labour productivity in the short and long run. Two, the interactive effect of human capital accumulation and public Health Investment positively and significantly affect labour productivity in the short and long run. Lastly, the interactive effect of human capital accumulation and financial opportunity positively and significantly affects labour productivity in the short and long run. Hence, we suggest that economic policy be formulated to ensure that affordable healthcare and financial opportunity are available, together with human capital accumulation, to fast-track the normalization of the economy.

An econometric study of the impact of fixed capital investment on labor productivity

Aim. The presented study aims to identify the main drivers for increasing labor productivity in the Russian economy.Tasks. Econometric modeling is used to assess the impact of fixed capital investment on labor productivity indicators in Russia and to formulate priority directions for improving labor productivity in Russia.Methods. To achieve the set aim, the authors build an econometric model that makes it possible to assess the dependence of labor productivity rates on regressors such as volume index of fixed capital investment, internal R&D costs, real accrued wages of employees, and depreciation of fixed assets (in percentage points). Data provided by the Federal State Statistics Service serves as the empirical basis of this study. R Studio software is also used.Results. It is established that the volume of fixed capital investment and the degree of depreciation of fixed assets are significant factors that can affect labor productivity rates. The results of the study also suggest that regressors such as real accrued wages of employees and internal R&D costs are insignificant factors.Conclusions. The statement that fixed capital investment serves as a basis for labor productivity growth is substantiated. Therefore, the government’s efforts in the coming years should be aimed at creating favorable conditions for increasing investment spending in the real sector of the economy. The study also focuses on the need to eradicate the phenomenon of the ‘working poor’ and to increase the efficiency of interaction between research centers and the business community.

Evaluation of weather-productivity models of construction labour for tropics

PurposeWeather is one of the main factors affecting labour productivity. Existing weather-productivity models focussed on hot and cold climates paying less attention to the tropics. Many tropical countries are expected to be the most areas affected by accelerated climate change and global warming, which may have a severe impact on labour health and productivity. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the existing models can be used to predict labour productivity based on weather conditions in the tropics.Design/methodology/approachFive models are identified from the literature for evaluation. Using real labour productivity data of a high-rise building project in Malaysia, the actual productivity rate was compared with predicted productivity rates generated using the five models. The predicted productivity rates were generated using weather variables collected from an adjusting weather station to the project.FindingsCompared with other models evaluated in this paper, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was found to be the best model to predict productivity based on the case study data. However, the result shows only a 57% accuracy level of the USACE model indicating the need to develop a new model for the tropics for more accurate prediction.Originality/valueThe result of this study is perhaps the first to apply meteorological variables to predict productivity rates and validate them using actual productivity data in the tropics. This study is the first step to developing a more accurate productivity model, which will be useful for project planning and more accurate productivity rate estimation.

Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium Enterprises

This article analyzes diverse aspects of human resource management as practiced in small and medium scale businesses. The significance of human resource management has increased with the expansion of businesses at different levels due to the liberalization of market and trades across the world. The role of human resources in corporate organizations is crucial in the sense that the strength of people determines the growth of businesses. Human resources are taken as the most precious asset of SME. To reach its values the business must pay a huge importance in human resource management. The implementation of enterprise strategy relies on the employee’s quality as reflected in the entire process of engagement in the world of business. This paper has aimed to demonstrate the implementation of human resource practice and their impact in Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) performance. The data used in the paper have been from secondary sources including articles, reports and dissertations. The existing literature demonstrates the management of human resources is aspiring in the business world. Both management and implementation of human resources has influenced the success of small and medium enterprises. Indeed, the commendable management of human resource helps three fundamental intents of each enterprise: surviving, increasing and raising their incomes. The paper investigates into the role of Small Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector that contributes to the growth of economy. Indeed, small-scale enterprises are important for modern economy as it widely contributes to employment growth as well. The development of a country depends on economic prosperity. Managing human resources in businesses can help to enhance the status of corporate world that aims to multiply economy of all aspects of society. As business establishments are human organizations, people are very indispensable in its existence and success. The study has explored that human resource development is significant to any organizations ranging from small to large scale enterprise because it is well known that no business can exist without human beings. It is recommended that SMEs business should clearly define recruitment policies in consistency with the existing laws of a particular nation. Besides, there should be consistency in training activities, the owners of SMEs business should ensure that training offered to employees at all levels is pertinent to their needs. Overall, human resource management practices play a significant role in affecting labor productivity in manufacturing companies.

The impact of employee compensation restrictions on labor productivity in state-owned enterprises: Evidence from China

Employees are important stakeholders in an organization. This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of limits on employee compensation in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), a policy for employees of state-owned enterprises issued by the China State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) in 2010. Employing a difference-in-differences analysis for a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2013, the results show that employee compensation restriction enhances the labor productivity of SOEs. This policy effect is mainly due to the contribution of compensation limits to the external fairness of employee compensation, and the findings remain unchanged after a series of robustness testing procedures. In addition, the employee compensation restriction policy significantly affects labor productivity improvement in monopolistic industries or mature SOEs.

К вопросу о выборе рациональных средств повышения производительности труда посредством эргономического сопровождения в ходе комплексной подготовки производства

The work is devoted to the development of methodological approaches to the choice of ways to increase labor productivity through ergonomic support during complex production preparation. Separate measures for the organization of labor at the enterprise with possible improvement of labor rationing, assessment and training of personnel, the choice of directions for automation of individual operations are considered. The characteristics of performers (operators) to be evaluated during professional selection and their use in modeling the processes of interaction of operators with the control object under certain conditions of the production environment, requirements for the quality of operations performed are analyzed. The subjective and physical environment reduces or increases the quality indicators of the operator's activity and their accounting together with the individual characteristics of the operators requires a methodology based on a systematic analysis of all factors affecting labor productivity. The results of mathematical modeling based on experimental data, taking into account the complex nature of factors operating in the production system, are presented.

Does climate warming affect labour productivity in emerging economies?—Evidence from Chinese-listed firms

ABSTRACT In this study, we match the weather data at the prefecture-level city level in China with the data of listed firms in China, and examine the impact of high-temperature weather on the labour productivity and firm response strategies. We find that high-temperature weather is negatively correlated with labour productivity. The impact is more pronounced in Non-SOEs, heat-sensitive industries, and in the southern region. The additional analysis showed that firms can alleviate the negative impact of high-temperature weather by increasing employee compensation, and carrying out digital transformation. High-temperature weather prompts firms to reduce the number of blue-collar occupations and increase the number of white-collar occupations. This study highlights the urgency of the impact of current climate warming on emerging economies from the perspective of employees, enriches the cross-study of labour and climate economics, and provides suggestions for firms to alleviate the negative impact of high-temperature weather and improve production efficiency.

Observation of Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain in a Manufacturing Company Surabaya

Introduction: The implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety system in industry aims to create a workplace that is safe, healthy, and free from environmental pollution so that it minimizes the probability of occupational accidents and illness. The arrangement of goods and comfortable work environment can affect labour productivity. Creating an orderly and comfortable working environment can be manifested in a good Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize (5S) application. The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation of the 5S program in PT Albea Rigid and Packaging Surabaya. Method: This research was a descriptive qualitative research. The data used in this study were secondary data which were obtained from the EHS Department of PT. Albea Rigid Packaging Surabaya which were later analyzed using several theoretical references. Variables in this research were observation of Sort, observation of Set, observation of Shine, observation of Standardize and observation of Sustain. The analyzed data were further interpreted and presented in a narrative form. Results: The results show that the implementation of 5S in the Injection Molding Production area of PT. Albea Rigid Packaging Surabaya, before the socialization, had a score of 16 points and after the socialization it increased to 40 points. Even though the score has increased, the implementation of the 5S was still not running optimally. Conclusion: The principle of Standardize still had the same score before and after the socialization, while for the other 3 principles, namely Sort, Set and Shine, there was an increase in points after the socialization.

Analysis of Labour Productivity in Construction Industry Using Analytical Hierarchy Process and Linear Regression Method

Abstract: Construction is a labour-intensive industry. The project focuses on labour productivity in the construction industry. It covers the construction labour productivity aspects, factors affecting it, comparison between the actual labour outcomes. Regression analysis and analytic hierarchy process was used to develop a model to quantify labour productivity. The aim of this study is to identify the key factors that affect the labour productivity in construction industry. Survey is carried out through questionnaire and distributed to respondents who work at various projects in construction industry and the questionnaires are rated by project managers, experienced engineers and labours using their past experiences. The data are collected and analysed. Using this data the factors affecting labour productivity are identified and ranked. Thereafter, necessary suggestions are given to improve the labour productivity

The Effect of Work Discipline on Employee Productivity

The workforce has an important role in increasing production at PT. XYZ. The contribution of labor is interpreted into the resulting productivity. Therefore, it is important to know what variables can affect labor productivity. in this study using work discipline variables to see its effect on employee productivity. The results obtained that work discipline has a positive and significant effect on employee productivity, which is 66.70%. and 33.30% possibility of being influenced by other variables not included in this case.

Would the inequality of environmental quality affect labor productivity and the income gap? Evidence from China

Healthy ecosystems and safe workplaces are not equally distributed across regions and people. Increasingly close economic exchanges domestically and abroad have aggravated regional environmental unequal status in China. To evaluate China’s inequality of environmental quality, four-panel environmental Gini coefficients are calculated for 25 Chinese provinces based on the data for 281 prefecture-level cities from 2008 to 2018. China’s inequality level of environmental quality is measured by resource inequality and pollution inequality. The results of the spatial Durbin model and GMM estimations indicate that resource inequality may widen the local income gap but narrow the income gap with distant regions, while the uneven environmental quality significantly inhibits the improvement of labor productivity. The dynamic threshold model results show that pollution inequality in areas with relatively low education levels will widen the local income gap, while resource inequality in areas with low health levels has a strong inhibiting effect on labor productivity.

Factors Affecting Labor Productivity of Palm Oil Harvesters at PT. Betami, Rantau District, Aceh Tamiang Regency

Muhammad Ichsan Maulana (2022). The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of age, work experience, number of dependents, salary of supporting facilities and motivation on work productivity of oil palm harvesters at PT, Betami Kebun Rantau, Aceh Tamiang Regency. The analytical method used is multiple linear regression analysis with SPSS 24.0 tool. The sampling method used the census method and the sample of this study amounted to 35 employees of oil palm harvesters at PT. Betami Overseas Gardens, Aceh Tamiang Regency. Determination of the research area is done purposively. The results of the study concluded that the work productivity of oil palm harvesters was high, i.e. 50,000 – 52,000 Kg/HKP/Month. Factors Age, Work Experience, Number of Dependents, and Motivation have no significant effect on the work productivity of oil palm harvesting employees at PT. Betami Rantau Farms while the Salary and Supporting Facilities have a significant effect on the work productivity of oil palm harvesting employees at PT. Betami Overseas Gardens.

LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY: A SURVEY

Construction industry faces lots of challenges with regard to problems associated with productivity. Productivity is one of the most important factors affecting the overall performance of any organization, whether large or small and the problems are usually associated with performance of Labour. The performance of labour is affected by many factors and is usually linked to the performance of time, cost, and quality. Productivity is still a fascinating topic and a hot topic in the construction industry, promising cost savings and resource efficiency. In both developed and developing countries, productivity is one of the most critical challenges. The developed world understands the relevance of economic development and social welfare. Developing countries that are dealing with unemployment, inflation, and resource scarcity try to make the best use of their resources in order to promote economic growth and better the lives of their population. The purpose of this thesis is to identify elements that affect labour productivity as well as to investigate reasons, such as labour problems on the job site and their impact on building projects.

Diagnostic methods of the impact on the life’s quality of lumbar pain syndromes in workers of harmful industries

Occupational diseases associated with pain syndrome in the lower part are one of the most common causes of physical and psychological health disorders. Lower back pain (LBP) also affects labor productivity and the social sphere of life and is becoming an increasingly important factor in the growth of medical care costs. The study aims to research a comprehensive study of the impact of chronic LBP on the quality of life of workers in unfavorable conditions of metallurgical production. Experts have carried out a hygienic assessment of working conditions according to the data of the special assessment of working conditions cards, a questionnaire (a questionnaire of disorders of vital activity in Oswestrovsky's lower back pain, a questionnaire of McGill's pain) and a clinical examination of 132 employees (men) of various industries of the metallurgical enterprise. We analyzed the results of additional instrumental examination methods: radiography of the lumbar spine and electroneuromyography of the nerves of the lower extremities. Under the working conditions of workers of the leading professions of metallurgical production, combined and combined effects of harmful production factors are characteristic, the integral assessment of which corresponds to class 3.2. The severity of the labor process among employees of the studied professions was within classes 2.0.-3.1. According to the McGill questionnaire experts have found statistically significant differences in the main occupational groups: the highest pain indicators were in the group of wire-drawing workers (index - 7.5±4.9; rank - 14.6±10.2) and drivers of intra-factory vehicles (index - 6.9±4.4; rank - 15.1±11.3). After the treatment there were positive dynamics in the values of rank indicators on the affective and evaluative scales (p<0.05). Researchers have identified statistically significant differences between all the studied groups (F=2.55, p=0.041), when using the Oswestrovsky questionnaire. There were degenerative-dystrophic changes of the spine on radiographs of the lumbar spine. According to the results of an electroneuromyographic study, the authors revealed signs of dysfunction at the level of segments L5-S1-2 of the lumbosacral spine. As a result of the study, we have revealed the relationship between the early detection of disorders of the musculoskeletal system with the peculiarities of the labor process and the deterioration of the quality of worker’s life in the production of hardware. To assess the intensity of LBP in workers engaged in harmful working conditions, it is possible to use the McGill and Oswestrovsky pain questionnaires. The detection of pain syndrome and early rehabilitation in people with occupational diseases of the musculoskeletal system contributes to prolonging the working age and improving the quality of life in people with physical overload in the workplace.

Theoretical and methodological principles of the formation and development of human capital in the agricultural sphere in the conditions of industry 4.0

One of the strategic tasks facing the agricultural industry in modern conditions is finding new sources of economic growth, which is currently impossible without technological modernization of the industry. The use of modern digital technologies is a powerful driver of the competitiveness development in the agricultural industry, which significantly affects labor productivity, the quality of final products, and the cost of manufactured products. Digital technologies are increasingly spreading to agriculture, involving more and more production operations in transformational processes and significantly changing them. Moreover, the replacement of operations performed by employees with digitalized algorithms leads to a reduction in the demand for the labor of low-skilled workers who perform routine operations related to making management decisions. Thus, there is a growing demand for workers who possess not only competencies in the field of agricultural production, but also the knowledge necessary to work with digital devices and robotic systems. It creates an urgent need for the formation and constant updating of these competencies in existing and potential employees of the industry. The state policy implemented in recent decades in the field of formation and development of human capital in the agrarian sphere leads to a significant outflow of the population from rural areas. The current state of most rural areas indicates the absence of unified methods for assessing human potential, the level of development of conditions for its formation, and even an effective state policy aimed at creating an effective mechanism for preventing natural licking of the rural population. It should be noted that the development of the agro-industrial complex is characterized by a number of unresolved socio-economic problems, which determine a significant outflow of the population from rural areas. The transition to the use of modern digital technologies imposes significant requirements on the quality of human capital, which makes it urgent to develop a conceptual approach to the formation and use of human capital in the completely new economic conditions. Keywords: digital agriculture, rural areas, digitalization, personnel potential, human capital, labor productivity, quality of life, socio-economic conditions.

Factors of labor productivity of employees of a cardiology medical organization

The search for resources to increase labor productivity is associated with a theoretical analysis of conditions and factors. This problem is particularly acute in the context of the fight against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; issues of rational management of human resources are coming to the fore. Labor productivity is one of the key indicators organization’s labor efficiency. The research was carried out based on general scientific methods analysis and synthesis, logical analysis, and sociological survey. The article analyzes the factors affecting the labor productivity of employee’s medical organization. A high assessment of the level of employee productivity was obtained, the relationship between the financial stability of the institution and work in a pandemic was revealed. The most significant factors affecting labor productivity are the availability of a personnel incentive system (75%, p = 0.028), the level of material and technical support (74%, p = 0.05), the moral and psychological climate in the team (64%, p = 0.007) and working conditions (63%, p = 0.26). It is proved those comfortable working conditions, a favorable moral and psychological climate, the level of material and technical support, regular professional development and the availability of a quality management system create conditions for improving the productivity of health workers.

Short-term and Long-term Impacts of Foreign Direct Investment on the Development of Iran’s Health Sector

Background: The health sector (health care sector) is considered one of the key sectors in every country and is known as an infrastructure in economic development since the factor directly affects labor productivity and increases production and economic growth. Thus, the health system’s quality may be considered a crucial and attractive factor of foreign direct investment (FDI) along with infrastructures like education, labor, and research and development costs.
 Objectives: The present study evaluated the short-term and long-term impacts of foreign direct investment on the development of the health sector.
 Methods: According to the time series data, the ARDL method tests the research hypotheses from 1981 to 2020. The present method can use data of nature I (0) and I (1) simultaneously.
 Results: During the years 1982 to 2021 with the increase of foreign capital in the health sector of Iran, health indicators have changed significantly. The rates of some diseases have decreased and in the meantime, the financial resources needed for the health sector have been provided to some extent. According to the coefficients, the highest impact on health expenditures in the short term, foreign directs investment and the lowest impact on the percentage of people living with AIDS.
 Conclusions: The research findings indicate that foreign direct investment has had positive and significant impacts on the development of the health sector in Iran in both the short and long terms.

Impact of Labour Productivity Factors on Construction Project Cost and Time

Productivity is the dominating aspect in construction as it encourages cost savings and effective utilization of resources. Poor labour productivity is one of the major causes of cost and time overrun in construction projects and as such requires attention. Previous studies have identified factors affecting labour productivity within building projects, however, there is need to understand these factors as it relates to their impact on cost and time. In view of this, the paper aimed at assessing the impact of factors affecting labour productivity on cost and time, with a view to minimizing their effects on construction projects. The study elicits knowledge gained by project managers actively engaged in construction projects within Abuja been the Federal Capital Territory and employed the use of a survey. A well-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data with respect to degree of impact of labour productivity factors on construction project cost, and time using a five-point Likert scale and distributed to 45 project managers using purposive sampling. Responses from the administered questionnaires were collated, interpreted, and analysed using descriptive statistics, and results presented in tables. The findings showed that material shortage at project site with a mean value of 3.68 had significant impact on construction project cost. Furthermore, lack of tools and equipment in the market, and workforce absenteeism with mean values of 3.65 and 3.62 respectively had significant impacts on construction project time. The study concludes that material shortage, lack of tools and equipment in the market, and workforce absenteeism are labour productivity factors that had significant impact on construction project cost and time. Thus, Construction managers should enforce the use of material supply schedule, and adopt appropriate financial incentives for employee’s that could curtail the problem of absenteeism.

The role of wages, skills development and R&D on productivity: evidence from Thai manufacturing firms

PurposeThe objectives of this study are to investigate the role of wages, skills development and R&D on the productivity of Thai manufacturing firms, using data from the 2017 Industrial Census of Thailand.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses two-stage least squares (2SLS) to examine the role of wages, skills development and R&D, as well as other vital factors, impacting productivity as measured by labour productivity and total factor productivity.FindingsThai manufacturing firms' technology in aggregate exhibits decreasing returns to scale. Increasing wages and skills development promote the labour productivity and total factor productivity (TFP) of Thai manufacturers. R&D is also shown to be vital in promoting the labour productivity and TFP of large firms, but not small firms. Foreign direct investment (FDI) and government support can significantly increase large and medium-sized firms' labour productivity and TFP. Financially constrained firms tend to perform more productively. However, older firms, larger firms, labour supply shortages and political instability adversely affect labour productivity and TFP.Practical implicationsUpskilling and improving HRD policies could move Thailand towards a knowledge-based and high-income country in the future. Intellectual property protection should be strengthened to boost the country's R&D. The government should consider lifting restrictions on FDI to encourage international openness. The Thai Board of Investment’s promotion should target Thai manufacturing firms and FDI.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine in detail the role of wages, skills development and R&D on the productivity of Thai firms based on the 2017 Thailand Industrial Census.

Human Capital Development and Labour Market Outcomes in Africa: Evidence from Sub-Saharan African Countries

The abilities and qualities of labour that influence productivity include higher education, on-the-job training and health. Investment in these improves the abilities of the labour force to innovate and adopt new technologies. Thus, policy dimensions towards building human capital make the difference between inclusive growth and jobless economic growth that leaves large segments of the society behind. However, Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries are bedeviled by poor performance of their labour markets mostly characterized by rising rate of unemployment, low labour productivity, among others. This study examines the effect of human capital development on labour market outcomes in Sub Saharan African countries while capturing labour market outcomes with labour productivity. Given that education, health and life expectancy are integrals of human capital investments and often viewed as factors determining a country’s labour force, they are employed within a dynamic panel analysis framework using the Generalized method of Moments for 30 SSA countries from 2000-2019. In most developing countries, particularly SSA, the public sector is often significantly larger than the private sector. Given the role of policymakers in labour market performance, the study introduces government effectiveness as a control variable. Empirical results reveal that government expenditure on health and life expectancy exert significant effect on labour productivity, with government expenditure on health being positive and life expectancy being negative. Similarly, the effect of government expenditure on education is insignificant for labour productivity. Government effectiveness affects labour productivity positively and significantly. The study reiterates the importance of human capital in labour market outcomes while suggesting the need for policies that will ensure adequate investment in human capital. Keywords: Education, Health, Labour Productivity, Sub-Saharan Africa, Human Capital. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/13-6-05 Publication date: March 31 st 2022