Productivity and the Workforce
Radio Spot Broadcast via Texas State Networks on May 02, 2025Dr. Perryman discusses productivity and the workforce.
- Tags:
- productivity
Disruption
Column Published in syndication August 13, 2025"Creative disruption" is a process by which the invention of one very useful thing brings major changes for many others. It is related to "creative destruction" (the rapid obsolescence of some activities as new mechanisms emerge) which dates back to sociologist Werner Sombart over a century ago and was brought into mainstream economic thought by Joseph Schumpeter in the 1940s. These phenomena happen frequently in niches across the economy. For example, telephone switchboard operators largely went away due to automation. These disturbances are healthy and, indeed, essential to progress, but can engender very difficult transitions.
- Tags:
- jobs,
- productivity,
- artificial intelligence
Frazzled, Frustrated, and Fatigued!
Column Published in syndication July 16, 2025Sometimes, our modern technological advances are two edged, and what begins as an improvement may ultimately end up having an unanticipated negative effect on productivity. A recent report by Microsoft illustrates a widespread example of this phenomenon. Trillions of globally aggregated and anonymized Microsoft 365 data bits were used to identify patterns (which are also likely occurring with other, similar platforms). Reviewing these findings, it becomes obvious that workdays have become too long, overly loaded with interruptions, and, thus, less efficient. Let's take a quick look.
- Tags:
- productivity,
- technology
Productivity
Column Published in syndication May 07, 2025Labor productivity rates essentially measure the amount of gross domestic product created per hour of work. It is a crucial measure of both current and potential future economic performance. Simply stated, if you multiply the number of hours worked by the amount of output that each of those hours produces, you have defined total production. Fortunately, recent data for the United States indicates a significant uptick.
- Tags:
- productivity