Via Popular Mechanics Questions for Lillian C. Borrone on Boosting Efficiency in America’s Ports Keeping the nation’s more than 180 ports healthy means more than just dredging channels and patching wharfs. The ports, which are critical for the movement of food, fuel and manufactured goods, have to link efficiently to America’s road and rail infrastructure. We spoke with Lillian C. Borrone, chairman of the Eno Transportation Foundation, a think tank … Continue reading
ViaNY Timeshttp://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?_r=2&emc=tnt&tntget=2008/04/11/world/americas/11fbriefs-WAGELIMITSRE_BRF.html&tntemail0=y&oref=slogin&oref=login Cuba is revamping the state wage system to create more incentive by allowing workers to earn as much as they can, local media said, the latest sign that President Raúl Castro wants to improve the country’s economic performance. “For the first time it is clearly and precisely stated that a salary does not have a limit, that the roof of a salary depends on productivity,” said a television … Continue reading
ViaAFP FRANKFURT (AFP) — German exports have spurred the economy despite strength of the euro, but social policies should be adjusted to encourage Germans to work and study more, the OECD said on Wednesday. The OECD expected growth of the biggest European economy to slow sharply “from 2.5 percent in 2007 to 1.5 percent in 2009,” it said, shaving downwards estimates released in December of 2.6 percent for 2007 and … Continue reading
ViaThanhnien News A national brand will build on Vietnam’s reputation for high quality goods and services Productivity and efficiency should be uppermost in the minds of every Vietnamese citizen and business, says Do Thang Hai, an Industry and Commerce Ministry official of a new initiative to develop a national brand name. How will the National Brand Name Program develop a national brand name by 2050 as it aims to do? … Continue reading
ViaForbes.com CommentaryThe True Cost Of March MadnessBy Chris Schonberger In 2006, one critic took on a report by Challenger, Gray &Christmas–a report claiming that March Madness costs employers $3.8 billion or more in lost productivity from workers. The critic, Slate’s Jack Schafer, wrote that Challenger–a consulting company headquartered in Chicago–reached this catastrophic figure “based on an average wage of $18 an hour and 58 million college basketball fans spending 13.5 … Continue reading
ViaKorea Times By Lee Hyo-sik Staff Reporter South Korea’s labor productivity in accounting, consulting, design and other business-related service sectors lags far behind the United States and other advanced nations. To join the ranks of the developed economies, accordingly, the country needs to strengthen its service industry. The National Statistical Office (NSO) said Tuesday, that using Korea’s labor productivity in these sectors as a baseline set at 100 in 1985, … Continue reading
ViaAllAfrica.com The Analyst (Monrovia)OPINIONBy Syrulwa Somah, Phd As the world is at a blink of energy crisis, Liberia should be proactive to plan for this unnecessary energy crisis quickly with one of her blessings (sugarcane) that can significantly reduce unemployment, deforestation, global warning and open up a huge Sub-Saharan African market for sugarcane growers. In this new Liberia, we ought to be ahead of our time and not slow walk … Continue reading
ViaThe Telegraph, UK You can paint your workplace red and stay in the black. Catherine Quinn looks at the effect of a change of hue on staff productivity Look around you. If you work in an office, what you are likely to see is great swathes of off-white or cream walls. They can be uninspiring, to say the least. Staff may long for a splash of colour to lift the … Continue reading
ViaFortWayne.com Federal program promotes efficiencyCourses provide lessons in cutting costs, saving time By Kimberly PetersonThe Journal Gazette Messenger Co. in Auburn used to operate two shifts five days a week to produce prayer cards and register books for the funeral home industry. But the company was able to eliminate wasted time and materials from its manufacturing process and still increase its business, last year adding a third production shift and … Continue reading
ViaLiveMINT.com Proposed increase will cost Centre Rs30,621 cr in 2008-09; commission recommends minimum govt salary of Rs6,660 By Sanjiv Shankaran and Sangeeta Singh New Delhi: Some four million Union government employees could get up to 50% increase in their annual compensation after the Sixth Central Pay Commission weighed in with much-awaited recommendations that also included significant changes aimed at boosting productivity in the notoriously inefficient Indian bureaucratic corps.The proposed pay … Continue reading