Productivity Puzzles
Join Bart van Ark, Professor of Productivity Studies at the University of Manchester, and the managing director of The Productivity Institute as he brings you discussions with leading minds from the UK and abroad about how to improve productivity for almost everything: from health care to car manufacturing, at national and regional levels, for business and for your own personal productivity. This podcast series investigates why UK productivity is lower than in many other countries and why are there such large differences in productivity across and within the regions and devolved nations. We’ll also get the best insights from res...
S3 E9 · Thu, January 30, 2025
A Productivity Agenda for the Devolved Nations
In this episode of Productivity Puzzles, we examine the productivity performance of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. How do the three devolved nations perform on productivity? What are the differences and the similarities between them? How do they compare to England? The discussion features insights from Melanie Jones, John Turner, and Graeme Roy. Together, they discuss the economic indicators influencing productivity in the devolved nations and explore how regional and national policies can drive productivity growth. Highlighting the role of education, health, and business innovation, the conversation provides an in-depth analysis of the systemic challenges and potential solutions for improving productivity in each of the devolved nations. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Graeme Roy, Professor of Economics, Adam Smith Business School; Assistant Vice Principal, University of Glasgow. John Turner, Professor of Finance and Financial History, Queen’s Business School, Queen’s University Belfast. Melanie Jones, Professor of Economics, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University For more information on the topic: Bart van Ark, Jim Pendrill, Kate Penney, James Wilson, Raquel Ortega-Argilés (2025) Regional Productivity Agenda , The Productivity Institute. Daniel Williams, John Tsoukalas, Bridgette Wessels, Pawel Gaska (2025) Scotland’s Productivity Challenge: Exploring the issues – 2025 . Productivity Insights Paper No. 045, The Productivity Institute. Melanie Jones (2025) Wales’ Productivity Challenge: A Focus on the Future . Productivity Insights Paper No. 051, The Productivity Institute. Ruth Donaldson, David Jordan and John Turner (2025) NI Productivity 2040: Addressing Northern Ireland’s productivity gap for greater prosperity , Productivity Insights Paper No. 049, The Productivity Institute. Ruth Donaldson, David Jordan and John Turner (2024) Northern Ireland Productivity Dashboard 2024 , The Productivity Institute. Productivity Puzzles podcast (2022) The Wales Productivity Challenge , The Productivity Institute. Productivity Puzzles podcast (2021) <a href="https://www.productivity.ac.uk/podcast/productivity-puzzles-episode-6-productivity-in-no
S3 E8 · Thu, January 23, 2025
Strategic Productivity: Unlocking the UK’s Productivity Potential
How do different leaders within a firm think about productivity? This can vary significantly between the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Human Resources Officer, and the Chief Information Officer. How do they work with their teams on productivity-related issues? What are the opportunities and barriers they face? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Irena Teneva, Associate Director of Research & Development team at AICPA/CIMA, which amalgamates the American Institute of Certified Professional Accounts and the UK Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Nina Jörden, Research Associate at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and a member of The Productivity Institute. Marion Devine, Principal Researcher in Human Capital at The Conference Board Europe. For more information on the topic: The Productivity Institute, (2024) Productivity Primer: Why productivity matters for the economy, business and places . Kate Penney and Jim Pendrill (2022), Strategic Productivity for the Leadership Team , The Productivity Institute. Bart van Ark and Marion Devine (2024) Productivity Through People: New Opportunities for CHROs , The Productivity Institute and The Conference Board. Nina Jörden, Wolé Adaramoye and Gerard Kuenning (2024), Navigating the Productivity Paradox: Strategic Insights from Chief Information Officers , Productivity Insights Paper No. 037, The Productivity Institute. Irena Teneva and Bart van Ark (2025), Unlocking Productivity: Collaborative Synergies for Chief Financial Officers, The Productivity Institute - available soon. AICPA & CIMA (2023), The role of finance professionals in driving productivity . Strategic Productivity – Short Business Course , Alliance Manchester Business School in collaboration with The Productivity Institute. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Prod
S3 E7 · Thu, December 19, 2024
Wrapping Up 2024: Is there a productive growth path forward?
2024 has been quite a year. A new government, big plans, but a growth and productivity revival isn’t visible yet. These things take time. Is the UK still on track for a reset of policy to boost growth and productivity? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with how we're thinking about these subjects? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge & Director at The Productivity Institute. Richard Jones, Vice-President for Innovation and Regional Economic Development and Professor of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy, University of Manchester, and Policy Fellow at The Productivity Institute. For more information on the topic: Diane Coyle and Ayantola Alayande. Productivity and Industrial Policy by Design: The UK Experience , International Productivity Monitor, No. 47, Fall 2024. Richard Jones. Taking Anglofuturism Seriously , Soft Machines, 2024. Diane Coyle, Economic Progress and Adam Smith’s Dilemma . National Institute Economic Review , vol. 265, 2023, pp. 5-11. The Productivity Institute’s Response to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper , November 2024. Ayantola Alayande and Diane Coyle (2023) Investment in the UK: Longer Term Trends , Working Paper No. 040, The Productivity Institute. Dietrich Vollrath. Fully Grown: Why a Stagnant Economy Is a Sign of Success . University of Chicago Press, 2020. Charles Goodhart and Manoj Pradhan. T he Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival . Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson. Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity . PublicAffairs, 2023. Diane Coyle. Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be . Princeton University Press, 2021. Diane Coyle, The Measure of Progress: Counting What
S3 E6 · Thu, October 03, 2024
Industrial Strategy: What To Do and What Not To Do?
With a new government in town, industrial strategy is back. Why now? How will it help growth and productivity? How do we get it right? And, perhaps equally important, how do we make sure we don’t get it wrong this time? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Dame Kate Barker , Chair of the Universities Superannuation Scheme and Chair of The Productivity Institute’s Governing Council. Giles Wilkes , Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and Specialist partner at Flint Global. Andrew Westwood , Policy Director, The Productivity Institute and Professor of Public Policy, Government and Business at The University of Manchester. For more information on the topic: Andy Westwood and Giles Wilkes, Can an industrial strategy help drive productivity growth? , The Productivity Institute. “ How can the new government’s industrial strategy help boost productivity? ”, an event co-hosted by the Institute for Government and The Productivity institute, 18 September 2024. Giles Wiles, 10 lessons for successfully restarting an industrial strategy , Institute for Government, 24 June 2024. Bart van Ark, Anna Valero and Andy Westwood, Why the UK needs a new institution for growth and productivity: Could a revamped Industrial Strategy Council be the answer? , The Productivity Institute. Andy Westwood, The Return of Industrial Strategy: Why the US and Europe need to Renew Heartlland Communities? , Cogito, 27 January 2023. CIPD, An industrial Strategy for the Everyday Economy , Policy Papers, July 2023. “ Levelling Up through industrial policy, institutions and fiscal mechanisms ”, Productivity Puzzles, The Productivity Institute, January 2022. Diane Coyle and Adam Muhtar, UK’s Indu
S3 E5 · Thu, July 18, 2024
Business model innovation and strategic productivity
Why is business model innovation the key to an organisation’s productivity? What does it take to do it right? New technologies and new business practices don’t just come out of the blue. They happen because firms embed them in their processes so they can create a valuable proposition for their customers. This episode explores the challenges and opportunities for both large incumbents and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in adopting new business models, particularly in the context of digital transformation and the transition to a net-zero economy. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Sir Charlie Mayfield, former executive chair of John Lewis. Chair of QA Limited and founder and chair of Be the Business. Chander Velu, Professor of Innovation and Economics at the Institute for Manufacturing in the Engineering Department at Cambridge University. For more information on the topic: Chander Velu, Business Innovation: A Blueprint for Strategic Change , Cambridge University Press, 2024. Wit Wannakrairoj and Chander Velu (2021), Productivity growth and business model innovation , Economics Letters, Volume 199, February. The Productivity Institute, Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity? , Productivity Puzzles Podcast, March 2024. The Productivity Institute, Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm? , Productivity Puzzles Podcast, April 2024. The Productivity Institute, How do business leaders think about productivity? , Productivity Puzzles Podcast, May 2024. The Productivity Institute, Should we be worried about business dynamism? , blog. The Productivity Institute, Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm? , blog. The Productivity Institute, How do business leaders think about productivity? , blog.</
S3 E4 · Thu, June 27, 2024
UK Election 2024: A Productivity Plan
The election manifestos published in the second week of June 2024 sparsely recognise the importance of productivity. This is perhaps because it's not the most glamorous topic for voters to be excited about being canvassed on their doorstep. But for any incoming government, productivity will need to run through the core of the policy agenda in the coming years. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Sir Anton Muscatelli , Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. Dame Diane Coyle , Co-Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, and Co-Director of The Productivity Institute. Andy Westwood , Policy Director at The Productivity Institute and Professor of Government Practice at The University of Manchester. For more information on the topic: B. van Ark, N. Pike (2024) Election 2024: A productivity plan for the next UK Government , The Productivity Institute. D. Coyle, B. van Ark, J. Pendrill (2023) The Productivity Agenda , The Productivity Institute. B. van Ark, K. de Vries and D. Pilat (2023), Are Pro-Productivity Policies Fit for Purpose? Productivity Drivers and Policies in G-20 Economies , Working Paper No. 38, The Productivity Institute. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S3 E3 · Thu, May 30, 2024
How do business leaders think about productivity?
Why should firms care about productivity? How does it add to the bottom line? What exactly drives productivity? And how can you get better at it? This episode is a conversation with three current and former business leaders talking about how they think about productivity, what it means to them, and what practical productivity measures their firms use. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Katy Davies , Managing Director of Evolve Your Future. Lou Cordwell , Special Advisor to the Office of the President and Vice-Chancellor at The University of Manchester and Professor of Innovation at the Alliance Manchester Business School. Greg McDonald , Founder and Executive Chair of Goodfish. For more information on the topic: The Productivity Institute, (2024) Productivity Primer: Why productivity matters for the economy, business and places . Kate Penney and Jim Pendrill (2022) Strategic Productivity for the Leadership Team , The Productivity Institute. The Productivity Institute, Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity? , Productivity Puzzles Podcast, March 2024. The Productivity Institute, Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm? , Productivity Puzzles Podcast, April 2024 The Productivity Institute, Should we be worried about business dynamism? , blog. The Productivity Institute, Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm? , blog. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S3 E2 · Thu, April 11, 2024
Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm?
What is the best thing government can do to help improve business productivity? Provide more business support? Create better conditions for doing business? Or simply, get out of the way. In other words, can government policy and business growth ever become a happy marriage? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by a co-host: Stephen Roper , Professor of Enterprise at Warwick Business School, founding Director of the Enterprise Research Centre , Co-Director of the Innovation Research Caucus , and Research Programme Lead on “Firms in Transitions” at The Productivity Institute . Bart and Rebecca are joined by two guest speakers: Jane Galsworthy, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Advice and Steering Group Chair at the Enterprise Research Centre. Tera Allas, Director of Research and Economics at McKinsey & Company, UK, and Chair of the Advisory Committee at The Productivity Institute. For more information on the topic: The Productivity Institute (2023), The Productivity Agenda . The Productivity Institute, Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity? , Productivity Puzzles Podcast, March 2024 The Productivity Institute, Should we be worried about business dynamism? , blog. Enterprise Research Centre (2024) The State of Small Business Britain 2023 . About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S3 E1 · Thu, March 14, 2024
Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity?
What is business dynamism? Do we need a bit more turbulence in business creation, growth and change to get productivity up again? This episode, the first of three on the productivity of firms, looks at the mechanism between productivity and business dynamism, whether there are big differences between countries, and whether and how we can get a bit more turbulence. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by a co-host: Rebecca Riley , Professor of Practice at King’s College London; Director of the Economics Statistics Centre of Excellence; Lead on Measurement and Methods theme at The Productivity Institute Bart and Rebecca are joined by two guest speakers: John Van Reenen , Ronald Coase Chair in Economics at the London School of Economics Professor, where was also the Director of Centre for Economic Performance. Currently John is Director of the Programme on Innovation and Diffusion (POID) Javier Miranda , Professor of Economics, Productivity Research at Friedrich-Schiller University (Jena), and Head of Center for Factor Market Transformation and Productivity Growth at the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH). Co-director of The Competitiveness Research Network (CompNet) For more information on the topic: Jan De Loecker, Tim Obermeier and John Van Reenen (2022), Firms and Inequalities , The IFS Deaton Review. Filippo Biond, Sergio Inferrera, Matthias Mertens and Javier Miranda (2024), Declining Business Dynamism in Europe: The Role of Shocks, Market Power, and Technology . Office of National Statistics (2023), Trend in UK business dynamism and productivity , December 2023. The Productivity Institute (2023), The Productivity Agenda , Chapters 1 and 3. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the <a href="https:/
S2 E12 · Wed, December 20, 2023
Wrapping up Productivity Puzzles 2023: brief interviews with productivity experts
The final episode of Productivity Puzzles Season 2 examines whether 2023 has brought us closer to putting the productivity puzzle together. What are some of the most important insights from this season of the podcast? And what can we learn from The Productivity Institute's Productivity Agenda? The conversation covers the challenges in institutional decision-making, the diffusion of technology and skills, and diversity in firm performance, investment and the adoption of good practices, as well as possible pro-productivity policies for the future. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Diane Coyle - Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. Adrian Pabst - Deputy Director at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Mary O’Mahony - Professor of Economics at King's College Business School in London. Stephen Roper - Professor of Enterprise at Warwick Business School and Director of the Enterprise Research Centre. For more information on the topic: Diane Coyle, Bart van Ark, Jim Pendrill (2023), The Productivity Agenda , The Productivity Institute. HM Government (2022), Levelling Up the UK . National Institute of Economic and Social Research (2023), National Institute UK Economic Outlook: Summer 2023 . Diane Coyle , Kaya Dreesbeimdieck , Annabel Manley (2021), Productivity in UK healthcare during and after the COVID-19 pandemic , The Productivity Institute Working Paper No.002. Jen Nelles, Ben Verinder, Kevin Walsh, Tim Vorley (2023), Skills Innovation and Productivity: The Role of Further Education Colleges in Local and Regional Ecosystems , The Productivity Institute and Innovation Caucus. Diane Coyle, Stella Erker and Andy Westwood (2023), Townscapes: A Universal Basic Infrastructure for the UK , Bennett Institute for Public Policy. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by <a href="http
S2 E11 · Thu, November 30, 2023
Revisiting the UK productivity puzzle: national and regional perspectives
Is the UK Productivity Puzzle anywhere closer to being solved? Where do we see progress? And what are the pieces of the jigsaw that still need to be found? This episode of Productivity Puzzles, released during National Productivity Week, examines the outlook for productivity growth and the best policies that will lead to better outcomes. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Ed Balls, Former Secretary of State and Shadow Chancellor; Professor of Political Economy at King’s College, London, a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. Andy Haldane, CEO of the Royal Society of Arts; Chair of Levelling Up Advisory Council. Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner at Public First; Former education and innovation adviser to the Prime Minister. For more information on the topic: Diane Coyle, Bart van Ark, and Jim Pendrill (eds) (2023), The Productivity Agenda , The Productivity Institute. Dan Turner, Nyasha Weinberg, Esme Elsden and Ed Balls (2023) Why Hasn’t UK Regional Policy Worked? The views of leading practitioners , M-RCBG Associate Working Paper Series | No. 216. Anna Stansbury, Dan Turner & Ed Balls (2023): Tackling the UK’s regional economic inequality: binding constraints and avenues for policy intervention , Contemporary Social Science. Andy Haldane (2017), Productivity Puzzles , Speech at the Bank of England. Andy Haldane (2018), The UK’s Productivity Problem: Hub No Spokes , Speech at the Bank of England. The Productivity Institute (2023), National Productivity Week: a collaborative effort to boost the UK’s productivity . Josh Martin and Nicola Pike (2022), National Productivity Year – 60 years on: reflections and lessons , The Productivity Institute. Xiaowei Xu (2023), The changing geography of jobs , Institute for Fiscal Studi
S2 E10 · Thu, November 09, 2023
Why does the UK do so well on the Global Innovation Index?
How do we measure innovation and compare it across countries? And how can it be that the UK is doing so well as an innovation nation, while we seem to be underperforming on productivity? This episode of Productivity Puzzles takes a deep dive into the latest 2023 Global Innovation Index (GII) and its implications for the UK's productivity. The UK ranks fourth on the Global Innovation Index, showcasing strengths in R&D, scientific output, and intangible asset intensity. But why does that not translate into productivity gains? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, Head of Section, Economics and Statistics Division, and co-editor of The Global Innovation Index (GII) at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Anna Valero, Deputy Director of Programme on Innovation and Diffusion (POID) and Distinguished Policy Fellow, Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics. For more information on the topic: WIPO, The Global Innovation Index 2023: Innovation in the face of uncertainty , September 2023. WIPO, United Kingdom ranking in the Global Innovation Index 2023 , September 2023. WIPO, Science and Technology Cluster Ranking , September 2023. WIPO, Global Innovation Index 2022. What is the future of innovation-driven growth? , September 2022. Richard Jones (2022), Science and innovation policy for hard times: an overview of the UK’s Research and Development landscape , Productivity Insights Paper No. 014, The Productivity Institute. Paul Nightingale and James W. Phillips (2023), Is the UK a world leader in science? , Substack. The Economy 2023 Inquiry, Learning to grow: How to situate a skills strategy in an economic strategy , October 2023 by Rui Costa, Zhaolu Liu, Sandra McNally, Louise Murphy, Christopher Pissarides, Bertha Rohenkohl, Anna Valero and Guglielmo Ventura. The Ec
S2 E9 · Thu, October 12, 2023
What makes firms productive? Lessons learned from across G7 economies
What makes a business productive? Do businesses have a sense of what they’re good at and where to improve? This episode of Productivity Puzzles looks at the Productive Business Index produced by Be The Business, one of The Productivity Institute’s strategic partners. The index, which has been published since 2020, serves as a barometer on how business leaders think their organisation is faring. The discussion looks at what UK businesses can do to catch up with peers in the G7 and how governments can help them to get there. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Anthony Impey , CEO at Be the Business Hannah Barlow, Managing Director at Dunsters Farm Barry Leahey, President at Playdale For more information on the topic: Be the Business, The G7 Productivity Business Index: Putting productivity in context , 2023. Be the Business, Productive Business Index, Edition Six , Q1 2023. FT, UK lags behind G7 peers on productivity due to ‘complacency’ . July 18th, 2023 FT, Why Productivity is So Weak and UK Companies , July 25th 2023. How to become a disruptive leader in a family busines s , Interview with Barry Leahey, Be the Business website. Dunsters Farm: The evolution of a family-run business in unprecedented times , Overview by Be the Business, including regular interviews over 2020/21. Do your research before investing in new tech , Interview with Tom Mathew and Hannah Barlow, Dunsters Farm, on how to make big investment decisions, Be the Business. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity
S2 E8 · Thu, August 31, 2023
Science, Technology, Innovation and Pro-Productivity Policies
What have policies to boost science, technology and innovation done for productivity? Which policies are most effective? Which countries have been most successful in using them? This episode of Productivity Puzzles steps away from the usual panel format to engage in a reflective conversation between Bart van Ark and Dirk Pilat, a seasoned expert with over three decades of experience in shaping science, technology, and innovation policies. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by Dirk Pilat , Research Fellow at The Productivity Institute, University of Manchester; and the Valencia Institute of Economic Research. For more information on the topic: Bart van Ark, Klaas de Vries and Dirk Pilat (2023), Are Pro-Productivity Policies Fit for Purpose? Productivity Drivers and Policies in G-20 Economies, Working Paper, The Productivity Institute. (Available on 15th September 2023). Dirk Pilat (2023), The Rise of Pro-Productivity Institutions: A Review of Analysis and Policy Recommendations . Productivity Insights Paper No. 015, The Productivity Institute. OECD (2023), Artificial Intelligence in Science. Challenges, Opportunities and the Future of Research , Paris. Chiara Criscuolo et al. (2023), Quantifying industrial strategies across nine OECD countries , OECD, Paris. Nicholas Bloom et al. (2020), “Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find?” , American Economic Review , 110(4): 1104–1144. Chander Velu et al. (2023), Adoption of Quantum Technologies and Business Model Innovation , Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge. Matt Clancy, et al. (2023), Want to speed scientific progress? First understand how science policy works , Nature, 24 August 2023. Luc Soete, et al. (2022), Economic Impact of Public R&D: An International Perspective , Industrial and Corporate Change, Vol. 31, pp. 1-18. Paul Nightingale and James Phillips (2023), Is the UK a world leader in science? , James W Phillips Substack. About Productivity Puzzles </p
S2 E7 · Thu, July 27, 2023
Turnaround Cities: Lessons learned for the UK
How have some troubled cities overseas turned themselves around? What did they invest in? How did they organise themselves? Cities are concentrations of economic activity where businesses tend to locate, not just because many of their customers are there, but also because that’s where most of the skilled workers live and where – more broadly – innovation is happening. Economists call this agglomeration effects. But these benefits do not come automatically. Some cities have successfully reinvented themselves, but others struggled in this transformation, such as Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. What lessons can be learned for the UK from successful Turnaround Cities? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Philip McCann , Professor of Urban and Regional Economics at Alliance Manchester Business School Susanne Frick , Postdoctoral Research Associate, Blavatnik School of Government Ian Taylor , Research and Policy Associate, Blavatnik School of Government For more information on the topic: Resolution Foundation (2023), Lessons from successful ‘turnaround’ cities for the UK , London. Susanne Frick and Paula Prenzel (2023), Turnaround Cities: German Case Studies. Insights from Dortmund, Duisburg and Leipzig , Blavatnik School of Government. Susanne Frick(2023), Turnaround Cities: French Case Study: Insights from Lille , Blavatnik School of Government. Susanne Frick (2023), Turnaround Cities: Spanish Case Study: Insights from the Basque Country & Bilbao , Blavatnik School of Government. Ian Taylor (2023), Turnaround Cities: Anglo-Saxon Case Studies. Insights from Pittsburgh (PA), Newcastle (NSW) and Windsor (Ont.) , Blavatnik School of Government. Philip McCann (2021), The Fiscal Implications of ‘Levelling Up’ and UK Governance Devolution , Productivity Insights Paper, No. 008, The Productivity Institute. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The
S2 E6 · Thu, June 29, 2023
Artificial Intelligence and Productivity
Will artificial intelligence rescue us from the productivity demise? If humans cannot get productivity up, can intelligent machines bring about the productivity revival? While certainly not the only digital technology that has come along in the past few decades, AI perhaps speaks to our imagination more than all those before it as it directly impacts on the daily activities of many listeners to this podcast. This episode analyses various facets of AI, including generative AI, its potential applications, estimations of productivity gains, drivers and barriers to adoption, labour market effects, and the UK's strategic response. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Erik Brynjolfsson, Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Professor and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), and Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. Tera Allas, Director of Research and Economics at McKinsey & Company, UK. Lea Samek, Economist at the OECD Science, Technology & Innovation Directorate. For more information on the topic: Martin Neil Baily, Erik Brynjolfsson, and Anton Korinek (2023), Machines of mind: The case for an AI-powered productivity boom , Brookings. McKinsey & Company (2023), The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier , June. Jan Hatzius et al. (2023), The Potentially Large Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Economic Growth , Goldman Sachs. Flavio Calvino and Luca Fontanelli (2023), A portrait of AI adopters across countries: Firm characteristics, assets’ complementarities and productivity , OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2023/02. Andrew Green and Lucas Lamb (2023), The supply, demand and characteristics of the AI workforce across OECD countries , OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers No. 287. Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (2023),<a href="https://assets.publishing
S2 E5 · Thu, May 25, 2023
Greening Productivity
Can we make the economy greener and still be productive? Or even better, can productivity help us to make the economy greener? This episode of Productivity Puzzles examines what climate change and the transition to a Net Zero means for productivity, and whether the challenges to green the economy make it even harder to raise productivity. Crucially, can productivity help to make the economy greener? Can green technology and innovation be used more productively than other technologies? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Anna Valero, Senior Policy Fellow at the Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE and Deputy Director of the Programme on Innovation and Diffusion (POID). Antoine Dechezleprêtre, Senior Economist in the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Division, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), OECD. Jonatan Pinkse, Professor of Strategy, IMP Innovation, Strategy and Sustainability, at the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR), Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester. For more information on the topic: Resolution Foundation (2022), Growing clean: Identifying and investing in sustainable growth opportunities across the UK , The Economy 2030 Inquiry. The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, POID, CEP (2021), Are ‘green’ jobs good jobs? How lessons from the experience to-date can inform labour market transitions of the future . Frank Geels, Jonatan Pinkse, Dimitri Zenghelis (2021) Productivity opportunities and risks in a transformative, low-carbon and digital age . Working Paper No. 009, The Productivity Institute. OECD (2023), Driving low-carbon innovations for climate neutrality , Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 143 Mission Zero. Independent Review of Net Zero , Chris Skidmore, 2022 About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the <a href="https://esrc.ukri.org
S2 E4 · Thu, April 27, 2023
Can We Make the Four-Day Week Work?
Is the five-day work week becoming something of the past? Does working less make us and the organisations that we work for better off? Could it even make us more productive? This episode explores the four-day work week, which has become a popular topic in the media, chats at the water-cooler, and, more recently, in boardrooms. With more firms committing to a shorter work week without a noticeable cut in workers’ wages, Bart and his guests look at how we could maintain productivity while reducing hours by around 20%. To put it differently, can productivity per hour be increased by 25%? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Nina Jörden, Research Associate with the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. Joe Ryle, Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign and Media and Communications Lead at Autonomy. Jon Boys, Senior Labour Market Economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. For more information on the topic: Autonomy, The results are in: the UK's four-day week pilot , February 2023. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, The four-day week: Employer perspectives on moving to a shorter working week , October 2022. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S2 E3 · Thu, March 16, 2023
Skills, Innovation, and Productivity: Further Education Colleges and Place
How do Further Education Colleges contribute to the provision of skills needed for innovation and productivity in regions, cities and towns? How do they identify what businesses need, and how do they work with firms, local government and other schools? This episode of Productivity Puzzles focuses on the findings of a summary report looking into these issues, which was commissioned by The Productivity Institute and supported by the Gatsby Foundation. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Jen Nelles, Senior Research Fellow with the Innovation Caucus and co-director of the Oxford Regions, Innovation, and Enterprise Lab (ORIEL) at Oxford Brookes Business School. Ben Verinder, Founder and Managing Director of Chalkstream Ltd. For more information on the topic: J. Nelles, B. Verinder, K. Walsh and T. Vorley (2023) Skills, Innovation, and Productivity: The Role of Further Education Colleges in Local and Regional Ecosystems , The Productivity Institute and Innovation Caucus. J.Nelles, K. Walsh, M. Papazoglu, T. Vorley (2022) FECS, innovation, and skills: A literature review , Productivity Insights Paper No. 012, The Productivity Institute. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S2 E2 · Thu, February 16, 2023
Science and Innovation Policy for Hard Times
There is a new UK government department for science, innovation, and technology. Will the new standalone entity turn Britain into the science superpower that it hopes to become? Will the new department lift productivity growth during the hard times that the country is currently facing? This episode of Productivity Puzzles investigates these issues and more. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Richard Jones, Vice-President for Innovation and Regional Economic Development and Professor of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy, University of Manchester. Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge. For more information on the topic: Richard A.L. Jones (2022), Science and innovation policy for hard times: an overview of the UK’s Research and Development landscape . Diane Coyle and Jen-Chung Mei (2022), Diagnosing the UK Productivity Slowdown: Which Sectors Matter and Why? . A summary of the paper can be found on the Bennett Institute website . Richard A.L. Jones’ blog, Soft Machines . Richard A.L. Jones, (2007), Soft Machines: Nanotechnology and Life , Oxford University Press. William J. Baumol (2002), The Free-Market Innovation Machine: Analyzing the Growth Miracle of Capitalism , Princeton University Press. Nicholas Bloom, Charles I. Jones, John Van Reenen, and Michael Webb (2020), Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find? , American Economic Review 2020, 110(4): 1104–1144. Jon Agar (2019), Science Policy Under Thatcher , UCL Press. Tristram Hunt (2021), The Radical Potter: Josiah Wedgwood and the Transformation of Britain , Penguin Books. John Harvey-Jones (1990), Troubleshooter, BBC Books (via bookshops). Griliches, Zvi (1957), Hybrid Corn: An Explora
S2 E1 · Thu, January 19, 2023
Global and European Productivity Outlook 2023-2030
What do we know about where productivity is heading? What will happen to productivity in the UK, around Europe, and even around the world? This episode takes a forward-looking perspective on future productivity and what needs to be done to realise that productivity potential. What policy changes can be made and what measures can businesses implement to improve the productivity outlook. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Catherine Mann, External member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England Kitty Ussher , Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors Klaas de Vries, Senior Economist at the Conference Board For more information on the topic: The Conference Board, Total Economy Database The Conference Board, Global Economic Outlook . Abdul Azeez Erumban and Klaas de Vries, Global Growth Projections for The Conference Board Global Economic Outlook 2019 , The Conference Board, 2018. Klaas de Vries & Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, What is the future of innovation-driven growth: Productivity stagnation or revival? , World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 2022. The Institute of Directors, How To Increase Business Investment: IoD response to the Treasury workstream on ‘People, Capital and Ideas’ , 2022. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S1 E20 · Thu, September 01, 2022
The Productivity Policy Agenda: Short-Term Priorities and Long-Term Commitments
Should the next Prime Minister embrace productivity as a cornerstone of the policy agenda for the new UK government in September? Can it help to get us through the economic winter ahead of us, and onto a path of sustained recovery? What policies are most critical, what should be continued, strengthened or perhaps stopped? The final episode of Season 1 of Productivity Puzzles looks at the policy agenda for the new government, with discussion on the key elements that will help productivity to recover. In the short-term, what role does productivity have in dealing with the current problems of rising cost and shortages of labour and energy? Over the long-term, what should the government focus on to address the issues in a fundamental way? To access the Making Public Sector Productivity Practical report referenced in this episode, visit Capita’s website . Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Diane Coyle, Co-director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge Catherine Mann, External member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England Adrian Pabst, Deputy Director at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) For more information on the topic: Diane Coyle, Tax cut vows are a distraction from the UK’s woeful productivity , FT, August 2nd, 2022. Bart van Ark and Diane Coyle, Can public services improve their productivity without new funding? , The Productivity Institute, 2022. Bart van Ark, Making Public Sector Productivity Practical , The Productivity Institute, 2022. Paul Mortimer-Lee and Adrian Pabst, Covid-19 and Productivity: Impact and Implications , NIESR/TPI, 2022. Arnab Bhattacharjee, Max Mosley, Adrian Pabst, and Tibor Szendrei, Outlook for UK Households, the Devolved Nations and the English Regions , NIESR, National Institute UK Economic Outlook – Summer 2022. NIESR/TPI, <a href="https://www.niesr.ac.uk/publications/productivity-uk-evidence-review?type=uk-productivity
S1 E19 · Wed, July 20, 2022
Making Public Sector Productivity Practical
Despite showing slow productivity growth over the past decade, the public sector has performed better than the private sector and there is quite a bit of scope for further improvement. This instalment of Productivity Puzzles delves into how and why productivity could grow in the public sector. This episode is a prelude to the publication of the Making Public Sector Productivity Practical report, which is soon to be released by The Productivity Institute and Capita. You can pre-register to access the report on Capita’s website . Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Paul Abraham , Managing Director & Client Partner at Capita Public Service Stephen Aldridge , Chief Economist and Director of Analysis and Data at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Anna Smart , Systems Thinking/Organisational Design Lead at London Borough of Camden For more information on the topic: Making Public Sector Productivity Practical - Executive Summary , 2022, Bart van Ark. Improving public sector efficiency to deliver a smarter state , 2016, Stephen Aldridge, Angus Hawkins and Cody Xuereb. Institutional drivers of efficiency in the public sector , OECD, 2007, Wouter van Dooren, Zsuzsanna Lonti, Miekatrien Sterk and Geert Bouckaert. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S1 E18 · Wed, July 06, 2022
Productivity and well-being
How can productivity benefit not just business and the economy, but also ourselves? What does it take for a society to grow productivity and raise well-being? Can digital technology make us happier, as well as more productive? In this episode, we look at which investments are needed to create more well-being and what role social factors, such as trust, play in raising productivity and well-being. The discussion is varied, with conversations about how we measure well-being effectively and what further data is needed to make informed choices, as well as a debate on whether digital technology has a positive impact on our lives and on our productivity as a whole. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Conal Smith , Senior Economist at the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies at Victoria University of Wellington Tim Hazledine , Professor of Economics at the University of Auckland Business School (retired) Diane Coyle , Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge For more information on the topic: The International Productivity Monitor, number 42, is available from The Productivity Institute resource centre with copies of all of the papers referenced in this episode. Well-being and Productivity: A Capital Stocks Approach , 2021, Conal Smith and Jaimie Legge. Trust, Deep Trust, Productivity and Well-being in 136 Countries , 2021 Tim Hazledine. Time Use, Productivity, and Household-Centric Measurement of Welfare in the Digital Economy , 2021, Diane Coyle and Leonard Nakamura. World Happiness Report , 2022. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S1 E17 · Wed, June 15, 2022
The Wales Productivity Challenge
Did you know that the manufacturing sector in Wales accounts for a larger share of the economy than elsewhere in the UK? That the Welsh economy is also developing exciting new activities in arts and culture and tackling the difficult balancing act between raising productivity and improving health and well-being head on? In this episode, we take a deep dive into the productivity performance of Wales and how it stacks up against the rest of the UK. We’ll discuss the key drivers, sectors and resources as well differences between large and small businesses and regions. There is also an interesting question on how productivity fits in with the Welsh Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and the parallels between Net Zero and productivity growth. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Andrew Henley , Professor of Entrepreneurship and Economics, Director of Research Engagement and Impact Cardiff Business School Rhian Elston , Investment Director at Development Bank of Wales. Ben Cottam , Head of Wales, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) For more information on the topic: Wales’ Productivity Challenge: Exploring the issues The Wales Productivity Forum Scoping the future of Innovation Policy in Wales , May 2021 by Rick Delbridge, Dyla Henderson and Kevin Morgan About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S1 E16 · Wed, May 11, 2022
Can productivity rescue the global economic recovery?
Are economies making the most of their human and material resources? Through most of modern history, we've assumed that progress in technology and efficiency will make every person employed and our work more productive over time. Is this a hopeful trend? Is it still holding true? Will it hold true throughout the 21st Century? This special episode of Productivity Puzzles has been produced in conjunction with The Conference Board, a non-profit business membership and research group organisation based in New York. For a change, The Productivity Institute’s Managing Director Bart van Ark is not hosting, but is instead being interviewed about global productivity by The Conference Board’s CEO, Steve Odland. The topics covered in this episode include globalisation, the role of governments in facilitating productive companies, the diffusion of technology, labour shortages and whether productivity growth is linear. Our guests: Steve Odland, CEO of The Conference Board Bart van Ark, Managing Director of the Productivity Institute and Professor of Productivity Studies at the Alliance Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester For more information on the topic: The Conference Board, Global Labor Productivity 2022: Stagnating, But Still Above Prepandemic Levels , 2022 About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S1 E15 · Wed, April 27, 2022
Restarting the Future: How Intangibles Can Fuel Productivity
Why has economic growth slowed down? Have we already exhausted the benefits from the digital revolution? Are the trusted institutions of the 20th century now failing in the investments most needed for future growth in productivity? This episode takes a deep dive into the book Restarting the Future: How to Fix the Intangible Economy, which provides a new explanation for why growth has slowed and why we need a reset of institutions and policies. The topics covered include R&D, software, design, training, reputation & branding and business processes. Intangible capital offers the same characteristic as tangible capital of providing value over time, but it is not something you can touch and feel. It includes many assets that are critical to modern businesses, such as data, software and R&D. Crucially, intangibles are frequently characterised by scalability, sunkenness, spillovers and synergies. Our guests: Jonathan Haskel , Professor of Economics at Imperial College Business School and External Monetary Policy Committee member at Bank of England Stian Westlake , Chief Executive of the Royal Statistical Society Diane Coyle , Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge For more information on the topic: Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake, Restarting the Future. How to Fix the Intangible Economy , Princeton, 2022 Diane Coyle, Grasping the intangible nettles , The Enlightened Economist, 5 March 2022 Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake, Capitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy , Princeton, 2017 Diane Coyle and Jen-Chung Mei, Diagnosing the UK Productivity Slowdown: Which Sectors Matter and Why? , The Productivity Institute, 2022 About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S1 E14 · Wed, April 13, 2022
Staying productive in uncertain times
How do we respond to uncertainties that crises create? Are they holding us back in investing, hiring and innovating? Or can crises make us more agile and resilient, perhaps even more creative and inventive? How do we balance risks and opportunities? And what might that mean for productivity? The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and the renewed level of geopolitical uncertainty from the war in Ukraine will upset our economies, businesses, jobs and living standards for years to come. Host Bart van Ark is joined by three experts in economic and business forecasting to discuss how global political and economic uncertainty affects productivity and what we can do to respond. Our guests: Jagjit Chadha, Director, National Institute of Economic and Social Research Rain Newton-Smith, Chief Economist, Confederation of British Industry Paul Mizen, Professor of Monetary Economics, University of Nottingham For more information on the topic: The Bank of England’s Decision Maker Panel NIESR, The Economic Costs of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict , 2 March 2022 CBI, The Economic Impact of Crisis in Ukraine , 14 March 2022 Edoardo Palombo, Uncertainty, Intangible Capital, and Productivity Dynamics , Queen Mary, University of London, 2020 Dario Caldra and Matteo Iacoviello, Measuring Geopolitical Risk , AER, 2022. Joseph McCann and John W. Selsky, Being Purposeful in Turbulent Environments , People and Strategy, 2012, pp.28-34. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S1 E13 · Wed, March 23, 2022
New business formation and productivity
Why do we need new firms? How important is business creation for employment and productivity? How has the coronavirus pandemic affected the churning of businesses? In this episode of Productivity Puzzles, we discuss business dynamism, which is about the birth, growth and decline of businesses, also called churning. The evidence shows that churning is good for the creation of new jobs, for providing opportunities for firm, industries and regions to invest and grow, and a key driver of productivity. Recent ONS data also shows that while older firms in the UK are the most productive, it’s the newer ones that show the fastest growth in productivity. But there are differences in business dynamics across industries, and also differences across regions. We look at how the business environment needs to change and what policies need to be put in place to see more new firm creation and what is needed to help them grow and become more productive. Host Bart van Ark is joined by: Anthony Impey , CEO of Be The Business, an independent not-for-profit organisation helping small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) boost their performance Clare Elsby , Head of People and Culture at Elsby & Co, an accountancy firm specialised in the SME market. Jakob Schneebacher from the Office for National Statistics Publications mentioned in the podcast Spotlight on Innovation, FSB Policy Report July 2018 How Government can unlock small business productivity ONS: Firm-level labour productivity measures from the Annual Business Survey, UK: 1998 to 2019 For more information on the topic: ONS, Business demography, UK: 2020; Change in the number of UK businesses broken down by district and industry A. Duncan et al., Trough to Boom: UK firm creation during the COVID-19 pandemic , NIESR, May 2021 B. Nasbitt, Firm Creation, Geography and Productivity, in Covid-19 and Productivity: Impact and Implications , Section 7, pp. 88-105 About Productivity Puzzles: Pr
S1 E12 · Wed, March 09, 2022
The Links Between Productivity and Pay
Productivity is key to sustained economic growth, but how does it make each of us financially better off? Do productivity gains always end up in our pockets in terms of better pay? In this episode, we’ve invited scholars from the US, Canada and the UK to discuss their recent research, published in the International Productivity Monitor, which suggests productivity doesn't always make everyone better off. We are going to explore how and why the links between productivity and pay have changed over time, look at the key drivers and discuss what can be done about it. And if productivity doesn’t always lead to wage growth, what happens if that changes - are companies that pay better likely to become more productive? Let’s find out. Our guests are: Anna Stansbury , Assistant Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Larry Mishel , a distinguished fellow at Economic Policy Institute in Washington DC. Andreas Teichgräber , a researcher at the Centre Economic Performance at London School of Economics, and a member of the Programme on Innovation and Diffusion (POID). For more information on the research discussed in this episode and published in the International Productivity Monitor Edition 41, visit: Have Productivity and Pay Decoupled in the UK? By Andreas Teichgräber and John Van Reenen. Productivity and Pay in the United States and Canada by Jacob Greenspon, Anna Stansbury, Lawrence H. Summers. The Productivity-Median Compensation Gap in the United States: The Contribution of Increased Wage Inequality and the Role of Policy Choices by Lawrence Mishel and Josh Bivens. The Evolution of the Productivity-Median Wage Gap in Canada, 1976-2019 by Andrew Sharpe and James Ashwell. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute , a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council .
S1 E11 · Wed, January 12, 2022
Levelling Up and Productivity: The Role of Industrial Policy, Institutions and Fiscal Mechanisms
How do we level up regions in a sustained manner - raising productivity and living standards, and reducing inequalities? Why do institutions matter and what should change to make it work? The government introduced its Levelling Up agenda to the UK as part of its 2019 election manifesto and a long-promised White Paper on the subject is expected soon. There has been no shortage of suggestions in recent months on what to do to advance economic and social progress in UK-wide regions and cities, and how to reduce inequalities between places and groups in the population. In this episode, we’ve stepped back a bit from those critical needs and asked ourselves the questions of how policy, institutions and fiscal mechanisms can become less centralised, better coordinated and more long-term oriented. Host Bart van Ark talks with three of The Productivity Institute’s thematic leads - Professors Diane Coyle, Andy Westwood and Philip McCann - to discuss their recent research relating to Levelling Up in relation to UK industrial policy, local growth and fiscal implications of governance devolution. Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. For more information: UK’s Industrial Policy: Learning from the past? By Diane Coyle and Adam Muthar Read the Insight Paper Read the Executive Summary Levelling Up, Local Growth and Productivity in England by Andy Westwood, Marianne Sensier and Nicola Pike Read the Insight Paper Read the Executive Summary The fiscal implication of levelling up and UK governance devolution by Philip McCann Read the Insight Paper Read the Executive Summary Ahead of the government’s White Paper in Levelling Up expected in 2022
S1 E10 · Wed, December 01, 2021
Health and Productivity in the Workplace
Are healthy workers productive workers? And if so, why do companies still struggle to put health and well-being at the centre of good business performance? And how can this be changed? In this episode, host Bart van Ark is joined by Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Alliance Manchester Business School. He’s a world leading expert on workers’ health and well-being and also President of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development in the UK. They discuss the impact of the Covid pandemic on health and productivity, the challenges of new ways of working and why the health and well-being of a workforce should be a more central business imperative. The Healthy Workforce: Enhancing Wellbeing and Productivity in the Workers of the Future - Future of Work by Stephen Bevan and Cary L. Cooper is available in all good bookstores. https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Healthy-Workforce-by-Stephen-Bevan-author-Cary-L-Cooper-author/9781838675028 To watch Cary debate the virtues and vices of working from home with Professor Diane Coyle at our business conference, visit our YouTube channel to watch Can hybrid work improve workers’ well-being and productivity? https://youtu.be/YDR2TF257S0 Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E9 · Wed, November 17, 2021
Can labour shortages help raise productivity?
How do we keep our shelves stocked for Christmas? Can we be sure our favourite restaurant will stay open? Does the NHS have the staff to reduce ever-growing waiting lists? Can productivity growth help to face the challenges of rising labour shortages in the UK economy? In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the issue of an increased shortage of workers in our economy - especially so-called “skilled blue collar workers”. Host Bart van Ark is joined Yael Selfin, a Partner and Chief Economist at KPMG; Anthony Rafferty, Professor in Employment Studies and Managing Director of the Work and Equalities Institute at The University of Manchester; and Tony Venables, Professor of Economics and the Research Director at The Productivity Institute. Together they’ll discuss if the current labour shortages are something the UK could have been better prepared for - even before the Covid pandemic and ask if the current problems could actually be the trigger to move to a world of higher wages, better skills and higher productivity. For more information: - Read Tony Venables’ blog “Labour shortages, productivity and incomes” https://www.productivity.ac.uk/news/labour-shortages-productivity-and-incomes/ - Watch Practical Productivity with Mark Logan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZP71oj6zMo&t=1235s - Listen to Episode 8 of Productivity Puzzles https://pod.co/productivity-puzzles/practical-productivity-how-to-transform-performance with Mark Logan (Aston University), Mark Hart (Glasgow University) and Paul Abraham (Capita) Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E8 · Wed, October 13, 2021
Practical Productivity: How to Transform Performance?
How can companies transform their business by becoming more productive? What are the things stopping us doing this? What simple practical techniques are there to restore and increase productivity? In short, what is practical productivity? We’ve often said it before - productivity is not the thing that keeps most business leaders awake at night. Productivity is not usually part of a company’s KPIs, and while many in our audience don’t need convincing on why productivity matters overall, we don’t necessarily always have clear ideas of what the key levers are at the firm level. So, let’s get practical about productivity. Host Bart van Ark is joined by: Mark Logan , Professor in Practice, School of Computing Science & former COO of Skyscanner; Mark Hart , Professor of Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School & Deputy Director, Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) Paul Abraham , Managing Director & Client Partner at Capita Local Public Service Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E7 · Thu, September 09, 2021
Can we still measure productivity in the modern economy?
The one big question anyone working on productivity issues gets most is: how do you actually measure it? How do we count what we make? And can we capture everything needed to produce products and services? And can economists and statisticians keep up with the rapid changes in today’s modern economy? To answer these questions, host Bart van Ark is joined by Josh Martin, Head of Productivity at the Office for National Statistics, Rebecca Riley, director of the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence and Professor of Practice at King’s Business School and Jonathan Haskel, Professor of Economics at Imperial College Business School. Together they discuss productivity measurement from the widget counting days of economist founding father Adam Smith to today’s methods that include the service economy, new technologies, worker well-being and the environment. Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E6 · Wed, August 18, 2021
How can productivity create sustained growth in Northern Ireland?
This year marks the centenary of Northern Ireland’s creation. What has it done for the economy? And in particular for the productivity of its people and businesses? Has greater economic stability in the 23 years since the Good Friday agreement helped to advance productivity? And what will Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol mean for productivity going forward? Host Bart van Ark talks to three experts - Dame Rotha Johnston, Professor John Turner and Dr. Esmond Birnie about the productivity pearls and perils in Northern Ireland. Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E5 · Wed, July 14, 2021
Will hybrid and flexible work help or hurt productivity and well-being?
Are hybrid working models good for productivity? Do employers and employees think differently about the pros and cons? And how does flexible working affect our mental health and well-being? Is there a trade off with productivity that we need to think about? Let’s find out. In this episode, host Bart van Ark talks to Andy Start, CEO Government Services (Capita) & Professor Diane Coyle of the University of Cambridge about how the pandemic has dramatically changed the way many of us work and the positive and negative effects its had on personal and organisational productivity. Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E4 · Wed, June 23, 2021
Can levelling up raise productivity in the Northern Powerhouse?
In this episode Bart talks to Lord Jim O’Neill, Dame Nancy Rothwell & Professor Philip McCann about raising productivity in the Northern Powerhouse, a powerful concept introduced more than five years ago with the aim to rebuild a competitive economy in northern England. Our guests have been there from the start and discuss what it’s delivered so far, its challenges, future directions and how it contributes to the government’s levelling-up agenda. Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E3 · Wed, June 09, 2021
Productivity in UK health care during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
In this episode Bart talks to Prof. Diane Coyle, Dr. Jennifer Dixon & Kaya M. Dreesbeimdiek on productivity in UK health care during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss how we measure health productivity. What has happened to health productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic? How do we rebuild a resilient health care sector to enable higher productivity in an uncertain environment? Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E2 · Wed, June 02, 2021
Productivity in the post-COVID 19 era
Could COVID 19 be the game changer for the economy and create a true productivity miracle in the coming years? In this episode Bart talks to McKinsey’s Jan Mischke and Tera Allas about a recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute: “Will productivity and growth return after the COVID-19 crisis?” They discuss why businesses should focus on operational efficiency to improve productivity, how the boldest firms have emerged the strongest from the crisis and how rapid digitisation is transforming the retail and healthcare sectors. Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
S1 E1 · Wed, May 26, 2021
Why Does Productivity Matter?
In this episode Bart talks to three esteemed economists - Andy Haldane, Dame Kate Barker and Professor Nick Crafts - who explain what productivity actually is and why it matters to everyone. They discuss why UK productivity has slowed down since the 2008 financial crisis, creating a rising gap between the UK and other advanced economies in Europe. They also explain why increased productivity is important for raising living standards - drawing on lessons from the industrial revolution, how it has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and what critical things can be done to manage the post-crisis challenges. Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/ Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk
Trailer · Wed, May 12, 2021
Welcome to Productivity Puzzles
Why does productivity matter? How can it drive business success, economic recovery, but also prosperity, wellbeing and inclusive sustainable growth? Join Bart van Ark, Professor of Productivity Studies at the University of Manchester, and the managing director of The Productivity Institute as he bring you discussions with leading minds from the UK and abroad about how to improve productivity for almost everything: from health care to car manufacturing, at national and regional levels, for business and for your own personal productivity. We’ll investigate why UK productivity is lower than in many other countries and why are there such large differences in productivity across and within the regions and devolved nations. We’ll also get the best insights from research on smart policies and effective business practices to increase productivity and find out how this will drive prosperity, wellbeing and inclusive sustainable growth. Productivity Puzzles sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research project involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight regional productivity forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/
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