How firms are structured, the management practices they develop, as well as the way in which workers and managers interact can have wider implications for both the performance of the firm and the well-being of its workers. This volume contains ten original articles that investigate aspects related to workplace practices and productivity.

In recent years, globalization and the expansion of information technologies have reshaped managerial practices, forcing multinational firms to adjust business practices to different environments and domestic companies to adjust to their foreign competitors. In International Differences in the Business Practices and Productivity of Firms, a distinguished group of contributors examines the phenomenon of widespread differences in managerial practices across firms, establishments within firms, and countries. This volume brings together eight studies that combine qualitative and quantitative insider analysis of business practices such as the use of teams, incentive pay, lean manufacturing, and quality control, revealing the elements that determine which practices are adopted and why. International Differences in the Business Practices and Productivity of Firms offers a much-needed model for measuring the productivity and performance of international firms in a fast-paced global economy.

How firms are structured, the management practices they develop, as well as the way in which workers and managers interact can have wider implications for both the performance of the firm and the well-being of its workers. This volume contains ten original articles that investigate aspects related to workplace practices and productivity.

Practical time management strategies for the modern workplace We all have the same number of minutes in a day—the secret to productivity is using them in the right way. Become the master of your own time with The Workplace Guide to Time Management. This handbook is full of scientifically supported methods for improving your time management skills. You'll learn how to combine efficiency with productivity to reduce stress and transform your professional and personal life. Find out the root causes of your biggest time management challenges. Tackle the technological and environmental obstacles to your productivity in both office and remote settings. Delve into activities and exercises to help you gain clarity, brainstorm ideas, and solve problems. Practical techniques—Learn proven methods to break bad habits, reduce distractions, prioritize tasks, improve your focus, stay organized, and boost productivity. Troubleshooting time issues—Discover emergency strategies for the times life throws a curveball like a technology failure, a late delivery, or a colleague's absence. Productivity stories—Read real-life stories from others who struggle with time management to help you feel less alone—and remind you that change is possible. Harness your greatest resource—your own time—with these everyday strategies.

Many critics of free-market liberalism argue that higher product-market competition and the "Anglo-Saxon" management practices it stimulates increases productivity only at the expense of employees' work-life balance (WLB). The empirical basis of these claims is unclear. To address this issue we use an innovative survey tool to collect the first international data on management practices and work-life balance practices, surveying 732 medium sized manufacturing firms in the US, France, Germany and the UK. We find that WLB outcomes are significantly associated with better management, so that well run firms are both more productive and better for their employees. After controlling for management practices, however, we find no additional relationship between WLB and productivity. WLB practices are also not reduced by tougher competition, suggesting no deleterious effect of competition on employees' working environment. Finally, looking at multinationals we find that US subsidiaries in Europe adopt the superior management practices of their US parent firms but the local WLB practices of their European competitors.

Contains fresh knowledge on the effects of the economic downturn on employment and income distribution. This title also contains research papers offering fresh insights into issues such as how wages, employment and incomes are affected by the crisis, which demographic groups are most vulnerable in the recession, and more.

How firms are structured, the management practices they develop, as well as the way in which workers and managers interact can have wider implications for both the performance of the firm and the well-being of its workers. This volume contains ten original articles that investigate aspects related to workplace practices and productivity.