Productivity, product quality and workforce skills: food processing in four European countries

Geoff Mason, Bart van Ark and Karin Wagner ()

No 34, National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers from National Institute of Economic and Social Research

Abstract: This paper reports on a detailed comparison of productivity, machinery and skills in matched samples of food manufacturing (biscuit) plants in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and France. In comparing labour productivity levels, explicit account was taken of inter‐country differences in the mix of product‐qualities as well as differences in physical quantities produced per person‐hour. Real &dquo;quality‐adjusted&dquo; productivity levels were highest in the German sample, about 15 per cent on average above those in the Netherlands and France and about 40 per cent higher than in Britain. International differences in value added per ton were found to be at least as important as differences in crude tonnage produced per person‐hour. The pattern of advantage could not be attributed to inter‐country variation in the age and sophistication of capital equipment. However, there were important differences in workforce skill levels which could be linked to both relative productivity performance and the predominant choice of product strategy in each country. Contact NIESR if copy required

Date: 1993-05
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nsr:niesrd:34

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