Seeing beyond silos in labour productivity research and policy

Abstract

Abstract How policymakers and academics organize and visualize core ideas affects how they define and perceive problems and generate policy solutions. While understanding complex ideas—such as productivity—as the product of a set of discrete inputs can help target inquiry and structure policy interventions, this can also lead to siloed thinking that neglects dynamic effects and interactions between elements. This paper explores how three organizations conceptualize the ‘productivity puzzle’ and suggests that they might be oversimplifying the roots of productivity. We present a systematic review of labour productivity literature using bibliometric coupling and network analysis to develop an alternative framework and map of themes and gaps. This work encourages policy to (1) adopt a systems lens and perceive productivity as the product of dynamic interactions and (2) think critically about how to structure future research on productivity.