Evaluating a productivity measurement system

Declining productivity is an important problem facing our nation. The conceptualization, measurement, and evaluation of productivity measurement are all important facets of this problem currently confronting the scientific community. This paper focuses upon the evaluation of productivity measurement systems. A review of productivity literature exemplifies an important problem studied by a diverse group of people representing a number of disciplines. Each group has their own paradigm of productivity and subsequently each field measures productivity in a different manner. These past conceptualizations and measurement techniques have been flawed or have not covered the entire domain of productivity. A new system of productivity measurement is reviewed. It was evaluated in order to exemplify criteria for judging the adequacy of other productivity measurement systems. The system was evaluated against the criteria of validity, reliability, and a subjective evaluation by system users. Results are presented that address each criteria. The content and construct validity of the system were both assessed. Results Indicated that there was evidence to support a claim of the content validity of the productivity measurement system. A nomological network also tended to support the construct validity of the system. Reliability analyses showed that the overall judgments used by management to create the system were very consistent across time (and a partial change in organization management) while some of the most specific judgments used in system construction varied in their reliability. Finally, users expressed extremely favorable opinions of the system.