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Explore every episode of the podcast Productivity Puzzles

Dive into the complete episode list for Productivity Puzzles. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
What Will It Take to Raise UK Productivity?15 oct. 202600:49:55

Is the UK’s recent productivity recovery a sign of lasting improvement? How could AI, technology adoption and shifting global economic conditions shape the country’s future productivity?

This episode of Productivity Puzzles explores the challenges facing the UK economy, from weak technology diffusion and widening gaps between firms to trade, competitiveness and the priorities needed to support long-term productivity growth.

Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:

  • Professor Jun Du, TPI Managing Director and Professor of Economics at Alliance Manchester Business School


For more information on the topic:


About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

The Productivity Impetus from Generative AI30 juil. 202600:50:10

Generative AI has moved from curiosity to everyday tool with remarkable speed. But the big productivity question is not simply whether people are using it; it is whether firms, sectors and economies can turn that use into lasting productivity gains.

This episode of Productivity Puzzles explores the challenges and opportunities that Generative AI presents, centring on a new article just published in the International Productivity Monitor, the joint journal of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards and The Productivity Institute.

Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:

  • Martin Baily, Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Brookings Institution
  • Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy and Research Director, Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge

For more information on the topic:

About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

Why do Firms (not) Invest?25 juin 202600:51:51

Why do firms invest when they do and not necessarily when they should? Are firms too cautious to invest? Or just realistic about uncertainty? Is the real investment gap about money or about mindset?

This episode of Productivity Puzzles explores why the UK has invested less than its peers, drawing on two brand-new studies from The Productivity Institute: one looking at how firms invest, the other at how managers think.

Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:

  • Tera Allas, Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School, Chair Advisory Board, at The Productivity Institute.
  • 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.
  • Catherine Mann, Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School, External Member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England, Programme Lead on “Finance and Investment” at The Productivity Institute.

For more information on the topic:

E. Golubova, S. Roper (2026) Understanding productive investment decisions: Investment patterns and decision-making processes, The Productivity Institute and Enterprise Research Centre.

T. Allas, S. Roper (2026) Ambitious but risk averse: UK manager attitudes and the investment gap, The Productivity Institute.

C. Mann (2026) Finance, Investment, and Productivity: Distillation and Synthesis of TPI Research Programme on Finance. Productivity Insights Paper No. 085, The Productivity Institute.

T. Allas, D. Zenghelis (2025) The UK’s capital gap: a short-fall in the trillions of pounds that will take decades to bridge. Productivity Insights Paper No. 055, The Productivity Institute.

C. Mann (2024) UK Business Investment: Economists, Managers, Financiers. An Integrated Framework to Analyse the Past and Underpin Prospects. Productivity Insights Paper No. 036, The Productivity Institute.

Productivity Puzzles podcast, Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity?, The Productivity Institute.

Y. Xue, C. Mann (2026) Cost of Capital and Investment: Evidence from the UK. Working Paper No. 072, The Productivity Institute

S. Roper, R. Owen (2026) The early-stage, equity-finance journey of potential high-growth companies in the UK, Department for Business and Trade.

About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

Ask the expert on… keeping Britain working: health, work and productivity01 mai 202600:27:50

If one in five working‑age people are inactive, what does that say about the UK’s productivity problem? Why does ill health push so many people out of work in the UK, but not in peer countries?


Rising economic inactivity linked to health has become a major challenge for the UK economy. In this discussion, Charlie Mayfield draws on insights from the Keep Britain Working review to explore the role employers can play in supporting people to remain in work. The conversation examines how workplace practices, health support and collaboration between employers, government and communities can help strengthen workforce participation and productivity.


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:


  • Charlie Mayfield, Chair, Keep Britain Working Review, and Former Chair, John Lewis Partnership


For more information on the topic:




About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

Ask the expert on… skills, education and regional productivity30 avr. 202600:31:05

If universities are engines of growth, why isn’t productivity accelerating? What’s the point of educating graduates if regions can’t keep or use them?


Skills are central to regional economic performance, but translating the supply of graduates into broader workforce productivity remains a challenge. In this session, Duncan Ivison discusses the relationship between higher education, further education and place-based development. Using Greater Manchester as an illustration and drawing on international examples, the conversation explores how policy can strengthen skills systems, support graduate retention and migration, and better connect education with regional economic growth.


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:


  • Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Manchester


For more information on the topic:




About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

Ask the expert on… what is productivity? 29 avr. 202600:29:34

Do we need to rethink how we measure productivity in the age of digital technologies and AI?


Productivity is a fundamental measure of how effectively people, firms and places transform resources into improved living standards. Diane Coyle talks about why understanding productivity depends on improved economic measurement, including more accurate valuation of intangible, natural and digital capital. She also explains why the effects of technologies such as digitalisation and AI remain difficult to capture in traditional statistics, with significant implications for policy and how we judge economic progress.


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:


  • Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge


For more information on the topic:



About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

Ask the expert on… making digital technologies deliver productivity28 avr. 202600:29:43

Why doesn’t digital technology always translate into productivity growth? What if the technology and your business model don’t quite fit?


Despite unprecedented advances in digital technologies, productivity growth has stalled, revealing a striking paradox: innovation is abundant, but its benefits are not. We discuss with Chander Velu why the issue lies not in the technologies themselves but in the failure to redesign how organisations create and capture value when adopting automation, digital fabrication, or quantum technologies.


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:


  • Chander Velu, Professor in Innovation and Economics, University of Cambridge


For more information on the topic:



About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

Ask the expert on… regional productivity and place-based growth27 avr. 202600:30:34

Why do places matter for productivity? If productivity is local, why is policy still so centralised in the UK?


Productivity varies widely across regions, shaping economic opportunity and growth. Drawing on international evidence and Philip McCann’s extensive research on regional development, the discussion considers how cities and regions can strengthen their economic performance and contribute to national productivity growth. 


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:


  • Philip McCann, Sir Terry Leahy Chair in Urban and Regional Economics, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester


For more information on the topic:



About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

What Does it Take to Improve NHS Productivity?17 mars 202600:50:43

Why does productivity vary so widely between NHS organisations? Can new technologies like AI and remote monitoring help the health service seize the opportunity to redesign care for the long term? 

This episode of Productivity Puzzles explores the critical challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s health service, with a discussion centring on the NHS Productivity Commission’s major new report, From Diagnosis to Delivery: A Framework for Accelerating NHS Productivity Growth.

Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:

  • Anita Charlesworth, Senior Economic Adviser at the Health Foundation and co-chair of the NHS Productivity Commission.
  • Tera Allas, Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School and co-chair of the NHS Productivity Commission.
  • Mark Britnell, Professor at the Global Business School for Health at University College London and Chair of Health Innovation Manchester.


For more information on the topic:



About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.



Place-Based Policy Making in Modern Times16 janv. 202600:50:41

What does it really mean to grow a place? This episode unpacks the concept of place-based productivity and explores how it differs from traditional regional development. The discussion examines real-world examples and whether this approach works everywhere, from rural towns to major metropolitan areas.

The episode also looks at how the world is changing around place-based strategies, diving into the big shifts shaping the landscape: deglobalisation, digitalisation, and political upheaval. Should policy stay technocratic, or embrace politics to make place-based growth stick?

Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:


  • Jeff Anderson, Professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown University.
  • Andy Westwood, Professor of Public Policy, Government and Business at The University of Manchester and Policy Director at The Productivity Institute.


For more information on the topic:


About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.



Will We Get a Productive Budget?18 nov. 202500:45:39

The Chancellor’s Budget is on the horizon. Will it bring higher taxes, deeper cuts, or more borrowing? Does the Budget really matter for productivity? And how does productivity shape the Budget? This episode of Productivity Puzzles looks into these big questions for this important fiscal event, as well as examining where public spending and investment should go to help boost productivity.


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:


  • Tera Allas, Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School
  • Louise Hellem, Chief Economist at the Confederation of British Industry
  • Stephen Millard, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research


For more information on the topic:


About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.

Lessons Learned and What’s Next?23 oct. 202500:45:39

Productivity is the key to economic growth and living standards. But has the productivity puzzle been solved yet? Have we been asking the right questions? And what’s next? After five years of research at The Productivity Institute, we’re kicking off season 4 of the podcast with reflections from our recent international research conference on productivity, held at the University of Manchester on the 4-5 September 2025. Five big themes. And still, big questions ahead.


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:


  • Josh Martin, Economic Advisor at the Bank of England and Research Associate with the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence.
  • Mary O’Mahony, TPI Research Director and Professor of Applied Economics at King’s Business School.
  • Catherine Mann, External member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England and Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School and The Productivity Institute.
  • Chander Velu, Professor of Innovation and Economics at The University of Cambridge.
  • Kate Penney, Research Fellow at The Productivity Institute.


For more information on the topic:


About Productivity Puzzles:

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.



Trade and UK Productivity: From Global Markets to Local Gains19 juin 202500:53:16

This episode explores the vital link between international trade and the UK's productivity challenges. Host Bart van Ark is joined by three experts as they discuss why trade matters for productivity, the current state of UK trade post-Brexit and COVID and the structural issues impacting trade and productivity. The conversation also looks at potential trade policies and agreements to strengthen the UK’s position and boost productivity.


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:



For more information on the topic:


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.

Books Festival: Diane Coyle & Jan Mischke29 mai 202500:57:21

This episode explores new insights into the productivity puzzle from two fresh pieces of work. First, Diane Coyle discusses her book The Measure of Progress, explaining why what we measure is profoundly important but increasingly difficult. Then, Jan Mischke from the McKinsey Global Institute shares a striking finding from their report The Power of One: a relatively small number of "standout firms" deliver a very big share of a country's productivity growth.

Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:

  • Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy and Co-Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.
  • Jan Mischke, Partner at McKinsey Global Institute.

For more information on the topic:

  • Diane Coyle (2025), The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters, Princeton University Press.
  • Jan Mischke et al. (2025), The power of one: How standout firms grow national productivity, McKinsey Global Institute May.
  • Kate Barker (2025), Review of The Measure of Progress, The Society of Professional Economists, 14 April.
  • McKinsey Global Institute (2025), Online summary of The Power of One.
  • The Productivity Institute (2023), The Productivity Agenda. A blueprint for boosting the UK’s productivity.
  • The Productivity Institute (2024), Productivity Primer. Why productivity matters for the economy, business and places.
  • Diane Coyle and Leonard Nakamura (2021), Time Use, Productivity, and Household-Centric Measurement of Welfare in the Digital Economy, The International Productivity Monitor.
  • Diane Coyle (1999), The Weightless World: Strategies for Managing the Digital Economy, MIT Press.
  • Diane Coyle (2021), Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be, Princeton University Press.
  • Zvi Griliches, Productivity, R&D, and the Data Constraint, The American Economic Review Vol. 84, No. 1 (Mar., 1994), pp. 1-23.

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

A Regional Productivity Agenda for England16 avr. 202500:58:18

Regional growth is a key component for improving productivity growth in the UK. The gaps in productivity between English regions are unusually large compared to other countries. Why is that? What can be done about it?


Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by:



For more information on the topic:


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.


A Productivity Agenda for the Devolved Nations30 janv. 202501:01:37

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:


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.


Strategic Productivity: Unlocking the UK’s Productivity Potential23 janv. 202500:54:59

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:

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.

Wrapping Up 2024: Is there a productive growth path forward? 19 déc. 202400:50:07

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:

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.

Industrial Strategy: What To Do and What Not To Do?03 oct. 202400:53:07

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:

Diane Coyle and Adam Muhtar, UK’s Industrial Policy: Learning from the Past?, Productivity Insights Paper No. 002, The Productivity Institute. October 2021.


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.

Business model innovation and strategic productivity18 juil. 202400:52:18

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:

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.

UK Election 2024: A Productivity Plan27 juin 202400:52:20

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:

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.

How do business leaders think about productivity?30 mai 202400:53:33

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:


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. 


Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm?11 avr. 202400:59:31

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:

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:

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. 

Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity?14 mars 202400:53:23

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:

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.

Wrapping up Productivity Puzzles 2023: brief interviews with productivity experts20 déc. 202300:43:05

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:



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. 

Revisiting the UK productivity puzzle: national and regional perspectives30 nov. 202301:14:06

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:



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. 

Why does the UK do so well on the Global Innovation Index?09 nov. 202300:54:34

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:


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.

What makes firms productive? Lessons learned from across G7 economies12 oct. 202300:51:05

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:

 

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.

Science, Technology, Innovation and Pro-Productivity Policies31 août 202300:47:50

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:


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.

Turnaround Cities: Lessons learned for the UK27 juil. 202300:50:37

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:


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. 

Artificial Intelligence and Productivity29 juin 202300:53:24

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:






 




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. 

Greening Productivity25 mai 202300:52:53

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:


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. 

Can We Make the Four-Day Week Work?27 avr. 202300:52:36

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:


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.

Skills, Innovation, and Productivity: Further Education Colleges and Place16 mars 202300:53:54

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:



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. 


Science and Innovation Policy for Hard Times16 févr. 202300:54:32

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:

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. 

Global and European Productivity Outlook 2023-203019 janv. 202300:53:31

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:

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. 

The Productivity Policy Agenda: Short-Term Priorities and Long-Term Commitments01 sept. 202201:00:47

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:


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. 

Making Public Sector Productivity Practical20 juil. 202200:49:37

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:



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. 



Productivity and well-being06 juil. 202200:50:08

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:


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. 

The Wales Productivity Challenge15 juin 202200:52:22

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:

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.

Can productivity rescue the global economic recovery?11 mai 202200:29:50

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:

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. 

Restarting the Future: How Intangibles Can Fuel Productivity27 avr. 202200:54:01

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:

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. 



Staying productive in uncertain times13 avr. 202200:55:19

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:


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. 



New business formation and productivity23 mars 202200:50:02

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

For more information on the topic: 


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. 

The Links Between Productivity and Pay09 mars 202200:52:06

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:

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.

Levelling Up and Productivity: The Role of Industrial Policy, Institutions and Fiscal Mechanisms12 janv. 202200:54:24

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

Levelling Up, Local Growth and Productivity in England by Andy Westwood, Marianne Sensier and Nicola Pike

The fiscal implication of levelling up and UK governance devolution by Philip McCann

Ahead of the government’s White Paper in Levelling Up expected in 2022, The Productivity Institute has collated its “Levelling Up” related insights


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

Health and Productivity in the Workplace01 déc. 202100:50:43

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.


  • 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

Can labour shortages help raise productivity?17 nov. 202100:42:51

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

Practical Productivity: How to Transform Performance?13 oct. 202100:47:59

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

Can we still measure productivity in the modern economy? 09 sept. 202100:52:54

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

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