This Paper first documents the comparative productivity performance of the United States and Britain since 1870 … must be analysed if the major changes in comparative productivity performance among nations are to be understood fully; (2 … technological trends can lead to reversal of comparative productivity performance. …

overall production strategy and productivity trends. In the United States a strategy of standardized mass production led to … high levels of labour productivity and concentration on the development of managerial capabilities, but neglect of the …

unemployment this made sense. A bargaining model approach suggests, however, that this had a harmful impact on productivity growth …

Germany overtook Britain in comparative productivity levels for the whole economy primarily as a result of trends in … services rather than trends in industry. Britain’s productivity lead in services before World War II reflected external … economies of scale in a highly urbanised economy with an international orientation. Low productivity in Germany reflected the …