Article at a glance:

The link between management and productivity

• A study of 700-plus manufacturers in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States has confirmed the link between good management and superior performance.
• Companies that successfully apply a critical mass of proven management techniques—setting goals, tracking performance, energizing the shop floor, and nurturing talent—perform better, on average, than competitors that use such tools sporadically.
• Advanced management techniques are linked not only to solid returns for investors but also to a positive work-life balance for employees and managers.
• Although government policy and the industrial sector where companies operate can influence their productivity and financial strength, management decisions have a greater impact, the study found.