--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-40/putting-together-the-pieces-of-the-productivity-puzzle-review-article-of-productivity-perspectives-and-productivity-and-the-pandemic/" title: "Putting Together the Pieces of the Productivity Puzzle: Review Article of Productivity Perspectives and Productivity and the Pandemic" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T08:01:54+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T08:01:54+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Spring 2021" ipm_keyword: - "innovation" - "management" - "pandemic" - "Productivity Insights Network" - "regional" - "review article" - "skills" - "systems approach" - "UK productivity puzzle" - "van Ark" ipm_research_theme: - "Productivity trends and comparisons" ipm_country_focus: - "International" - "United Kingdom" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Putting Together the Pieces of the Productivity Puzzle: Review Article of Productivity Perspectives and Productivity and the Pandemic Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-40/putting-together-the-pieces-of-the-productivity-puzzle-review-article-of-productivity-perspectives-and-productivity-and-the-pandemic/ # Putting Together the Pieces of the Productivity Puzzle: Review Article of Productivity Perspectives and Productivity and the Pandemic [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-40-6-van-Ark.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: van Ark, Bart. 2021. “Putting Together the Pieces of the Productivity Puzzle: Review Article of Productivity Perspectives and Productivity and the Pandemic.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 40 (Spring 2021): 118–133. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-40/putting-together-the-pieces-of-the-productivity-puzzle-review-article-of-productivity-perspectives-and-productivity-and-the-pandemic/ ## Author: - Bart van Ark University of Manchester / The Productivity Institute ## IPM Issue 40 Spring 2021 pp. 118–133 ## Related IPM articles [Is the SNA Still Useful? 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The two edited volumes discussed in this review article are distinguished by the first being produced just before the pandemic, and the second in the midst of it. Together, the volumes address a broad range of economic, social and policy issues related to the productivity puzzle in the UK, with a strong focus on organizations, management, entrepreneurship, innovation and skills. In addition to examining productivity growth at the firm level, the volumes also analyze differences in productivity and income between firms, workers and regions. There is also a strong plea for a system-based approach to policy making for productivity. On the whole, the contributors take a cautious approach on how much the pandemic will change productivity performance in the medium-term, but they argue strongly in favour of active policy intervention to mitigate the damage arising from the pandemic and create better conditions for a sustained productivity revival. L’énigme de productivité au Royaume-Uni a peut-être pris un tournant avec l’arrivée de la crise de la COVID-19, bien que nous ne sachions pas à ce stade si ce sera pour le meilleur ou pour le pire. Les deux volumes édités examinés dans cet article de recension se distinguent par le fait que le premier a été produit juste avant la pandémie, et le second en plein milieu de celle-ci. Ensemble, les volumes abordent un large éventail de questions économiques, sociales et politiques liées à l’énigme de productivité au Royaume-Uni, avec un fort accent sur les organisations, la gestion, l’entrepreneuriat, l’innovation et les compétences, et plaident fortement pour une approche systémique de l’élaboration des politiques. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-40-6-van-Ark.pdf)