DEVEOLOPMENT OF PRODUCTIVITY IN AUSTRIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00423R000100070001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 21
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 7, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 2, 1953
• Content Type: SPEECH

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35'X1A2g
DEV'LOPMFNT OF PRODUCTIVITY IN AUSTRIA
A lecture given by Mr.Lienert
at the Vienna Messepalast on October 14th, 1952.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Introduction.
The 5th Austrian Congress for Scientific Management deals with
the organizing factors of economy and with their influence upon
management.
When looking at the titles of the lectures to be held at
this Congress, it seems clear that some of the speakers are
specifically singling out those factors, which determine law
and order in economy, while others seem to interprete and to
deal with economy itself as a power of law and order.
As far as my own subject goes The development of Pro-
ductivity in Austria", I can practically pass over such deeper
reflections. The advancement of Productivity has itself to ful-
fil a paramount function of law and order in economy, and the
short survey which I shall give you today fits automatically
into this conception.
At first I wish to clear up the question, what should be
understood, under the term of "Productivity" ? So as not to loose
ourselves into a bunch of scientific, economic and technical
definitions, and inasmuch as my own lecture of today is con-
cerned, I shall understand productivity to be a roof-conception,
for economy,.scientific management and rationalization.
In this sense productivity was already used in Austria in
isolated cases at the end of the 1920ieth; just to give an
example I wish to recall that the Vienna Labor-Chamber used it
in,1930 in its official definition of the conception: ."Ratio-
nalization".
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Only at the end of the Ilnd World War the idea of pro-
ductivity became more generally known, when Europe entered
into a vivid exchange of experienceswith the United States on
economic problems and thus became acquainted with the theory
and praxis of American economic methods.
The, word "Productivity" is therefore comparatively young;!
the conception of productivity, however, can be traced far
backward in time.
I know that there are men at this meeting, who are working
in the interest of productivity in word, writing and actions,
and to these men I can tell little new; but just at this moment,
when the productivity idea is treading on new ground within the
framework of the'OPZ through the active cooperation of both
Employers- and Labor-Organizations, when the Intra-European
economic integration seems to materialize, and when new spiri-
tual and material impulses are being obtained through the gene-
rous assistance granted by the United States to so many countrie
all over the world, just at this moment it might be highly inter
eating to briefly sketch before you how the promotion of organi-
zed productivity in Austria has developed.
We must limit ourselves to the promotion of organized
productivity, because -.I repeat - productivity as 'an idea is
as old as mankind itself, which since time out of mind tries to
discover and explore the secrets of nature, to make work simpler
and more productive, and thus to facilitate daily life. What we
note plan is only to put these systematic efforts, this age-old
idea before'the conscience of men and to place it at the dis-
posal of the general progress of mankind by means of a planned
and concentrated cooperation.
I.
es occasions for applying productivity
Me erman Confederation (1815 -
i866), of which Austria formed part in those days: it concerned
the question of standardizing regulations-in connection with re (
ways, such as gauges and apparatus for joints and breaks of rail-
way carriages and trucks.
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It would be wrong to look upon events of those days and
of the following years from an unilateral national angle; in
those times.and today the development of the productivity idea
in Austria can only be understood, if we also take into con-
sideration the influences coming from abroad. This statement
will be confirmed if we recall the rationalization-movement,
which was rapidly expanding at the beginning of this century,
and which was decisively influenced by the works and thoughts
of the Americans Taylor and Gilbreth, which were so extensive,
that they may well be considered to be the forerunner of the
enti.re productivity movement of today.
Already in 1911 the expression "Scientific Management"
had appeared for the first time, which after the end of the
Ist World War was differently interpreted all over Europe: In
France there was the "Organisation scientifique du travail",
where the stress was lying upon the word organisations in
Germany in first line technical factors prevailed, in other
words rationalization= and in Austria the form was again difm.
ferent, because the accent was placed on the idea of saving,
economizing. For this reason the chief organ of the Austrian
movement of rationalization called itself significantly "Die
Sparwirtsohaft", and later on the work of the "Osterreichisches
Kuratorium fur Wirtschaftlichkeit" was - for more than 10 years
again directed towards the aim of saving raw materials, above
all of saving imported raw materials.
While to-day's meeting is in progress, there is another
Congress taking place at Salzburg, Where Austrian Industrialist
and Plant-Superintendents are assembled for the purpose of dis-
cussing with their American colleagues problems of Scientific
Management. Who would take this opportunity to recall that al-
ready in 1924 an International Management Congress was held at
Prag, in which not only an American Delegation of 60 men, but
also one from Soviet Russia - consisting of 25 representatives
ras participating. A great number of new tasks and problems was
hen discussed, and two international organizations were create
or the purpose of dealing with them: in 1926 the CIOS ("Inter-
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nationales Rationalisierungskuratoriumi+) at Brussels, Belgium
and in 1927 the "International Institute t r Rationelization't
at Geneva, Switzerland. The first named organization is still
alive and gives continuously new stimulus to the idea of
rationalization, while the Geneva Institution was dissolved
after 6 years of successful work.
II.
In the 2nd half of the 1920ieth the work of rationalization
in Europe was already placed on a broad basis. The number of
meetings was very great, technical literature expanded, new
orLanizations cropped'up, all of which were dealing with
questions of Scientific Management or technical-economic pro-
blems, even the League of Nations joined in this movement and
in 1927 - on occasion of a World Economic Conference - it carries,
a resolution on "Rationalization".
Within the framework of international efforts to foster
rationalization, the Austrian movement too made great strides.
The Federation of Austrian Industry took the lead in 1927 and
occupied itself mainly with problems of Scientific Management,
of caloric economy and. of standardization. Not less than 80
Committees were formed within the technical department of the
said Federation. The field covered was indeed very wide: in
the sector Scientific Management alone such problems as office
cy3ni nation, accountancy, costs, flow of work, tools and equip-
ment, time-studies, wages, recruiting and training of new
workers etc were dealt with.
The Vienna Chamber of Commerce was mainly interested in
efficiency--increase of small business and founded the "Gewerbe-
forderungsinstitut" - organized after the pattern of the
Deutsches Forschungsinstitut fur rationalle Betriebsfizhrung im
Handwerki4 (Karlsruhe) - , which is really a forerunner of the
present "Wirtschaftsforderungsinstitut". Other or&anizations
working on the same line were: the "Niederosterreichisohe Gewerbe--
verein" with its special "American Committee", which was in charge
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of studying the possibilities of applying American Economic
Methods to Austria; furthermore the Agricultural Chamber of
Lower Austria; the Labor Chamber of Vienna, which created a
special "Department for Labor Economy" in 1925; the Central
Office for the Prevention of Accidents, which carried out
actions of propaganda for the prevention of accidents in
thousands of plants all over Austria and which organized a
permanent exhibition at the Technical Museum; the Federal and
Provincial Agencies for Vocational Guidance in Vienna and the
Provincial Capitals; the Institute for Psyohotechnic and Pro-
paganda; the Taylor Society in Vienna etc.
Also the Labor Unions were specially interested in the
work of rationalization. Within the framework of the Central-
European Organisation of Labor Unions, the Austrian Assgcietion
of Industrial Employees formed in:?1927 a "Committee for Work-
Economy and Rationalization", which was also carrying out a
lot of research work. Later on the Federation of Bank-.Employees
and the Association of Insurance-Employees took tip the problem
and dealt in first line with questions of office organization.
The promotion of Productivity of to-day is - as far as the
practical side goes - taking use of one main instruments that
of an organized exchange of experiences.
Who would, however, remember to-day that already in 1928
-there was in Austria a "Committee for the Exchange of Experience
actively engaged in the investigation of all problems of refe-
rence, starting from the works-preparation until the control of
budget, and that in this Committee representatives of all lines
of business were taking part ?
You will have to excuse me, Ladies and Gentlemen, if I
.have not mentioned in my brief survey all organizations, - not
even the most important ones - , which have had a share in the
work for rationalization in A1zstria; the list would indeed
have been endless. One institution, however, I have still got
to point out and that is the "Osterreichisches Kuretorium fur
Wirtsehaftlichkeit" (OKW), which was found?d in 1928 and where
really all rationalization-work of this country was concentra-
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ted. In 1938 the bKW became a sub-agency of the Greater-
German "Reichskuratorium fur Wirtschaftlichkeit", but its
work was then entirely dedicated to direct and indirect arma-
ment; 8 years later, in 1946, the OKW was re-established under
its old name and again took up its original functions.
The above would be a rough sketch of the outside develop-
ment of the rationalization movement in Austria, which has
preceded our own efforts. What and how much of the work pre-
viously done can now be utilized, will have to be examined and
decided upon in each special case.
Nevertheless - and I hope that nobody will mind me saying
so - the most important experience gained from the work done
in the 1920ieth and 1930ieth is a negative one: We have learned
what we should not do. We have learned tke t it is not sufficient
to deal with technical, plant economic and arithmetical con-
siderations alone, while leaving aside the human factor, or
only mentioning it on the margin. True enough, vie need in all
sectors of economy more modern and better, in short more
rational methods of work in order to make our economy more
competitive; but we can only aim at reaching this goal, if the
economic situation of the country and conditions on the labor-
market will permit it. Because apart from purely humane con-
siderations it is more "irrational" that young, healthy men,
willing to work, should be turned out into the street and join
the army of unemployed, than to use antiquated working-methods.
Although unemployment in the 1930aeth was partly caused
by very different factors than rationalization, wide circles
of the people, above all naturally the employees, considered
that the introduction of the principles of rationalization in
the plants was the very source of all trouble. This is a fact
which weighs very heavily upon our present work.
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IV .
How are we thus to face the problem'of reference ? Through
which measures do we hope to come up to the economic "command of
the hour"? In answering these questions I shall first have to
continue the chronological thread of my previous remarks and
call your attention to a new term which has been'implanted from
America to Europe in the first years after the end of the
Ilnd World War, a term which immediately proved to be extremely
effective and which has expanded with the greatest intensity:
Productivity. The conce tion was new, while the word "Producti-
vity" had already widely been used in plant economic discussions;
and the conception of productivity was in first line new, because
it entailed a great variety of new and vital ideas and because -
tha
it may be said without exaggeration it was really an entirely
new philosophy, which was at the background of it.
The formula: "Higher productivity - lower costs - lower
prices - greater demand - increased production -more jobs for
workers" has indeed very little to do with the meaning of
"rationalization", where the tenor was lying on "saving" and
"economizing", in fact the actual conception of "productivity"
embodies a good deal of to-days economic philosophy of the
United States, which in turn has brought about the upward-move-
ment of American Economy.
But not even all this would have sufficed to produce the
great triumph which productivity has gained in so short a time
in half of the world. This triumph is really due to sober facts,
free of fancy ideas I hsch are rooted on principles of social
advancement and psychology: Better human relations - the sharin
of extra rofits reached through increased mutual efforts -
tangible advantages for em to erg labor and consumers -- and
above all the foal aimed at by everybody: ahigher standard
of living.
To carry out this program and to disseminate its ideas,
considerable sums of money were now at hand, moreover there
was a technical aid-program. of 14 points available, - though at
first only in writing -w, the so called "Technical Assistance",
which was functioning within the framework of the Marshall-Plan.
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Technical Assistance comprises two big tasks, each one
covering a field of activities essentially distinct in nature:
1. Study trips of Austrian experts of all economic and scienti-
fic lines and branches to USA and to other European countries,
as well as trips of foreign experts to Europe. 2. An economic-
technical Information Service, which is to be placed at the
disposal of the entire Austrian economy, using the most modern
methods of dissemination and propagation.
In 1950 the productivity in Austrian economy only reached
92% of the 1937 level, the latter of which was in itself in-
sufficient; the comparative figures of other countries, with
which Austria has to compete on the World Market, were much
higher. All responsible Austrian economists and politicians
realize the detrimental consequences of such low productivity upon
our' economic capacity to compete on the World Market, and on
the standard of living of our population, more especially taking
into consideration the gradually declining financial assistance
which we receive from abroad.
In view of the manifold new tasks to be carried out, the
Austrian Federal Government decided to set up a special pro-
ductivity organization, which in cooperation with the existing
economic institutions was to be entrusted with the promotion
and coordination of all measures to be taken for the increase
of efficiency in Austrian economy, for keeping employment at
the highest possible level and f'or ensuring to the entire nation
a fair and socially acceptable standard of living. Financial'
considerations in connection with the realization of the T.A.-
program made it advisable that the new. organization should be
placed into close technical and personal connection with the
Federal Chancellory - Central Bureau.for ERP-Affairs.
V.
And so the Austrian Productivity Center was founded on
April 4th, 1950, taking the legal form of a "Non profit making
PYR
assistance rom the par o the American Economic Mission in
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Austria, Dr.W.Taucher, the Chief of the ERP-Bureau, was elected
President of the new organization, the Presidency further con-
sisted of two Vice-Presidents selected from Employers and Labor
respectively, and of a third politically independent Vice-Pre-
sident, who was at the same time appointed Managing Director.
The men appertaining to Presidency, Board of Directors and Top
Directorate of the OPW were, however, belonging to the above
mentioned organs as individuals only and not as representatives
of their organizations, because the leading Austrian economic
organizations decided to officially not become members of the
"Verein", they first wished to remain in condition to observe
from afar,. how the newly founded OPZ would make its initial
walking attempts on the delicate economic and political ground
of this country. Therefore they kept oontact with the OPZ
through the, aforementioned individuals only.
This organizational set up was originally chosen so as
to give the new "Verein" a chance of being more flexible and
up to a certain extent this aim has been reached. But when the
working program of the OPZ was intensified and expanded, new
tasks were entrusted to it, for the accomplishment of which
the wholehearted cooperation of the leading economic organi-
zations and their full practical and moral support was absoluteTh
essential.
It was therefore an important event for the entire de-
velopment of productivity in Austria, when in Spring 1952 the
leading organizations of Employers and Labor declared after
long and difficult negotiations that they were now ready to
officially become members of the Austrian Productivity Center.
The new General Assembly, consisting of Delegates from the
Chamber of Commerce, the Labor-Chamber, the Labor Unions, the
Federation of Industrialists end the Conference of Presidents of
Agricultural Chambers again elected Dr.Wilhelm Taucher President
of the "Verein" and laid down t .e .working program of the QPZ for
the next months.
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VI.
And now I should like to go into details of this program,
which in its essentials, is based on the work carried out since
1950, and which should constitute the foundation of an extensive
productivity campaign covering the entire Austrian Economy.
The activities of the OPZ comprise three main fields:
1. The work to be carried out.in Industry, Small Business,
Agriculture and Forestry,
2. the exploration of all possibilities offered by T.A.,
3. the Information and Dissemination Service in connection with
all productivity problems and the special task of expanding
as far as possible the idea of productivity.
One of the pillars of the work described above comprises
thus our activities in the industrial- and small business
sectors. Soon after the foundation of the OPZ investigations
and advisory activities had started in plants belonging to
various lines - from mining right up to highly skilled cabinet
making , and in many cases good results have been reached,
On account of the great number of industrial lines and the
necessity of evenly furthering and promoting productivity as
an economic principle of first order amongst so many individual
enterprises of every line, the OPZ adopted soon another method
which incidentally follows the lead of the United States, but
also of Great Britain and other European Countries, which had
successfully used this new method: the establishment of index
figures. These will permit to ascertain the degree of efficiency
of a plant and at the same time put us in condition to calculatF
average evaluations for the entire industry.
The method worked out by the consulting engineers and
experts belonging to the staff of the OPZ was first put to
test in the Voarlberg Textile Industry. It has not only been
successful, but it proved to be a re8l stimulant on account of
efficiency comparisans amongst the various plants and depart-
ments, which were then made the subject of most interesting
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discussions (in the course of last year's Congress for Scientific
Management this method and the results obtained were thoroughly
dealt with).
A similar system was used in the work of the OPZ carried
out in the foundries, and a remarkable productivity increase
has been obtained by means of improving the flow of work,
.materials handling, the sand-preparation etc.
While with the establishment of index-figures the bPZ has
certainly initiated an entirely new system, which was hitherto
unknown in Austria, it is now about to enter into
pioneer work in the field of plant economy: the program built
up by representatives of Employers and Labor provides that
certain plants - important from the point of view of the entire
Austrian Economy -, and which are willing to develop the
highest spirit of coop.eration, will be re-modelled as i~ lot-
nterprises or model-plants., and for this purpose they will
obtain all sorts of technical and economic assistance. A pre-
requisite for such procedure will, however, be that the said
plants will sign an agreement according to which all extra
profits derived from productivity increase, will not only be
shared between the plant and the workers, but also benefit con,
sumers through a reduction of prices. The term "Pilot-enterprise"
should not be misunderstood? the intention is that new tachn_icm'eq
and methods should there be demonstrated, which will lead to anu
stimulate productivity increase.
But the project of organizing "Pilot-enterprises" or
"Model plants" comprises also an important social aspect. By
means of improved working conditions, above all through a better
equilibrium of effort and result in work, every individual em-
ployed at such a plant should be made to realize that only pro-
ductivity increase will enable him to gain full satisfaction
of his efforts.
But before this new method can be carried out in practice,
some formalities will have to be cleared up. We, however, hope
that practical work will be able to begin soon, more especially
as already on the strength of the first announcement, several
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establishments belonging to various sectors of industry have
expressed their willingness to co-operate and to place them-
selves at our disposal as "Pilot-enterprises".
While the promotion of the idea of productivity in the
Austriex industry is already in move and follows a working
program, which to a great:deal has already been outlined, this
cannot be said of small business, where a lot of thinking and
planning will still have to be done before we shall be able to
develop a program which will, promise to be a similar success.
The reasons are obvious: there are more than 170.000 small
business enterprises in Austria, amongst them a great deal of
"One-man" businesses, and the number of people employed in
small-business reaches 660.000, which is almost one third of all
people employed in this country. But no.,-matter how important
small business may be from the point of view of giving employ
ment or of supplying the. country with goods and services of all
kinds, it would seem hopeless to try and supply such a multi-
tude of smallest establishments with individual advice, branch
investigations or similar services, not to speak of difficulties
in the field of or{,:anizetion and psychology (little centrali-
zation and a deep tooted conservative spirit amongst small-
business-men).
In the sector of small business the QPZ has therefore
- with the exception of certain special investigations - limited
itself to deal with such important problems as: materials hand-
packing, selection and maintenance of tools etc., all
of which can be applied for all branches of small business; if
dealt with from a broad organizational angle and given all the
publicity which would be required in order to lead to a success,
It stands to reason that the OPZ cannot undertake such
tremendously expanded tasks by its own means and efforts, and
that the cooperation of other relevant bodies is required which
incidentally corresponds to the very program of its viork and
functions. In this particular case the "Wirtschaftsforderungs-
ins titute" of the Chamber of Commerce are intensively engaged in
an efficiency increase of small business; together with these
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institutions the OPZ will give, new impulses to the producti-;
vity idea in small business by means of expositions, congresses,
lectures, printed bulletins and - if feasible -the esteblishmen+
of bureaux for the purpose of giving advice and assistance.
.In Agriculture and, Forestry the idea of efficiency in-
crease has hitherto been promoted by many schools and rural
institutions, most of which are being maintained or controlled
by the Provincial Agricultural Chambers. These efforts were,
however, seldom based on a conception which comprised 'the entire
agriculture of this country, limiting themselves mostly to the
propagation of .a certain task, which might be very important
at that given moment, and as a rule restricted to a certain
region only.
Now the OPZ considers it one of its main tasks to develop
an extensive agricultural and forestry program in close co-i
operation with the competent professional bodies and thus to-
make it part and parcel of the entire productivity campaign.
When we started this work we certainly did not know that our
small agricultural and forestry department would succeed to
demonstrate in such convincing matter what the OPZ cart do in
initiative and coordinative work, provided the necessary
possibilities of expansion and application are given.
The excellent results of our work in this field have been
widely commented upon by the press, I shall only mention a few
essential points of the program, which has been realizedz in
order to "rationalize" the thinning of timber of small width
the OPZ has formed and financed demonstration groups for the
purpose of introducing "one--man work" amongst forestry workers.
The result of our endeavours, en,average efficiency-increase
of 25 - 50~o, permits us to hope that in a reasonable span of
time the Austrian Pulp-Industry will be supplied in increasing
measure with such small timber and this again means that our
mills will obtain more logs, which were hitherto mostly used
by the Pulp-Industry.
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After an initial reserve, vdhich can only to easily be
understood, the forestry workers have fully cooperated in this
action. Practical experience has proved to them that the new
method does not mean more work, but it does mean more pay. There
is no danger of unemployment either, because even now there are
too few qualified forestry workers. available. The shifting from
.group-work to "one-man work" in forestry, which brings about a
more rational and increased production and at the same time
more pay, is a school example of a successful productivity pro-
motion in one of the/ most important economic branches of a
nation.
But apart from its commercial value the forest has also
to fulfil biological functions, which are of paramount impor-
tance to mankind. A number of projects and measures for the
preservation and tendering of forestry soil and for the
afforestation has been developed by the forestry department of
the OPZ, which the competent bodies have introduced and which
are now being carried out in practice. I can only mention a
few of these projects: soil tendering through proper liming,
the cultivation of certain quick growing wood varieties, modern
methods of hauling the timber through cableways, the training
of forestry workers and cable railway personnel, etc.
On similar lines we are working in agriculture. We have
recently started to try out in a large scale a new drying
system for hay in districts with heavy rainfall. Consultative
services dealing with problems of soil tendering and the main-
tenance of agricultural machinery and equipment are now
organized all over the country, and they are gradually expan-
ding towards other problems -c'? ac fecding, artificial
fertilizing etc. The agricultural and forestry department of
the OPZ are planning, supervising and promc-ling these tasks and we
are indeed also supporting them financially in a decisive
manner. Out of the manifold detailed.work in the field of
industry, small business, sg Iulture and forestry, the OPZ
hopes to harvest a higher productivity covering the entire
Austrian economy,. But the seeds will only come up and give satis?
factory results if decisive progress can also be made in two
other components of national economy-. Cormerce and Home Economy.
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In fact it is home economy which occupies our mind in a
great measure at the present moment, because we have to realize
that about 50~ of the entire national incbme of any nation goes
through the hands and indeed is being spent by the housewives.
In addition to it how much personal effort, what great number of
technical equipment and what volume of energy like gas, electric
power etc. is daily put into action or used by the housewife ?
To try and absorb the entire field of home economy into our
productivity work is, however, a long and difficult task. It will
indeed take a considerable span of time, before any visible success
can be achieved. But nothing would be more erroneous than to go
past the entire problem without trying to find a solution. True,
there are many excellent schools, women's organizations, consul-
tative bureaux and departments at the various Chambers, all of
which are certainly doing their best; but it seems necessary that
their efforts should be coordinated as soon as possible.
A few months ago the OPZ has established a small home economy
department, which could hitherto only take up contacts and try
to sift the enormous amount of problems for the purpose of
establishing a first working program. No definite results can
yet be reported, some good work has, however, been done in
connection with the development and production of suitable and
cheap furniture for the home. This action is carried out in
cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Labor.
I shall now deal with the second great field of activities
of the OPZ, the T.A. or - as we often call it -- "The Exchange
of Technical Experiences". Our organization was entrusted with
the realization of an idea, which was born within the framework
of the American foreign aid legislation and which comprised the
entire Western world. The United States started from the re-
flexion that every Dollar spent in free Europe can only bear
fruit if the receiving countries will at the same time be supplied:
with modern technical knowledge and up to date methods of pro-
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duotion; these the United States were able to develop and to
collect on account of their superiour economic structure and
political consolidation.
Speaking first of study missions I should like to mention
that our Technical Assistance Department in close cooperation
with the American ECA - now MEC - Mission and the relevant
economic or ,anisations have hitherto arranged 167 trips to
USA and to other European countries, in which more than 1000
experts of all branches of Austrian economy and science have
taken part; many of them have been able to acquire a great
amount of knowledge and to form many important and interesting
plans, which will eventually be utilized to the benefit of the
entire Austrian economy.
If I have just said "to the benefit of the entire Austrian
economy" I mean to express that the OPZ is fully entitled to
such a statement: it is one of-the fundamental principles of
our TA department that a participant in a study mission will
not be considered to be a private person or the representative
of his firm, but he is looked upon as the representative of his
entire line of business or technical branch. In accordance with
this principle the OPZ takes good care that upon the return of
every delegate the experiences gained abroad should be dissemi-
nated to the greatest extent possible. This is being done througr
the publication of reports, which every participant is bound to
supply, and through articles in the press and in business ma-ga-
zines, as well as by means of lectures, discussions etc.
Apart from this dissemination of theoretical knowledge the
OPZ pursues also the utilization of study missions in the field
of Zractical a lication. The investigations and the "follow-up"
work carriedout in a special section of our TA Department prove
,that the seeds have taken roots and that the experience gained
in several study missions - thus covering various economic lines.-
begin to show results; we intend to deal fully with this matter
in a special publication, which is in preparation.
The exchange of technical experience comprises also visits
of foreign experts to Austria and our TA Department has arranged
for 30. experts from abroad to come to Austria and to place their
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knowledge. and experience ,at the disposal of various branches
of Austrian economy.
Similarly the "Technical Information Service" (W.T.I.)
of the OPZ, which vans established 18 months ago, has had an
important share in the frameviork of the exchange service of
technical experiences. Any party interested in the newest techni-
eel developments may apply for literature, bibliographies, pro-
ductivity and factory performance data and technical articles,
published in American and/or other foreign magazines; our
"WTI-Section" will then endeavour to supply him with the desired
material. Furthermore we edit the monthly "Technische Informati-
oY1en" (Technical Informations), which contain digests of current
technical literature and which are sent to about 10.000 readers
belonging to all branches of industry and small business. In
addition "WTI" supplies European productivity index-figures,
published by the various Productivity Centres, photostats,
licences of foreign firms, samples of American products for
comparison and analysis. Special technical and production pro-
blems are dealt with in our widely used "Question and Ansvier-
Service1?. All our material goes to employers and labor alike.
Very popular is the film service of "1ifTI11: our film library
contains roughly 120 16 m/m sound films with more than a
thousand copies, which - together with a projector - are being
supplied on loan against a small nominal fee. At present more
than a 100 projectors are permanently on loan all over the
country. There are also two modern mobile film units in action,
which are touring the whole of Austria and which have already
arranged more than 250 film 1erformances in plants, technical
schools and economic organisations.
The OPZ intends to continue utilizing these study missions
and the T.A.Special Service for the exchange of experience in the
greatest possible scale, because we consider that the entire TA-
Program is an instrument v.ich is well in condition to give strong
impulses to the progress of our productivity campaign in Austria.
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VIII.
We now come to our third big task, which consists in
winning over to the idea of productivity big masses of our
people. In this connection I should like to'present to you
briefly the considerations which are guiding our work in this
field of action:
We believe that nothing could endanger. our work more than
plain propaganda. This not only because Austrians - on the
strength of former experiences - react somehow negatively to
all types of noisy propaganda, but also on account of a special
reason: every failure, even the smallest, would harm the reali-
zation of the productivity idea, if it would have occurred in
such outspoken contrast to a colourful, though superficial propa-
ganda. Not only the old resentment against any type of propaganda
would then reawake in full measure, but it would deprive us of
the chance of gaining confidence, without which we can never
achieve the desired success.
We therefore use another means of publicity, yhich many con-
sider to be too slow and too soft, which we,.however, believe to
be the only useful method: the information, which is based on
facts. True, it might be strange that in view of the urgent
economic tasks to be accomplished our publicity should proceed
rather slowly and cautiously. Yet, taking into consideration
our past experience,. we believe that we are on the right track
and that the possible defects of our present method are smaller
than the danger of aiprecipitated propaganda.
Guided by such considerations the OPZ has built up a pro-
gram of publications, which aims at disseminating the basic
principles of productivity in form of technically well founded,
yet popular descriptions, which desires to bring home to a
broad public the work and results of the Austrian Productivity
Centre and of other relevant Organisations, and which wishes to
report on all kinds of experiences, successes and examples
connected with practical productivity work at home and abroad,
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For the above mentioned purpose we publish:
the monthly.- "Der Schlussel", which is distributed by the
Employers- and Labor--Organizations,
the series: "Der Ausweg", which deals with the "What,
Why and How" of the problems envolved in productivity increase,
the series: "Die Studienreise", which is in the service of
our "Exchange of Technical Experiences" and serves to dissemi-
nate the knowledge, impressions and recommendations of parti-
cipants of study missions,_who have returned home,
the series: "Der Vorteil", containing primers and practical
advice on efficient working methods for skilled manual workers,
furthermore special bulletins, broadcasts, film performan-
ces etc,
Of course the OP'Z is also carrying out an intensive program
of lectures, training courses and classes, seminars etc; these
are attended by employersand workers, who at their plants are
directly or indirectly engaged in activities promoting producti-
vity. Hitherto roughly 175 such lectures have been given at
Technical Centres and Schools, at various branches of the
"Wirtschaftsforderungsinstitut", _at Peoples Universities and at
Training Centres of Labor Unions, but above all also at important
plants.
All these works may well claim to have a share in the great
rrouuctivity movement, which is to-day in the centre of economic
discussions in Austria, where it is not only used in word and
writings of the men responsible for the economic trend of our
country, but also in many other fields, even in football, where
sport reporters continuously speak of "productive center--halfs11
etc.: Productivity has thus become a most popular byvford.
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IX.
If I have been able to give you a brief sketch of the
Productivity movement in Austria, but speaking in the second
part exclusively of the OPZ, this is due' to the fact,that this
organization vies called upon to fulfil at all the tasks mentio-
ned before the function of an initiator and a motor.. Under no
circumstances should I like to be understood as if desiring to
em_phasize that the OPZ would wish to snatch away from everybody
with du twit
else all work connect'dr9andc carr it out by itself. 'The bPZ has
no monopoly for productivity increase.. It knows that any success
can only be reached on a broad basis and in close cooperation
with other competent economic institutions and bodies. The OPZ
will thus have to use its forces in an expedient manner and
only expand into detailed activities, where'this cannot be done
by other organizations.
One more basic sta"tement I shall., however, have to make
in this connection: the representatives of Employers- and Labor-
Organizations, which are now officially cooperating within air
Organization in the solution of delicate economic tasks,-will
bear the responsibility towards all those circles, which they
represent, for everything done: is the name of the bPZ and with
the OPZ. It is therefore understandable that they will not be
inclined to support works and projects, which are not in line
with the above mentioned working program, which, as I have .
mentioned before, has been approved by both sides. There can
also be no question of granting subsidies, in other words
actions cannot be supported, the consequences and results of
which cannot be foreseen with a high degree of probability and
controlled at all stages by the OPZ.
On the other hand we may lend our assistance to actions,
if they _ seem to be suitable to further our general working
program and if the circle of persons, for which this project is
destined, proves its interest by expressing its willingness to
support it with full moral and an adequate financial contributiox
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May I finally say one word with regard to the position
which the OPZ has been able to acquire within the framework
of the international productivity movement. Almost in all States,
.which are sharing the European Reconstruction Program, special
Productivity Centres have been founded, which are partly orgeni-
ued on similar lines than ourselves, partly they-are restricted
to carry out the TA-Program. All European Productivity Centres
are linked together at the OEEC in Paris, where there is also a
"Special Committee for Productivity and Productivity Research".
Nov it is specially pleasing that within the framework of these
international Productivity Centres the OPZ has a very good name,
and we can continuously welcome in Vienna representatives of
these foreign Productivity Centres, in order to acquaint them
with our organization.
I shall close expressing.the hope that I have succeeded
in proving to you, Ladies and Gentlemen, that Productivity and
.the need for productivity-increase are very old conceptions all
over the world, and that it will now not be long, before it will
also be a popular byword with the entire people of Austria.,
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