Tribhuvan University
Faculty of Management
Office of the Dean
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
Course Objective
:The main aim of the course is to acquaint student withthe concept, theories and dimensions relatedto productivity management. It also aims to inculcate the skills and attitudes that are required for the improvement of productivity in the Nepalese business and industrial sector.
Course Description
:This course consists of fundamentals of productivity, determinants of productivity, productivity measurement techniques, work study and time management, human factors and workplace ergonomics, quality and productivity integration, strategic and technological productivity and sustainable and ethical productivity.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Define productivity and evaluate the role of innovation and AI in enhancing it.
- Assess internal and external productivity factors and apply strategic tools for improvement.
- Measure productivity using partial, multifactor, and total factor techniques, and apply benchmarking and predictive analytics.
- Optimize workflows using work study, method study, time-motion techniques, and RPA.
- Assess how motivation, skill enhancement, and ergonomics impact productivity.
- Integrate quality management systems with productivity strategies and apply inventory control techniques.
- Align productivity strategies with organizational goals and apply BPR and PPC techniques.
- Understand green productivity, sustainable operations, and ethical AI practices for productivity enhancement.
Course Contents:
Lecture hours show the approximate classroom time allocated to each unit.
Unit 1.Fundamentals of Productivity
5 hours
- Concept, scope, and significance of productivity
- Productivity at micro and macro levels
- Efficiency, effectiveness, and business performance
- Innovation and change management for productivity enhancement;Role of AI in redefining productivity.
Unit 2.Determinants of Productivity
7 hours
- Productivity factors: internal and external
- Technological, human, and organizational, influences on productivity
- Productivity in manufacturing vs. service sectors
- Strategic tools for productivity enhancement: value analysis, job evaluation, and workflow optimization
- recenttrends reshaping productivity:industry 4.0,andremote work models.
Unit 3.Productivity Measurement Techniques
6 hours
- Partial productivity: labour, machine, material
- Multifactor and total factor productivity (TFP)
- Productivity ratios, indexes, and benchmarking
- Challenges in measuring intangible service productivity
- Simulation and computer-integrated measurement tools
- Predictive analytics and real-time productivity dashboards.
Unit 4.Work Study and Time Management
6 hours
- Work study: concept and components (method study and work measurement)
- Time and motion study techniques
- Work sampling, standard time, and process charts
- Job design and work rating
- Assembly line balancing and scheduling
- Smart scheduling, intelligent time tracking.
Unit 5.Human Factors and Workplace Ergonomics
6 hours
- HRD for productivity: motivation, skill enhancement, and employee satisfaction
- Human- machine interaction and ergonomic design
- Job enrichment and high-performance environments for productivity enhancement
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for quality, safety, and productivity
- AI-powered ergonomic assessment and fatigue detection
- Human-AI collaboration and job displacement.
Unit 6.Quality and Productivity Integration
8 hours
- Interlink between quality and productivity
- Key Quality Management Approaches: total quality management (TQM), six sigma, kaizen, benchmarking, lean production and just-in- time (JIT) systems
- Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
- Inventory control: economic order quantity (EOQ), always better control (ABC) analysis, and vital-essential-desirable (VED) Analysis;AI-enabled quality control.
Unit 7.Strategic and Technological Productivity
4 hours
- Strategic productivity planning and alignment
- Business Process Reengineering (BPR)
- Production Planning and Control (PPC)
- Forecasting: quantitative, qualitative, and AI-based predictive models.
Unit 8.Sustainable and Ethical Productivity
6 hours
- Concept of green productivity and circular economy
- Sustainable operations and resource optimization
- Ethical practices in productivity enhancement. Transparency, accountability, and bias mitigation in AI systems. Sustainability-driven AI, carbon-aware automation, smart factories.
Suggested Readings:
- Besterfield, D. H., Besterfield-Michna, C., Besterfield, G. H., & Besterfield-Sacre, M. Total quality management(3rd ed.). Pearson Education.
- Heizer, J., Render, B., & Munson, C. Operations management: Sustainability and supply chain management(Global ed., 14th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
- Karwowski, W., Soares, M. M., & Stanton, N. A. Human factors and ergonomics in consumer product design: Methods and techniques(1st ed.). CRC Press.
- Hammer, M., & Champy, J. Reengineering the corporation: A manifesto for business revolution. Collins Business Essentials.