The Productive Edge: A New Strategy for Economic Growth

“A fascinating tale of America’s industrial comeback―how it happened, where it happened, and what must be done to make it last.” ―Jeffrey E. Garten, dean of the Yale School of Management

Recently, significant new productivity gains have been reported in important industries, both old and new. What is it about such industries, and individual firms in those industries, that has enabled them to regain their productive edge? In this book, a leading authority on this crucial issue searches five recent success stories--in automobiles, steel, semiconductors, electric power generation, and cellular communication--for clues to shape a new national strategy for economic growth. Taken together, these reports from the front lines of American industry point to a new agenda for growth, tailored to the volatile, unpredictable conditions that will persist in the economy for the foreseeable future. At the heart of the agenda is a proposal for a "new economic citizenship"--a new view of the rights, responsibilities, and resources that should be accorded to those who will contribute their ideas and labor to the new century.