Tell bosses, not workers
- Arvind Panagariya
- TNNUpdated: Nov 09, 2023, 20:35 IST IST
A recent interview with the veteran entrepreneur NR Narayana Murthy has triggered an intense debate on whether Indian workers should switch to a longer, 70-hour workweek. Most commentators have, however, neglected to take into consideration the totality of what Murthy said.
Taking some liberty to paraphrase him, Murthy made three main points. First, worker productivity, meaning value added per worker, is among the lowest in India and is in urgent need of improvement. Second, the surest path to raising worker productivity is a longer workweek, which, in turn, requires a change in work culture. To this end, our leaders, especially corporate leaders, must tell our youngsters that with the opportunity knocking on India’s door, it is time for us to work very hard. Finally, because youngsters form a significant majority of the workforce, they are critical to this transformation.
Taking some liberty to paraphrase him, Murthy made three main points. First, worker productivity, meaning value added per worker, is among the lowest in India and is in urgent need of improvement. Second, the surest path to raising worker productivity is a longer workweek, which, in turn, requires a change in work culture. To this end, our leaders, especially corporate leaders, must tell our youngsters that with the opportunity knocking on India’s door, it is time for us to work very hard. Finally, because youngsters form a significant majority of the workforce, they are critical to this transformation.
