Not long ago, MIT political scientist Suzanne Berger was visiting a factory in western Massachusetts, a place that produces the plastic jugs you find in grocery stores.

This year will mark another push for aggressive food regulation at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On tap, salt regulations and industrywide regulations dictating which foods can be advertised on television.

Like most industries, the manufacturing sector is transforming rapidly. Because of recent technological advances and globalization, U.S.

During a recent trip to the great state of Texas, I heard some down-home wisdom: “Before you season your food, why don’t you taste it first?” The person who uttered that question was not talking about food.

Although it may come as little surprise that happy employees are more productive, a high-performing workforce needs more than just a feeling of contentment. Workers need to thrive, says a researcher at the University of Michigan.

Astronomers, physicists, and scientists from related fields across the world convened in Tucson, Arizona on Jan. 18, 2012, to discuss an endeavor that only a few years ago would have been regarded as nothing less than outrageous.

What is the economic rationale for pursuing lean production? Much of the lean literature is concerned with the nuts and bolts of lean, and the economics of lean are somewhat less publicized.

In an era of fast-paced and ever-increasing competitiveness, continuous business improvement is no longer reserved for a select group of innovators. It is a requisite for survival.

Life can be a real kick in the pants.

(The Conference Board: New York) -- According to a report released by The Conference Board, the global business membership and research organization, productivity growth weakened substantially across the globe in 2011, with the drop-off most dramatic in advanced economies.