Theory of Productivity
Discovering and Putting to Work the Ideas and Values of American Culture
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Admittedly, America has a burgeoning economy. According to the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the World Bank, America has a population of just over 300 million or 4% of the world’s population. Yet the country registered in 2013 a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 16.8 trillion dollars or 22% of world’s GDP. In 2013 the country recorded military spending of $640 billion or 37% of world military spending for national security and peace and humanitarian missions around the world. There are on average 150 million private sector jobs in the economy plus another 5 million jobs in the federal government at any time in the last five years and well over 130 million housing units in the main land, to mention a few stats.
The argument that America is only 4% of the world’s population but consumes 20% of world’s energy is tenuous at best. The argument fails to take into account the amount of energy consumption and the associated costs that go into the production of goods and services that benefit other nations in the forms of export commodities, foreign services, and peace and humanitarian missions. Actually the argument, weak as it is, only reinforces the point that America is a very active and benevolent economy, a beacon of hope to all nations. Thus, America is not just only the land of the free and the home of the brave, but also a very active and wealthy nation. It is a country of endless possibilities. That is, provided a person is willing to start from the bottom and work his or her way up the economic ladder. (The opportunities for upward mobility are discussed in more detail later in this book).
The purpose of this book is to explore the geniuses (ideas and values) of American culture and to identify ways to put these ideas and values to work in order to be productive. The book draws on my research and experience as a student, educator, researcher, author, entrepreneur, and human services employee in the public and private sectors in identifying key lessons learned along the way in my sojourn in Africa and in the United States. The approach is a symbiotic analysis of research data and participant observations of American culture in the last thirty three years. The goal is to provide young and middle class Americans and immigrants with evidence-based knowledge and skills needed to become productive members of the American society within a reasonable period.
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About the Book
The Theory of Productivity seeks to explore the genius of American culture and identify ways to put these ideas and values to work in order to be productive. The book draws on author Sunday A. Aigbe’s experiences as a student, educator, researcher, author, entrepreneur, and human services employee in the public and private sectors. He identifies key lessons learned along the way during his sojourn in Africa and the United States. The approach is a symbiotic analysis of research data and participant observations of American culture over the last thirty three years. The goal is to provide young and middle class Americans and immigrants with evidence-based knowledge and skills needed to become productive members of American society within a reasonable period.
About the Author
Sunday A. Aigbe, PhD., MPA, is a product of missionaries—from his upbringing in an African village to his college and graduate education in Africa and in the United States. He earned his Ph.D. from the Fuller School of Intercultural Studies in Pasadena, California, and a Masters in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs. He taught social and cultural anthropology and African studies courses at the Metropolitan State University of Denver and at the Denver Seminary, respectively, before relocating to Bowie, Maryland, where he teaches graduate courses in organizational management and development at Bowie State University School of Business. Dr. Aigbe has held positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in Colorado and Washington, DC, for over thirty years. He is the author of many publications, including the books Theory of Social Involvement (1993, 2015) and A Template for Life (2014). He and his wife Doris live in Bowie, Maryland.