The need for business to increase the productivity and improve the engagement of the workers in manufacturing companies seems to be overshadowed by the globalization. With so much ease in importing goods than producing them, some businesses cease the whole production processes and focus on being resellers. These in turn harms the employment sector, and have a negative impact in the welfare of a country. This study aims finding the relationship between work place challenge, productivity and competitiveness in South Africa. Data was collected using the quantitative method. The workers attitude towards work was surveyed. Using questionnaires and daily output records, data was used to get the link between the three key words, productivity, WPC and competiveness. The  findings shows a mixed picture, some companies did benefit from the implementation of WPC, some shows no change at all, and some just got worse than before they embarked on the WPC. The different outcomes could be attributed to various factors in the manufacturing businesses, like change in management which sometimes means change in strategy, employee’s movements and ageing infrastructure in relation to investors’ interest in the business changing.

Keywords

Competiveness, Manufacturing, Productivity, South Africa, workplace challenge