Multitasking is often necessary but can decrease focus and productivity, I agree. But I often require several apps to complete a single task. So hiding apps wouldn't help me be productive. I find judicial use of "Spaces" along with 2 or three large monitors helpd me quickly focus on the task at hand and get the job done. I like to keep the finder open in all Spaces. And learn the key commands for tabbing through windows and applications, etc.