Productivity or efficiency— Measuring what we really want

Abstract Most productivity measures are geared toward easy quantification, tending to evaluate the efficiency of an individual, group, organization, or country. But to help ensure productivity and quality, organizations need a new definition of productivity that takes into account a multitude of factors beyond inputs and outputs. These factors and their relative importance must be solicited from management. This article details a new, improved definition of productivity and explains bow organizations can apply it to their own situations.