Abstract
Optimal allocation of resources is the stated aim of economics, and requires productivity to be measured statistically. In everyday usage the terms “profitability”, “performance” and “efficiency” — which are embodied in the concept of productivity — are often treated as synonyms, indicating that even the definition of productivity is unclear. It is no exaggeration to state that society has built up a veritable myth around this concept, showing once again that economic terminology is full of symbolism (strength, power, ability to adapt, competitiveness, motivation, and faith in material goals) which reflects the interaction between institutions and human behaviour. In short, the concept of productivity is a source of controversy.
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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Bürgenmeier, B. (1992). The Meaning of Productivity. In: Socio-Economics: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2966-4_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2966-4_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5317-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2966-4
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