商界領袖常常把“效率(Efficiency)”和“生產力(Productivity)”看作同義詞，是同一硬幣的兩面。
然而，若是要落實到策略執行面，效率和生產力就會有很大的不同。
就定義來說，「效率」是指：“在要求完成一項任務時，所需要的勞工工時和產業標準或所設定的標準的比較”，用更少的工時可以完成同一項任務，就是愈有效率。以英文表示：Efficiency is about doing same with less.
而所謂的「生產力」，初看之下，和「效率」的概念，是很類似的，是指：“在投入一定的勞動時間下，能夠產生的產品與服務的數量比率”，用同樣的勞動力能夠產生更多的產品與服務就是更有生產力。以英文表示：Productivity
is about doing more with same.
講究生產效率的公司，通常會採取減少勞動力投入，降低成本的策略，可顯示公司的高效率，也可以提高公司獲利率，也有機會促進公司增加銷售規模。而重視生產力的公司，通常會以聘用更優秀的人才（即使要多支付工資），進行人才訓練，以提高員工的生產力，也提高了附加價值，進入一個有差異化價值的新市場。
無論是強調生產效率或是強調生產力，一時之間，不容易從公司財務報表上的獲利率看出明顯差異，只是獲利的主要因素是不同的。
然而，當今世界的商業環境已經不同了。在同一個國家內，持續降低勞工成本是愈來愈困難了，而將生產線遷移到低工資成本的海外國家，也不是那麼容易。更困難的是，在同質商品的競爭下，價格低廉不見得會是吸引消費者的主要理由。
相對的，愈來愈多消費者重視具有特色的商品與服務，即使必須多支付一些價錢。
更有意義的是，員工發生變化了！提供更多的休假，愈來愈難讓員工滿意，更不能讓員工具有成就感。員工更想要的是能夠在公司里有升級的機會，可以展現他獨特價值的機會。
然而，多數的公司很少從員工的角度來思考公司未來的發展，與提高真正能夠長期提高公司獲利的能力，也就是建立起公司的核心能力（core competence）。
從實踐中，我們發現一名受到激勵的員工，可以多產生25%的生產力，更驚人的發現是，他一個人可以承擔2個人的任務，不是因為他願意用2倍的時間來工作，而是他會用更多的耐心與創意來解決問題，也更願意去找出可以產生高價值的創新作法。
這完全不是公司或是上級領導告訴員工，應該去做什麼樣的創新，而是企業建立起了創新的企業文化，員工自然的更願意去創新，也發現他個人存在的價值。
在企業經營策略上，在效率與生產力之間，不是二選一，非黑即白的選擇。企業主必須重視的是市場環境的變化，與以員工作為建立公司的核心能力。
In business strategy, should you focus on efficiency, or productivity?
Business leaders often see "efficiency" and "productivity" as synonyms, two sides of the same coin.
However, if we want to implement the strategy, efficiency and productivity will be very different.
By definition, "efficiency" refers to "comparing the required labor hours with industrial standards or set standards" when a task is required to be completed. The more efficient it is to use fewer hours to accomplish the same task. Efficiency is about doing the same with less.
At first glance, the concept of "productivity" is very similar to that of "efficiency". It refers to the ratio of the quantity of products and services that can be produced when a certain amount of labor is invested. It is more productive to use the same labor force to produce more products and services. Productivity is about doing more with the same.
Companies that pay attention to production efficiency usually adopt strategies of reducing labor input and cost, which can show the company's efficiency, increase the company's interest rate, and also have the opportunity to promote the company to increase sales scale. And companies that attach importance to productivity usually employ better talents (even if they have to pay more wages) and train them to improve the productivity of employees, increase added value and enter a new market with differentiated value.
Whether emphasizing productivity or productivity, it is not easy to see a significant difference in the earnings rate on the company's financial statements for a while, but the main factors of earnings are different.
However, the business environment in today's world is different. In the same country, it is becoming more and more difficult to continuously reduce labor costs, and it is not easy to move production lines to low-wage overseas countries. Even more difficult, low prices may not be the main reason to attract consumers in the competition for homogeneous goods.
In contrast, more and more consumers are paying more attention to distinctive goods and services, even if they have to pay more.
What's more significant is that the employees have changed! Providing more vacations is increasingly difficult to satisfy employees, let alone make them feel accomplished. Employees want more opportunities to upgrade in the company and show their unique value.
However, most companies seldom think about the future development of the company from the perspective of employees, and improve the ability to really improve the profitability of the company in the long run, that is, to establish the core competence of the company.
In practice, we find that an inspired employee can produce 25% more productivity. What is more striking is that he can take on two people's tasks alone, not because he is willing to work twice as long, but because he will use more patience and creativity to solve problems, and is more willing to find innovative ways that can produce high value.
It's not that the company or the superior leaders tell the employees what kind of innovation they should do, but that the enterprise has established an innovative corporate culture. The employees are naturally more willing to innovate and find the value of their own existence.
In terms of business strategy, between efficiency and productivity, there is no choice between black and white. Business owners must pay attention to the changes in the market environment and build the core competence of the company with employees.
