By factors of production (also input, input factors) one understands all material and immaterial means and achievements, which participate in the supply of goods. Is to be differentiated between economical and economical view.

Factors of production in the political economy

The classical political economy regards the factors work, capital and soil since Adam Smith. Later Karl Marx reduced these only to the work. Knowledge is regarded frequently also as economical factor of production.

Carrier of the factor work is in the classical political economy individual humans. With the abolishment of the slavery this factor of production is not cumulatable. The term soil designated originally plough land, in the course of the exploitation by then first on these was extended. With the increasing shortage of means of production such as air and water, in the political economy meanwhile of the factor of production nature is spoken. Principal ones are thus e.g. means of production. Machines, tools etc.

The factors of production are regularly limited replaceable. The formation of capital increases the productivity of the work.

The production of all goods e.g. takes their exit with the materials of nature, like the soil. But nature does not offer ready for use goods, it offers only raw materials, and/or energy sources, which humans must win or open only. But humans must spend work. Humans can satisfy the elementary needs by nature only. But with the time it learned, its forces by tools to multiply machines and means of transport. One calls these aids capital. Around it to create raw materials and work must be spent. Principal one becomes in contrast to nature (soil) and work called derived factor of production. One calls it means of production also produced. Work is a primary factor of production. Some political economists mean that one the knowledge or the information, who develop with all processes of transformation, when fourth factor of production must rank among it.

Factors of production in the management economics

The singleoperational view requires a more exact term differentiation for the factors of production. General acceptance finds thereby the made arrangement of Erich good mountain (1951) of the operational factors of production (power factors). Good mountain subdivided the factor Arbeit' into dispositive work (planning, organization, controls of etc.) and into subject-related work (work on the product).

The economical factors soil and capital are summarized and arranged economically into operational funds (properties, buildings, plants, machines, mechanisms and funds) and materials (all raw, auxiliary and fuels, half and finished products, which are received as a component into the products or, like energy and lubricant, for the enterprise of operational funds are necessary). An achievement production which except works and operational funds the factor material contains, corresponds of a production.

According to good mountain the three factors are combined by a fourth factor to a productive unit. This fourth factor is the dispositive factor, which is important regarding the optimal factor combination. The dispositive factor illustrates the planerischen and strategically/operational employment of the aforementioned factors in the enterprise. It concerns thus an immaterial property, which can be substituted only to the limited extent.

With the attempt to seize and analyze the economical Grundprobleme of the organization of an optimal goods-economical equilibrium, the supply of the factors of production plays a crucial role. In the phase applies for the supply of the factors of production it, the factors of production in the necessary kind of making quality and quantity available in time and at the correct place for the combination process. It is to be made certain in accordance with the economy principle that the supply costs are minimized.

The supply has thereby two tasks: First of all the technical task of supply planning. That is called kept manufacturing dates, fulfilment of the quality standards for a troublefree production, taking care. Secondly the economic task, which is to be derived from the success goals of the enterprise.

The system developed by good mountain is particularly appropriate for production and industrial companies. With the increasing misalignment into the tertiary sector, i.e. the arising of the service sector, the meaning of the co-operation of the customer at the achievement production, the customer integration rose. Rudolf Maleri coined/shaped in addition the term of the external factor, that for the achievement production of compellingly necessary contribution (active or passive) further Leistungserbringer.

Knowledge is established increasingly as the fourth independent factor of production, although it is taken off partly already at least in good mountain dispositive factor. Information is used as resources in the achievement creation process. Additional knowledge can develop (see knowledge management).

Repeating factors and Potenzialfaktoren

The factors of production (consumer goods and consumer durables) Henner Schierenbeck: Fundamentals of the management economics Oldenburg publishing house, Vienna, ISBN 3-486-27322-1, P. 2. can be differentiated in:

• Repeating factors (which refers to the consumption character, since the procurement of the goods must be thus constantly repeated "„repitiert "“,)
• Potential factors (which points on its special characteristic to embody a certain achievement potential)

Sources

Literature

• Erich good mountain: Bases of the management economics - volume 1: Production; Berlin: Springer publishing house, 1983, ISBN 3540056947
• Henner Schierenbeck: Fundamentals of the marketing and management, Oldenbourg publishing house Munich, ISBN: 3-486-25297-6
• Hal R. Varian: Fundamentals of the Oldenbourg publishing house Munich, ISBN: 3-486-27453-8

Related links

• Economical factors of production

Articles in category "Factor of production"

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