The application of contextualism to efficiency—the view that what counts as efficient varies with context, that there is no context-independent standard of efficiency. Efficiency Contextualism argues that a practice efficient in one context may be inefficient in another, that measures that work in some situations fail in others. Efficiency is always efficiency-in-context, never efficiency-in-itself. The theory calls for attending to context, for asking not just "is this efficient?" but "efficient in what context, for what purpose, under what conditions?"
Example: "The management technique had worked brilliantly in the tech startup. When applied to the hospital, it was a disaster. Efficiency Contextualism explained why: context mattered. What was efficient in one setting was destructive in another. He stopped importing solutions without asking whether the context fit."
by Abzugal February 21, 2026
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