{
  "id": 14574559,
  "title": "Doing the right things and doing things right",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/doing-the-right-things-and-doing-things-right",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T00:31:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/business/insight/2026/10/1555798/doing-right-things-and-doing-things-right"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "In the business world, two crucial aspects of performance are often discussed: effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness refers to doing the right things, which involves selecting objectives, priorities, and activities that contribute meaningfully to the organisation's purpose and long-term success. Efficiency, on the other hand, pertains to performing activities correctly, consistently, and efficiently, focusing on execution, productivity, quality, cost management, and compliance with established procedures. While both concepts are vital for organisational success, they represent distinct dimensions. An organisation may excel in efficiency but still fail if it pursues the wrong objectives, while another may have the right goals but waste resources due to poor execution. Understanding the distinction between these two aspects is crucial for boards of directors, senior management, operational leaders, and internal auditors as it influences strategic decisions, resource allocation, risk management, and long-term sustainability.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}