--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-43/reflections-on-measuring-and-improving-productivity-when-subjective-well-being-is-the-objective/" title: "Reflections on Measuring and Improving Productivity When Subjective Well-being Is the Objective" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T08:14:51+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T08:14:51+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2022" ipm_keyword: - "Cantril ladder" - "DEA" - "Helliwell" - "productivity" - "reflection" - "research directions" - "subjective well-being" - "UBC" - "well-being" - "World Happiness Report" ipm_research_theme: - "Well-being and living standards" ipm_country_focus: - "International" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Reflections on Measuring and Improving Productivity When Subjective Well-being Is the Objective Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-43/reflections-on-measuring-and-improving-productivity-when-subjective-well-being-is-the-objective/ # Reflections on Measuring and Improving Productivity When Subjective Well-being Is the Objective [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-43-5-Helliwell.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Helliwell, John. 2022. “Reflections on Measuring and Improving Productivity When Subjective Well-being Is the Objective.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 43 (Fall 2022): 81–85. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-43/reflections-on-measuring-and-improving-productivity-when-subjective-well-being-is-the-objective/ ## Author: - John Helliwell Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia ## IPM Issue 43 Fall 2022 pp. 81–85 ## Related IPM articles [The Relationship between Efficiencies Defenses for Mergers and TFP Growth Robin Shaban Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 82–102](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-relationship-between-efficiencies-defenses-for-mergers-and-tfp-growth/) [Adult Skills and Productivity: New Evidence from PIAAC 2023 Dan Andrews, Balázs Égert, Christine de La Maisonneuve Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 41–63](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/adult-skills-and-productivity-new-evidence-from-piaac-2023/) [The Potential Impact of Pro-competitive Regulatory Reforms on Productivity and Growth in Canada Gilbert Cette, Jimmy Lopez, Giuseppe Nicoletti, Océane Vernerey Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 3–40](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-potential-impact-of-pro-competitive-regulatory-reforms-on-productivity-and-growth-in-canada/) [Appendix: UK Productivity Growth Rates Across Data Vintages and Studies Josh Martin Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 65–73](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/appendix-uk-productivity-growth-rates-across-data-vintages-and-studies/) [Opportunities and Risks of Artificial Intelligence for Productivity Francesco Filippucci, Peter Gal, Katharina Laengle, Matthias Schief, Filiz Unsal Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 1–26](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/opportunities-and-risks-of-artificial-intelligence-for-productivity/) [Eroding Natural Capital: An Alternative Explanation for the Secular Decline in Productivity Growth Christina Caron Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 109–147](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/eroding-natural-capital-an-alternative-explanation-for-the-secular-decline-in-productivity-growth/) [Using Ecosystem Accounting to Integrate the Environment in Measures of Multifactor Productivity Carl Obst Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 87–108](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/using-ecosystem-accounting-to-integrate-the-environment-in-measures-of-multifactor-productivity/) [How Does Industrial Policy Impact Output, Hours and Productivity? The Canadian Experience Tim Sargent Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 39–53](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/how-does-industrial-policy-impact-output-hours-and-productivity-the-canadian-experience/) [Climate Change and Productivity — An Exploration Dirk Pilat Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 54–86](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/climate-change-and-productivity-an-exploration/) [Could Domestic Industrial Policies, Even With Global Fragmentation, Revive Productivity? Catherine Mann Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 3–19](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/could-domestic-industrial-policies-even-with-global-fragmentation-revive-productivity/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This reflection piece by a leading well-being researcher discusses approaches to replacing GDP with subjective well-being as the objective in productivity analysis. It reviews and comments on the three Part II symposium articles, notes the advantages of the DEA approach (particularly Legge and Smith’s capital stocks model and Sarracino and O’Connor’s efficiency analysis), identifies remaining challenges in measuring well-being productivity, and suggests future research directions including the challenge of establishing production models for the non-income determinants of subjective well-being. Cette réflexion d’un éminent chercheur en bien-être examine les approches visant à remplacer le PIB par le bien-être subjectif comme objectif dans l’analyse de la productivité. Elle passe en revue et commente les trois articles du symposium de la Partie II, note les avantages de l’approche AED, identifie les défis persistants dans la mesure de la productivité du bien-être, et suggère des orientations pour des recherches futures, notamment le défi d’établir des modèles de production pour les déterminants non monétaires du bien-être subjectif. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-43-5-Helliwell.pdf)