Definition:
Efficiency framing is the presentation of decisions, systems, or policies as neutral optimisations that reduce waste, cost, or effort, while obscuring their social, ethical, or human impact.
Usage Context:
Seen in corporate restructuring, public sector reform, platform design, automation discourse, and austerity policy.
Critical Note:
Efficiency framing treats speed, scale, and cost reduction as inherently positive while excluding questions of care, dignity, and fairness. Harm is reframed as optimisation, and opposition is dismissed as emotional, impractical, or anti-progress.
Related Terms:
Austerity Rhetoric, Value Extraction, Behavioural Governance, Normalisation Pressure, Administrative Violence