The future of productivity : Avenir de la productivité : l'heure du réveil pour les entreprises canadiennes

A new study by Deloitte has yielded some thought-provoking insights into the source of Canada's productivity challenge. Previous studies have shown that despite a strong dollar, low interest rates and a stable investment environment, many of our businesses invest materially less in the research and development (R&D) and machinery and equipment (M&E) (including information and communication technology (ICT)) that are vital to improving productivity. Our new research suggests that a significant portion of Canadian firms mistakenly believe they are making competitive levels of investment when they are not - causing them to slip behind their peers. This study establishes that attitudes and behaviours in Canadian firms about their investments contribute significantly to the persistent and growing productivity gap between Canada and other countries.