# 4 Factors of Production Explained With Examples

> **Definition**
>
> Factors of production are the four broad categories of resources required to produce and provide goods and services.

## What Are Factors of Production?

The four factors of production are land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship. They are needed for the creation of goods and services.

Those who control the factors of production often enjoy the greatest wealth in a society. Under capitalism, the factors of production are most often controlled by business owners and investors.

In socialist societies, the government exerts greater control over the factors of production.

### Key Takeaways

*   Many different elements fall within each type of factor of production.
*   Land can mean fields and farming as well as the use of natural resources, and land to construct buildings on.
*   Labor can refer to anyone working to deliver services, such as construction workers, teachers, hotel receptionists, and security guards.
*   Capital refers to items purchased for the production/provision of goods and services, such as tractors on a farm, desks in a school, and equipment in an office.
*   The state of technological progress can influence the total factors of production and account for any efficiencies not related to the four typical factors.

![Factors of Production](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/GV6t3AtJ_CddVN77IgiyXxDf684=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Term-Definitions_Factors-of-production-e18b3550bac04855ba04cf3058dfb8e2.jpg)

*— Mira Norian / Investopedia*

## Understanding Factors of Production

The modern definition of factors of production is primarily derived from a [neoclassical](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/neoclassical.asp) view of economics.

Initially, only labor was considered by most economists, but eventually, land and capital were considered as well. Entrepreneurship is a slightly more recent addition to the list as it was formerly lumped in with capital.

Labor was the original factor of production identified by [early economists](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/economists.asp) such as Adam Smith and David Ricardo.

In the early 20th century, two Swedish economists named Bertil Heckscher and Eli Ohlin were the first to expand the factors of production beyond labor.

Production, such as manufacturing, can be tracked by certain indexes, including the [ISM manufacturing index](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/ism-mfg.asp).

## The 4 Factors of Production

![Image](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/Gg810RTBpjBBnE8mdtjjW_LNuKY=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/dotdash_Final_Factors_of_Production_May_2020-01-5239bd5e27fc4cfc81f7602af291b769.jpg)

**

### Land

Land has a broad definition as a factor of production and can take on various forms, from agricultural [land](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/land.asp) to commercial real estate to the resources available from a particular piece of land.

Natural resources, such as oil and gold, can be extracted and refined for human consumption from the land. The cultivation of crops on land by farmers increases its value and utility. 

For a group of early French economists called “the physiocrats,” who predated the [classical political economists](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/classicaleconomics.asp), land was responsible for generating economic value.

While land is an essential component of most ventures, its importance can diminish or increase based on industry.

For example, a technology company can easily begin operations in the founder's home with zero business investment in land. On the other hand, land is the most significant investment for a real estate venture.

### Labor

Labor refers to the effort expended by an individual to bring a product or service to the market. It can take on various forms depending on the type of business in which it is used.

For example, the construction worker at a hotel site is part of labor, as is the waiter who serves guests and the receptionist who welcomes those guests to the hotel.

Within the [software industry](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/050416/industry-handbook-software-industry.asp), labor refers to the work done by project managers and developers in building the final product.

Even an artist involved in making art, whether it is a painting or a symphony, is considered labor. For the early political economists, labor was the [primary driver of economic value](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/labor-theory-of-value.asp).

Production workers are paid for their time and effort in wages that are tied to their skill and training. Labor of an uneducated and untrained worker is typically paid for at low prices.

Skilled and trained workers are called “[human capital](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/humancapital.asp)” and are paid higher wages because they bring more than their physical capacity to the task. For example, an accountant’s job requires the analysis of financial data for a company.

Countries that are rich in human capital experience increased productivity and efficiency. The difference in skill levels and terminology also helps companies and entrepreneurs create corresponding disparities in pay scales.

This can result in a transformation of factors of production for entire industries. An example of this is the change in production processes in the information technology (IT) industry after jobs were outsourced to countries with lower salaries.

### Capital

In economics, [capital](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/capital.asp) typically refers to money. However, money is not considered part of the capital factor of production because it is not directly involved in producing goods or services. Instead, it facilitates the acquisition of the items that produce or provide them.

For example, the machinery in a factory, the computers of a tech company, and the instruments of a musician are capital goods. For modern, mainstream (neoclassical) economists, capital is the primary driver of value.

It is important to distinguish personal and private capital in the factors of production. A personal vehicle used to transport family is not considered a capital good, but a commercial vehicle used expressly for official purposes is.

During an [economic contraction](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economic-cycle.asp) or when they suffer losses, companies cut back on capital expenditure to ensure profits.

However, during periods of economic expansion, they invest in new machinery and equipment to bring more products to market. This investment further feeds economic growth.

For example, after the 2008 financial crisis, China experienced a multi-year growth cycle. Its manufacturers invested in robots to improve productivity at their facilities and meet growing market demands. The country became the biggest market for robots.

By contrast, manufacturers within the United States, which had been in the throes of an economic recession after the financial crisis, cut back on their investments related to production due to tepid demand.   

> **Important**
>
> As a factor of production, capital refers to the tools used to produce (or provide) goods and service. For example, a tractor purchased for farming and desks, chairs, and supplies used in an office fall into the capital category.

### Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the secret sauce that combines all the other factors of production into a product or service for the consumer market. An example of it is the evolution of the social media behemoth Meta ([META](https://www.investopedia.com/markets/quote?tvwidgetsymbol=META)), formerly Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg assumed the risk for the success or failure of his social media network when he began allocating time from his daily schedule toward that activity.

When he coded the minimum viable product himself, Zuckerberg’s labor was the only factor of production.

After Facebook became popular and spread across campuses, Zuckerberg realized he needed to recruit additional employees.

He hired two people, an engineer (Dustin Moskovitz) and a spokesperson (Chris Hughes), who both allocated hours to the project, meaning that their invested time became a factor of production.

The continued popularity of the product meant that Zuckerberg also had to scale technology and operations. He raised venture capital money to rent office space, hire more employees, and purchase additional server space for development.

At first, there was no need for land. However, as business continued to grow, Meta built its own office space and data centers. Each of these required significant real estate and capital investments.

## Connecting the Factors

Another example of combining factors is Starbucks Corporation ([SBUX](https://www.investopedia.com/markets/quote?tvwidgetsymbol=sbux)). In addition to entrepreneurship, the retail coffee chain needed land (prime real estate in big cities for its coffee chain), capital (large machinery to produce and dispense coffee), and labor (employees at its retail outposts for service).

The company was founded in 1971 by Gerald Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Seigel. It operated as a small coffee bean retailer for about a decade before entrepreneur Howard Schultz joined the company.

Embracing the fourth factor of production (entrepreneurship) by being the first person to realize that a broader market existed, Howard is often credited for involving the other three factors of production to scale Starbucks to the global empire it is today.

While large companies make for excellent examples, a majority of companies within the U.S. are small businesses started by entrepreneurs. Because entrepreneurs are vital for economic growth, countries are creating the necessary framework and policies to make it easier for them to start companies.

## Ownership of Factors of Production

The definition of factors of production in economic systems presumes that ownership lies with households, who lend or lease them to entrepreneurs and organizations.

But that is a theoretical construct and rarely the case in practice. Except for labor, ownership of factors of production varies based on industry and economic system.

For example, a firm operating in the real estate industry typically owns significant parcels of land, while retail corporations and shops lease land for extended periods of time.

Capital also follows a similar model in that it can be owned or leased from another party. Under no circumstances, however, is labor owned by firms. Labor’s transaction with firms is based on wages.

Ownership of the factors of production also differs based on the economic system. For example, private enterprises and individuals own most of the factors of production under capitalism. However, collective good is the predominating principle under socialism, at least in theory.

As such, factors of production, such as land and capital, are owned partially or fully by the government under socialism and communism.

As we have seen throughout history, in a communist system, the implementation never matches the promises of the idealist theory. The factors of production usually end up used for the benefit of those ruling the country rather than for the common good.

## The Role of Technology

While not directly listed as a factor, technology plays a vital role in influencing production. It has a fairly broad definition and can refer to software, hardware, or a combination of both used to streamline organizational or manufacturing processes.

Increasingly, technology is responsible for the difference in efficiency among firms. To that end, technology—like money—is a facilitator of the factors of production.

The introduction of technology into a labor or capital process makes the process more efficient. For example, the use of robots in manufacturing has the potential to improve productivity and output. Similarly, the use of kiosks in self-serve restaurants can help firms cut back on their labor costs.

The [Solow residual](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/solow-residual.asp), also known as "total factor productivity (TFP)," measures the residual output that remains unaccounted for from the four factors of production. Typically, it increases when technological processes or equipment are applied to production.

Economists consider TFP to be the main factor driving economic growth for a country. The greater a firm's or country's TFP, the greater its growth.

## What Are the Factors of Production?

The factors of production are an important economic concept outlining the elements needed to produce a good or service for sale. They are commonly broken down into four elements: land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship. Depending on the specific circumstances, one or more factors of production might be more important than the others.

## What Are Examples of the Factors of Production?

Land refers to physical land, such as the acres used for a farm or the city block on which a building is constructed. Labor refers to all wage-earning activities, such as the work of professionals, retail workers, and teachers.

Entrepreneurship refers to the initiatives taken by entrepreneurs, who typically begin as the first workers in their firms and then gradually employ other factors of production to grow their businesses.

Finally, [capital](https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/051115/what-capital-relation-factors-production.asp) refers to the capital goods needed to start or grow a business. These can include things such as factory machinery, tractors, and computers—any items needed to run a given business.

## Are All Factors of Production Equally Important?

Depending on the context, some factors of production might be more important than others. For example, a software company that relies primarily on the labor of skilled software engineers might see labor as its most valuable factor of production. Meanwhile, a company that makes its money from building and renting out office space might see land and capital as its most valuable factors. As the demands of a business change over time, the relative importance of the factors of production will also change accordingly.

## The Bottom Line

The factors of production—land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship—are necessary for businesses to create products and services to sell to consumers and earn a profit. How companies manage their factors of production is critical to their success.

> **Article Sources**
>
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>     
> 2.  Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. "[Sustaining China’s Economic Growth After the Global Financial Crisis](https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/Lardy.pdf)," Page 235.
>     
> 3.  International Federation of Robotics. "[IFR Presents World Robotics Report 2020](https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/record-2.7-million-robots-work-in-factories-around-the-globe)."
>     
> 4.  U.S. International Trade Commission. "[The Industrial Robotics Industry in China: Demand and Domestic Innovation](https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/executive_briefings/chinese_industrial_robots.pdf)."
>     
> 5.  Association for Advancing Automation. "[North American Robot Orders Fall 21% in 2008](https://www.automate.org/news/north-american-robot-orders-fall-21-in-2008)."
>     
> 6.  Starbucks. "[Our Founders.](https://archive.starbucks.com/record/our-founders)"
>     
> 7.  Starbucks Coffee Corporation. "[Our Company](https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/)."
>     
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