Which of the following pairs is most likely to show a negative relationship in efficiency during business process improvement?

The pair that best illustrates a negative relationship in efficiency during business process improvement is between a task and a process. In this context, a task is a smaller, more discrete unit of work that contributes to the overall process. If a task becomes inefficient—due to lengthy execution times, increased complexity, or the need for excessive resources—it can detrimentally impact the overall process's efficiency.

As tasks within a process become less efficient, the entire process may experience delays, increased costs, or reduced quality, leading to a negative outcome. Thus, the relationship here indicates that inefficiencies at the task level can cascade up and undermine the efficiency of the entire process.

This dynamic highlights the importance of analyzing individual tasks for efficiency improvements and streamlining them to enhance overall process performance. Understanding this relationship is critical for effective process management and improvement strategies.