Is efficiency central to both bench marking and profitability?

You should start by looking at the original article.
Article: Ioanna Keramidou, Angelos Mimis, Aikaterini Fotinopoulou, Chrisanthos D. Tassis (2013) “Exploring the relationship between efficiency and profitability”. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 20(5): 647-660.

Do not be too concerned if you cannot follow the methodology and data analysis but consider the sample and results. What kind of efficiency are the authors talking about – and does it relate to efficiencies sought through benchmarking?

This question is asking you to consider the relationship between
benchmarking and profitability. How is it described in the literature, and
what evidence can be gathered for that relationship? Is efficiency central to
both bench marking and profitability?