Using a sample of 21 OECD-countries we measure productivity in top-edge economic research by using data envelopment analysis (DEA). DEA is a tool for evaluating relative efficiency and is widely used when there are multiple inputs and outputs and one lacks a specific functional form of a production function. The publications in 10 economics journals with the highest average impact factor over the time period 1980-1998 are taken as research output. Inputs are measured by R&D expenditures, number of universities with economics departments and (as uncontrolled variable) total population. Under constant returns-to-scale the USA are in dominant position with remarkable distance to other countries. Under variable returns-to-scale the efficiency frontier is created by the USA with most productive scale size (MPSS), and by Ireland and New Zealand, which are technical efficient but scale inefficient. All countries - except the USA - display increasing returns-to-scale, which shows that they have a possibility to improve their efficiency by scaling up their research activities. (author's abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

本研究主要目的在於評估銀行之經營效率並探討其效率與重要財務指標之關聯性。我們同時採財務比率分析以及兩階段DEA估計方法（two-stage estimation methods）進行實證，以比較分析樣本銀行之經營效率。本研究樣本期間為2005年至2012年，共計8年，選取之樣本銀行為17家總資產額大於5千億元台幣之大型銀行。 本文實證結果有以下幾點發現，首先，公營銀行平均總技術效率高於民營銀行，而其中公營銀行的無效率來源主要來自於純技術無效率，民營銀行之無效率主要是因為未能在最適規模下經營，亦即規模無效率。而雖然整個樣本期間平均來說，公營銀行具有較高的總技術效率，但公營與民營兩者的效率差距有縮小趨勢。其次，銀行金融自動化的程度越高，越能夠有效擴展銀行規模，而市佔率越高的銀行，越能夠發揮規模綜效，提升銀行效率。另一方面，獲利能力越好的銀行，經理人管理及運用資源的效率也越卓越，使得經營更有效率。實證結果也發現，重要財務比率的水準對銀行經營效率有顯著影響力，資本適足率對於銀行經營效率之影響為顯著負相關，也就是資本適足率的提高，銀行之總技術效率值會隨之下降，推測可能是因為過高的資本適足率，會降低銀行資金使用效率而致。另外，流動性準備的計提，能夠健全銀行結構，使得銀行承受短期流動性風險及應變的能力提高，提升銀行經營效率。 / The main purpose of this thesis is to evaluate productive efficiencies of banks in Taiwan and to investigate the relationship betweem efficiency and important financial indicators. In the empirical analysis, we adopt both financial ratio analysis (FRA) and two-stage DEA method to compare the performance of each bank. Our sample banks include 17 large commercial banks that have total assets in excess of TWD$ 500 billion and the sample period is from 2005 to 2012. Our empirical result shows that poblic-owned banks have higher average technical efficiency than private banks. While the inefficiency of public-owned banks mianly comes from pure technical inefficiency, the inefficiency of private banks is because of scale inefficiency. Though during the whole smaple period, public-owned banks have higher avergae technical efficiency than private ones, the difference tends to shrink. This paper also suggests that higher level of financial automation, larger and more profitable banks have higher technical efficiency. In the other hand, the levels of important financial ratios have significant influences on bank’s technical efficiency. While capital adequacy ratio is negatively related to the efficiency of bank, higher liquidity reserve ratio can improve bank’s technical efficiency.

Dans le cadre de la crise de la dette publique débutant en 2010, plusieurs pays ont dû revoir la gestion de leurs dépenses publiques. En ce sens, nous cherchons à déterminer si certains gouvernements pourraient améliorer la situation économique et sociale de leur pays avec une même quantité de dépenses publiques. Plus précisément, l’objectif de ce mémoire est de déterminer l’efficience des dépenses publiques des pays de l’OCDE entre 1991 et 2010 et de déterminer l’impact de cette efficience sur les taux d’intérêt à travers la prime de risque. En fait, nous cherchons à savoir si la confiance des investisseurs envers les obligations gouvernementales est influencée par l’inefficience dans l’utilisation des dépenses publiques. Cette recherche apporte une vision différente de l’efficience en ce sens qu’elle en évalue les conséquences sur les taux d’intérêt et la confiance des investisseurs. En premier lieu, l’efficience est calculée à l’aide de la méthode d’analyse par enveloppement des données (DEA) bootstrap. Afin de déterminer si les pays sont efficients en termes de bien-être quatre outputs différents sont testés: le taux de croissance du PIB, l’indice de développement humain (IDH), l’indicateur vivre mieux et l’indicateur vivre mieux modifié. L’utilisation de l’indicateur vivre mieux est également un apport intéressant à la recherche puisque cet indicateur permet de mesurer l’efficience des gouvernements en ce qui a trait au bien-être des citoyens. À l’aide des mesures d’efficience, nous concluons que le taux de croissance du PIB est inadéquat comme mesure de bien-être. Pour les trois autres indicateurs, l’inefficience moyenne est respectivement de 8 %, 22 %, et 31 %. En second lieu, nous nous attardons aux conséquences de l’inefficience sur les taux d’intérêt à travers la prime de risque. Après analyse, il est difficile d’obtenir une conclusion claire quant à l’impact de l’inefficience sur les taux d’intérêt. L’inefficience semble avoir un impact sur la cote de crédit et doit donc être considéré dans le risque évalué. Notre conclusion comporte cependant quelques bémols.

The purpose of this work was to study the ability of the Slacks-Based Model of Data Envelopment Analysis in the prediction of corporate failure of non-manufacturing companies as compared to Altman’s Z’’ score model. This research looks at non-manufacturing firms specifically and attempts to classify companies without looking at the asset size of the firm. A DEA model based on the Altman’s Z’’ score financial ratios was created as well as a revised DEA model. The overall accuracy of the models showed the revised DEA model to be more accurate than the original DEA model as well as the Altman Z’’ score. This indicated that bankruptcy could be predicted without the use of total assets or liabilities as variables. This also showed the ability of an SBM DEA model to predict bankruptcy.

Banks occasionally employ frontier efficiency analyses to objectively identify best practices within their organizations. Amongst the frontier efficiency analyses identified in the literature, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was found to be one of the leading approaches. DEA has been successfully applied in many bank branch performance evaluations using traditional intermediation, profitability and production approaches. However, there has been little focus on assessing the growth potential of individual branches. This research presents six models that examine four perspectives of branch growth. Each model was applied to the branch network of one of Canada’s top five banks to gauge the growth potential of individual branches and to provide tailored improvement recommendations. Using various analysis methodologies, the results of each model were examined and their functionality assessed. Based on these findings, three models were deemed to produce significant results, while the remaining three failed to attain viable results.

The purpose of this work was to study the ability of the Slacks-Based Model of Data Envelopment Analysis in the prediction of corporate failure of non-manufacturing companies as compared to Altman’s Z’’ score model. This research looks at non-manufacturing firms specifically and attempts to classify companies without looking at the asset size of the firm. A DEA model based on the Altman’s Z’’ score financial ratios was created as well as a revised DEA model. The overall accuracy of the models showed the revised DEA model to be more accurate than the original DEA model as well as the Altman Z’’ score. This indicated that bankruptcy could be predicted without the use of total assets or liabilities as variables. This also showed the ability of an SBM DEA model to predict bankruptcy.

Banks occasionally employ frontier efficiency analyses to objectively identify best practices within their organizations. Amongst the frontier efficiency analyses identified in the literature, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was found to be one of the leading approaches. DEA has been successfully applied in many bank branch performance evaluations using traditional intermediation, profitability and production approaches. However, there has been little focus on assessing the growth potential of individual branches. This research presents six models that examine four perspectives of branch growth. Each model was applied to the branch network of one of Canada’s top five banks to gauge the growth potential of individual branches and to provide tailored improvement recommendations. Using various analysis methodologies, the results of each model were examined and their functionality assessed. Based on these findings, three models were deemed to produce significant results, while the remaining three failed to attain viable results.

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) assigns efficiency values to decision making units (DMU) in a given period by comparing the outputs with the inputs. In many applications, inputs and outputs of DMUs are monitored over time. There might be a time lag between the consumption of inputs and production of outputs. We develop approaches that aim to capture the time lag between the outputs and the inputs in assigning the efficiency values to DMUs. We present computational results on randomly generated problems as well as on an application to R&amp / D institutes of the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (T&Uuml / BiTAK).

本研究欲探討國籍航空公司之經營效率，根據「民航運輸統計資料、民航統計月報及年報」、「公開上市、上櫃資訊觀測網站中之財務報告書」資料，研究對象為國籍6家航空公司，研究期間自19999年至2004年，在研究方法上，本文將採用二階段進行，首先，利用資料包絡分析法投入導向模型評估每家航空公司之經營效率；然後，以Tobit截斷迴歸模型探討可能造成航空公司之間經營效率差異之影響因素。由技術效率評估結果發現：（一）在不同投入產出組合下，航空公司整體的技術效率平均值介於81.45﹪與97.25﹪之間，亦即航空公司在投入資源運用上仍存在改善空間；同時在產出不變下情況下，平均而言，可以節省2.75%~18.55%之資源使用量。（二）規模效率平均值近乎於1，顯示造成其技術無效率之原因，主要歸咎於資源浪費。迴歸實證結果顯示：(一) 業務集中度與技術效率具負向關係，意即航空公司將業務分散於會員收入、精緻旅遊、空廚、修護等，其多樣化經濟，可提升技術效率；(二) 準點率與技術效率具正向關係，意謂準點率愈高之航空公司，經營的技術效率愈好，準點率可提升機隊使用率，降低單位成本，使資源更有效運用，是航空公司整體營運作業效率之重要指標；(三) 航線是航空公司主要產品，航線數多且班次頻繁，對航空公司經營有正面效率。(四) 機隊平均機齡與效率值之間關係為正向關係，顯示平均機齡愈高，經營效率愈高。(五) 航空公司為增加航線經營權而欲另設子公司可能因資源無法共用而降低經營效率，航空業者似應檢討其必要性。

H ετερογένεια που χαρακτηρίζει τις τεχνολογίες των επιχειρήσεων που εντάσσονται σε διαφορετικά σύνολα και ενσωματώνουν στο τεχνολογικό τους σύνολο μια καινοτομία, δημιουργεί προβλήματα στην εκτίμηση της συνολικής παραγωγικότητας των εισροών (TFP). Σε αυτή την περίπτωση οι όποιες μεταβολές της παραγωγικής αποτελεσματικότητας, τεχνικής και κλίμακας, συναρτώνται άμεσα με τους ρυθμούς τεχνολογικής αλλαγής και ταυτόχρονα εξαρτώνται από τις διαφορές παραγωγικότητας και αποτελεσματικότητας των κλάδων που ανήκουν οι επιχειρήσεις. Στην διεθνή βιβλιογραφία το παραπάνω ζήτημα έχει αντιμετωπιστεί από αρκετούς ερευνητές (Battese et al., 2002; 2004, Orea and Kumbhakar, 2004; Caudill, 2003). Ωστόσο σε μια πρόσφατη έρευνα (Kounetas, Mourtos and Tsekouras, 2009) παρουσιάζεται ένα αναλυτικό μεθοδολογικό πλαίσιο που επιτρέπει, καταρχάς την εκτίμηση της διαφοράς των τεχνολογιών στις οποίες εντάσσονται οι επιχειρήσεις και στη συνέχεια αποτυπώνει τις όποιες μεταβολές μπορεί να επιφέρει η ενσωμάτωση των καινοτομιών, νέων τεχνολογιών κ.λ.π. στα επιμέρους συστατικά της παραγωγικότητας. Σκοπός αυτής της διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η ανάπτυξη ενός αλγορίθμου που θα βασίζεται στο μεθοδολογικό αυτό πλαίσιο και θα εκτιμά την αποτελεσματικότητα επιχειρήσεων που λειτουργούν υπό διαφορετικά τεχνολογικά καθεστώτα και θα υπολογίζει εφόσον υπάρχουν τα τεχνολογικά χάσματα σε οποιοδήποτε από τα εξεταζόμενα επίπεδα τεχνολογικής ετερογένειας. / Ηeterogeneity that characterizes the technologies of enterprises that are included in different totals and incorporate in their technology a innovation, creates problems in the estimation of total productivity of inputs (TFP). In this case any changes of technical and scale productivity, are associated immediately with the rate of technological change and simultaneously depend from the differences of productivity and effectiveness of sectors that belongs the enterprises. In the international bibliography the above question has been faced by enough researchers (Battese et al., 2002;.2004, Orea and Kumbhakar, 2004 Caudill, 2003). However in a recent research (Kounetas, Mourtos and Tsekouras, 2009) is presented an analytic methodological frame that allows, firstly the estimation of the difference of technologies that belong the enterprises and then impress any changes that can effect the incorporation of innovations, new technologies etc in the individual components of productivity. Aim of this is the development of an algorithm that will be based on this methodological frame and will appreciate the effectiveness of enterprises that functions under different technological arrangements and will calculate, provided that exist, the technological gaps in anyone from the examined levels of technological heterogeneity.