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Efficiency is a fundamental element of the transition towards a sustainable use of natural resources among which water has a prominent role. Spain is among the European countries facing considerable water shortage problems, particularly within its southern regions. The current paper introduces an efficiency evaluation model based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The model incorporates a subset of outputs as undesirable inputs to account for the circularity of the production process by means of treated and reused water. The main differences existing between the circular approach proposed, a standard two-stage DEA model and a dynamic Slacks-Based Measure process will be carefully illustrated. In particular, the drawbacks faced by these latter techniques to consistently incorporate circularity into their optimization structures will be demonstrated both formally and numerically. The malleability of the current approach and its capacity to generate consistent identifiable categories among the regions evaluated within a circular production setting will be studied in detail. The analysis performed demonstrates significant structural differences in production capacity and efficiency across regions, with the inefficient ones displaying a considerable subpar use of resources through their production processes. The prevalence of inefficiency in several northern regions is partially compensated through their treatment and reutilization of water. However, this is not the case for the southern ones, which face stricter constraints and more inefficient production processes. The subsequent implications for efficiency are examined and policies aimed at enhancing the structural quality of the corresponding production systems suggested. [Display omitted] • We define a circular Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) efficiency evaluation model. • Undesirable inputs implement the production circularity generated by treated water. • Two-stage and dynamic Slacks-Based Measure DEA are inapplicable to our setting. • Significant differences in production efficiency are found across Spanish regions. • Southern regions remain inefficient even with water treatment and reutilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how product innovation and competition dynamics have driven the evolution of product efficiency in the Spanish auto market. We have collected data on more than 75 technical product features and discounted prices for a representative sample of car models commercialized within a 5-year period (2010–2015). Product efficiency is measured for each period by means of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This technique identifies a best-buy technological frontier by comparing the price and product features of the different models. Furthermore, we track the dynamic evolution of product efficiency by computing and decomposing Malmquist indexes measuring the overall improvement in the car models analyzed. The decomposition of the Malmquist index brings new insights to the assessment of product innovation. First, the frontier shift indicates how much each model should have improved to simply maintain its comparative competitive appeal. Second, the catching-up effect indicates whether a model is getting closer to or farther away from the new (shifted) best-buy frontier. In the period analyzed we find important improvements in product features that were accompanied by price cutting. Both factors have contributed to significantly expand the best-buy frontier outwards. Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, BMW, Kia, Hyundai, Peugeot, Renault and Seat are identified as the brands that have contributed more to expand this frontier. In turn, Renault, Peugeot and Seat show the largest catching-up effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Olive farming represents an important source of income and employment in the rural areas of Andalusia (Spain), which is the most important olive oil-producing region in the world. Unfortunately, it also exerts significant environmental pressures with regard to soil erosion, use of polluting inputs, excessive water consumption and biodiversity reduction. This paper uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) techniques and pressure distance functions to contribute a farm-level assessment of the eco-efficiency of a sample of 292 Andalusian olive farmers. We distinguish between managerial eco-efficiency and program eco-efficiency, the latter being associated to the different natural conditions prevailing in the three main olive cultivation systems in the region, namely, traditional rain-fed mountain groves, traditional rain-fed plain groves and irrigated intensive groves. Our findings show that eco-inefficient management is a widespread practice across olive farmers, mainly due to widespread technical inefficiency. Furthermore, the most eco-efficient production system is the traditional plain growing system. Finally, we find that soil-climate conditions strongly influence managerial eco-efficiency in all three aforementioned cultivation systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a widely applied tool in efficiency evaluation for public administration, yet has scarcely been put to use in the case of heritage institutions. The goal of the current paper is to evaluate the technical efficiency of a regional system of museums, the hypothesis being that these bodies represent one organization of productive resources (employment, equipment, art collections, and so on), aimed at providing various goods and services linked to their basic functions: conservation, exhibiting, research and dissemination of cultural heritage. Yet, given the diverse nature of this kind of institution, previous sorting and classification is required in order to obtain homogeneous clusters for the various elements. This research therefore merges multivariate statistical techniques to synthesise the initial information and DEA for efficiency evaluation. These findings may prove useful for management of these institutions, as well as for those responsible for public resource allocation policies in the area of cultural heritage. We apply this to a regional system of museums in Spain, which includes both rural and urban museums. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]