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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2006.10.027 Byline: Wen-Min Lu (a), Shih-Fang Lo (b) Keywords: Data envelopment analysis; Cross-efficiency measure; Environment; OR in developing countries Abstract: Although China has harvested the fruits of its rapid economic growth over a period of several decades, it has encountered serious environmental problems, an important one being air pollution in the form of soot, dust, and sulfur dioxide. In considering the concept of 'green-GDP', this paper analyzes China's regional development by examining its economic performance while taking into account various environmental factors. In addition to computing technical efficiency for 31 regions in China, a cross-efficiency measure is applied to differentiate the genuine DMUs. 'Overall' efficient regions and 'false positive' ones are recognized by a false positive index (FPI). It is found that the coastal regions perform on average better than the inland regions both economically and environmentally. For inefficient regions, the benchmark should be those regions with high cross-efficiency mean scores (e.g., Guangdong) rather than those with high self-appraisal scores (e.g., Shanghai). A cross-tabulation illustrating the difference between GDP-oriented performance and Pollution-oriented performance shows that the coastal regions make up the dominant proportion in terms of the benchmarks for economic-environmental optimization. Author Affiliation: (a) Department and Graduate Institute of Finance, National Defense University, No. 70, Sec. 2, Zhongyang North Road, Beitou, Taipei 112, Taiwan (b) International Division, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, Rm. 516, 75 Chang-Hsing St., Taipei 106, Taiwan Article History: Received 15 June 2005; Accepted 9 October 2006

Founding on the design science research methodology (DSRM), this study integrates an additive network DEA model with hierarchical process to assess the R&D organization's two-stage production process model of "R&D performance" and "economic performance" and address the differences of cross-level organizations for decision analysis. With this proposed approach, we derive the overall composition and partition efficiency of the components and discuss the relationship between system efficiency, partition efficiency and composition of Taiwanese R&D organizations. The efficiency values of the economic stage have significantly increased, while the efficiency values of the R&D performance stage see no evident changes over the sample period. Moreover, the efficiency values of the economic stage are significantly better than the those of the R&D performance stage. On average, the sample R&D organizations still have 64.7% of room for improvement. Overall, the DSRM of this study provides an innovative "artefact" and new insights on the hierarchical process and network structure of national R&D organizations to help policy makers understand the competitive advantages and improve directions of R&D organizations and make the most effective decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-industrial parks (EIPs) are an innovative solution for balancing industrial development and environmental sustainability. This study presents a novel three-step model for the comprehensive performance analysis of EIPs, employing a dataset comprising 133 EIPs from various countries worldwide. The primary objectives include understanding EIP operational efficiency, proposing a benchmark-learning roadmap, and analyzing the interplay of the environmental, economic, and societal factors influencing EIP performance. The findings suggest that an EIP's size does not significantly influence its operational efficiency, offering strategic insights for businesses that are considering a transition to EIPs. The benchmark-learning roadmap identifies suitable reference parks for each EIP, providing practical guidelines for performance enhancement. Furthermore, it underscores the crucial roles of energy management, inter-enterprise resource exchange, and social welfare services in bolstering EIPs' economic benefits. These insights present compelling evidence of the potential for symbiotic relationships between industrial growth and sustainability within an EIP framework. In conclusion, this study serves as a comprehensive blueprint for EIP management, suggesting that EIPs can effectively drive sustainable industrial development without compromising economic performance. These findings have important implications for policymakers, business leaders, and EIP managers regarding the pursuit of sustainable industrial practices. • Novel three-step model analyzing global EIPs' performance. • Key drivers boosting EIPs' economic benefits identified. • A benchmark-learning roadmap introduced to guide EIPs' performance enhancement. • Size found insignificant to EIPs' operational efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the effect of asset-light strategy on the dynamic efficiency of global airlines from 2008 to 2013. First, a dynamic data envelopment analysis is employed to estimate the dynamic efficiency of global airlines. Second, the degree of asset-lightness is computed by combining the concepts of the DuPont equation and financial ratios. Third, a multivariate analysis is performed to analyze the association between asset-light strategy and dynamic efficiency. The findings show that asset-light strategy significantly enables global airlines to have better corporate performance. Overall, this study suggests that global airlines should efficiently manage and allocate their light resources to sustain challenges in the dynamic global airline industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household animal fat has been linked to increased incidence of cancers compared with vegetable fat. However, few epidemiological studies have associated these two cooking oil types with precancerous genotoxic effects, such as occurrence of micronuclei (MN). This study aimed to explore the association between oral MN frequency and household cooking oil type and whether the association can be attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We collected information about individual cooking oil use, measured genotoxic effects by MN tests and urinary PAHs metabolites (OHPAHs) in 245 nonsmokers. The associations between household cooking oil type and MN frequency and OHPAHs were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLMs) and logistic regression models, evaluating odds ratios and coefficient (95% confidence intervals) (ORs, 95% Cls; β, 95% Cls). The odds of animal fat consumers, rather than vegetable fat consumers, was positively associated with higher MN frequency (OR = 1.94, P < 0.05). The associations were discovered in participants only using kitchen ventilation (OR = 2.04, P < 0.05). Animal fat consumers had higher total OHPAHs than vegetable fat consumers (1.58 ± 0.22 mg/mol, Cr vs 1.20 ± 0.12 mg/mol, Cr; P = 0.028). Significant correlations were observed between total OHPAHs quartiles and increased MN frequency (β = 0.38, P -trend = 0.026). After stratifying by household cooking oil type, sensitivity analyses showed that the positive association between total OHPAHs quartiles and increased MN frequency was only observed in animal fat consumers (β = 0.61, P -trend = 0.030). In conclusion, usage of household animal fat was associated with an increased odds of oral MN frequency in Chinese nonsmokers and the odds correlated with increased PAHs exposure. This finding supplemented evidence associating cooking oil type with genotoxic effects and explained its association with PAHs exposure. [Display omitted] • Animal fat consumers had higher oral MN frequency than vegetable fat consumers. • Animal fat consumers had higher total OHPAHs than vegetable fat consumers. • When PAHs exposure reached a threshold, the risk of oral MN frequency increased. • PAHs levels can explain the association between cooking oil type and genotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] An innovation ratio two-stage DEA is constructed to calculate BHC performances. [•] The fuzzy multiple objective programming is applied to calculate performance. [•] The links between IC and the BHCs’ performance are also investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study analyzes chemical industry companies with environmental expenditures to determine which ones have better financial performance. In addition, this study uses Data Envelopment Analysis to evaluate the efficiency of firms with and without environmental expenditures. This study also utilizes the Malmquist productivity index (MPI) to analyze firms' productivity change and a bootstrap method to test whether the indexes are statistically significant. Finally, this study divides chemical industry companies into three main categories, based on their products. The results of this study provide significant evidence of a relationship between environmental expenditures and financial performance. The findings suggest that firms with environmental expenditures have better efficiency and productivity. Hence, the study encourages companies in the industry to put more effort into protecting the environment that can be through practicing cleaner production to create higher benefits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study explores the relationship between operating performance and corporate governance in 30 airline companies operating in the US. First, this study applies a two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the production efficiency and marketing efficiency of the airlines. Our findings indicate that, in general, there is not as much dispersion in the relative productive efficiencies of the airlines as there is in their marketing efficiencies. The low-cost airlines, on average, are more efficient carriers than the full-service ones, but less efficient marketers. Secondly, truncated regression is used to explore whether the characteristics of corporate governance affect airline performance. The results demonstrate that corporate governance influences firm performance significantly. Finally, we address the managerial decision-making matrix and make suggestions to help airline managers improve performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to explore the operating efficiency and the benchmark-learning roadmap of military financial units for the finance center under the supervision of the Comptroller Bureau. A benchmarking managerial framework is developed and illustrated through application to the finance center. The framework encompasses a performance pyramid which embodies multiple perspectives of the organization under a balanced scorecard, data envelopment analysis, and cluster analysis. This assessment can assist the Comptroller Bureau to enhance the operational management of the finance center and to help military financial units deliver more efficient services, including the Armed Forces’ financial management, the audit of personnel-related expenditure, and the supervision and evaluation of the operation and financial management process. This paper highlights the potential applications and strengths of the methods used in assessing the military financial units. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In international trade offset practices (in Taiwan known as industrial cooperation program, ICP) have received increased attention over the past 20 years. In the coming 10 years, the Taiwanese government may expend roughly US$16 billion for purchasing Patriot-III missiles, P-3 long-range anti-submarine planes, and diesel-engine submarines from the United States through foreign military sale, and can achieve US$8 billion ICP credit the largest in Taiwanese history. Offsets or ICP can be regarded as fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems, therefore, the fuzziness and uncertainty of subjective perception should be considered. This paper provides an alternative approach, the non-additive fuzzy integral, to deal with the fuzzy MCDM problems especially when there is dependence among considered criteria. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss with Taiwan’s ICP Optimal Offset Transaction Policy and propose a framework of drawing on ICP credit in future. This paper considers the four aspects of policy, ability, economy, and environment, to establish a set of fuzzy AHP multiple criteria decision mode to identify the evaluative criteria variables and project item’s order for ICP project. This decision mode was identified as a workable method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper explores links between the operating performance of 30 airlines in the US and corporate governance. Initially data envelopment analysis is used to assess the relative efficiency of airlines and to investigate the contribution of inputs and outputs that affect technical efficiency. Efficiency decomposition combined with cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling is used to explore competitive advantage of airlines. Finally, the question of whether or not corporate governance affects the airlines’ performance is examined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It is important to increase their value by managing intellectual capital (IC), since fabless firms face an intensely competitive environment. The aim of this paper is develops a two-stage production process including IC capability and IC efficiency to characterize the IC performance of the fabless firms using a non-parametric frontier method – data envelopment analysis (DEA). The IC performance rating should be considered as a key element for achieving greater innovation and competitive advantages. The results show that IC efficiency is better than IC capability for these fabless firms; 15.8% of fabless firms perform well in both models and these firms can be treated as benchmarks for others; most firms operate at decreasing returns to scale, indicating that firms are facing a highly competitive environment; further mergers and acquisitions among firms should be considered so as to achieve economies of scale; the critical input/output measures will also help firms improve their performance and identify the key factors that impact a firm’s performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aims to resolve the problems associated with ranking fairly for both efficient and inefficient decision making units (DMUs) by proposing an ‘interactive benchmark’ model. The main concept is derived as a result of taking one certain DMU as a fixed benchmark and estimating the efficiency scores of the remaining DMUs based on that benchmark pair by pair. The process is repeated until all of the DMUs have served as the fixed benchmark. The DMUs can then be evaluated on a fair basis by computing the average efficiency scores using the above rolling procedure. The model is applied to fourteen financial holding companies (FHCs) in Taiwan using a production transfer model that is adopted by Seiford and Zhu [L.M. Seiford, J. Zhu, Profitability and marketability of the top 55 US commercial banks, Management Science 45 (9) (1999) 1270–1288]. The empirical results can serve as valuable reference to both policy-makers and investors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The importance of preserving world heritage sites (WHS) has been recognized worldwide. WHS are still damaged in many developing countries, who insist that preserving lead to poor economic development. There is a dispute between ecological protection and economic growth. Scholars proposed sustainable development to resolve the dispute. However, the result of sustainable development could not be well evaluated by previous studies. The relationship between ecological protection and economic growth was still unknown. The research object of this study is to construct a two-stage model of sustainable development to deal with the dilemma between ecological and economic goals. The relationship between ecological protection and economic development will be verified. It is found that heritage sites could be protected by proper activities that contribute to economic development. Strict ecological protection brings a sound ecological environment, which, in turn, creates a positive image important for attracting arrivals. The innovation of this study is to propose a two-stage network DEA method with second order cone programming technique to examine the sustainable development. A performance improvement strategy map would be provided to promote the sustainable performance for WHS in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates national dynamic energy efficiency of 49 countries for the period of 2007–2016 by using a dynamic data envelopment analysis model and explores (i) the relationships between the CPI and national dynamic energy efficiency, (ii) political governance and CPI, (iii) political governance and dynamic energy efficiency, and (iv) the mediating role of the CPI on the association between political governance and national dynamic energy efficiency. Empirical results corroborate that European and high-income countries perform better than their counterparts in national dynamic energy efficiency and the CPI, which has a positive effect on national dynamic energy efficiency. The proxies of political governance, such as political stability, bureaucratic quality, personal safety and security of private property, and legal and regulatory frameworks, also affect CPI and national dynamic energy efficiency, respectively. The CPI has a mediating effect on the relationship between political governance and national dynamic energy efficiency. Overall, this study suggests that governments can promote probity policies to further improve national dynamic energy efficiency. [Display omitted] • We measure national dynamic energy efficiency of 49 countries. • CPI significantly leads to low national dynamic energy efficiency. • We decompose political governance into three components from 2007 to 2016. • Political governance affects CPI and national dynamic energy efficiency. • The CPI mediates the link between political governance and dynamic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]