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Generic data envelopment analysis (DEA) models are based on deterministic input and output. However, input and output vectors are often interrupted by random factors, such as measurement errors and data noise, in real economic situations. This study proposes a new chance-constrained network DEA model based on the modified directional distance function (DDF) and enhanced Russell measure (ERM) model for assessing government management and culture-led urban regeneration. In addition to exploring the randomness of data, this study integrates the advantages of both ERM and DDF and considers the inefficiency level from a non-oriented viewpoint, the direction vector, and each input and output simultaneously. Each input and output of the two production stages can use non-radials to measure efficiency. Results show that the urban-rural gap has gradually widened since 2015. To validate the legitimacy of the model, this study utilizes the bootstrapping method to verify the results of the stochastic network DEA model and the conventional two-stage network DEA approach. This study also considers different alpha values as basis for comparison to confirm whether the results obtained differ by uncertainty level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the link between semiconductors and sustainability, focusing on their role in advancing energy sustainability from 1999 to 2023. Key research trends, collaboration patterns, and the evolving role of semiconductors in addressing energy sustainability challenges are identified. Semiconductor research significantly contributes to the United Nations' sustainability goals, particularly in improving energy efficiency and promoting clean energy. The analysis reveals the predominance of primary research articles, highlighting the field's interdisciplinary nature with major contributions from engineering and physics. Network visualization illustrates extensive global collaboration among institutions, with key players like the Chinese Academy of Sciences, MIT, and Stanford University. Clustering analysis identifies critical themes in semiconductor research, including manufacturing improvements, advanced materials, and sensing technologies. This study underscores the necessity for interdisciplinary and global collaboration to address sustainability challenges, paving the way for future innovations and sustainable practices in the semiconductor industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing university resource allocation or misallocation is necessary to understand its impact on research and teaching productivity. To achieve this insight, this study conducts a two-stage data envelopment analysis to judge the "teaching and research efficiency" and "revenue efficiency" of 61 universities in Vietnam. We analyze what variables have the most effect on the efficiencies of the universities through improving results. Moreover, this research applies scale elasticity to distinguish the benchmark performance leader among Vietnam universities. Results indicate that universities are more efficient in terms of "revenue efficiency" than "teaching and research efficiency." The scale elasticity decomposition findings show that multidisciplinary universities perform better than those specializing in science and technology and social science and economics. Finally, the competitive map to performance advancement strategies is exhibited. This map helps the university management to enhance their efficiencies.

We examine whether and how research and development (R&D) mediates the association between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) pillars and corporate efficiency among companies within the supply chain of Microsoft Corporation from 2012 to 2020. An estimation of corporate efficiency using data envelopment analysis (DEA) indicates that companies should first improve their innovational efficiency (mean DEA score = 0.371), then operational efficiency (mean DEA score = 0.659), and finally profitability efficiency (mean DEA score = 0.695). Moreover, a mediation analysis confirms the mediating role of R&D intensity. Overall, R&D should be one of the spotlights in the supply chain amidst the highlights on ESG in this dynamic and challenging business world for companies to achieve sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes network data envelopment analysis and the second-order cone programming approach to evaluate the performance of 20 Taiwanese local governments (which consist of 6 municipal governments and 14 non-municipal governments). We first explore the fiscal policies in local governments using non-parametric methods. Second, this study develops an innovative two-stage process to measure the effects of fiscal policies to economic efficiency and fiscal effectiveness of 20 local governments for from 2010 to 2016. Several findings are summarized as follows. (1) Non-parametric results reveal that current and capital expenditures, as well as tax and non-tax revenue of municipal governments, were higher than non-municipal governments. (2) The municipal governments have a higher economic efficiency level and fiscal effectiveness yearly and on average based on the two-stage efficiency scores. Overall, empirical results provide insights to local governments on the efforts to integrate resources that will exert a synergistic effect on governance performance. To mitigate economic problems arising from increasing fiscal deficits, it is recommended to implement forward-looking policies and allocate government funds wisely during the early expansion stage. This can be achieved by analyzing tax systems and adopting fiscal policies that boost tax revenue and enhance overall fiscal effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable tourism is the idea of managing the negative impacts or potential for serious harm to the economic, environmental, or social elements of a destination, and thus reaching the goals of sustainable development. This research benchmarks the sustainability of 111 tourist destinations throughout the world, using an advanced integration of a two-stage network DEA under the meta-frontier concept, directional distance function, and network-based ranking methods. The empirical outcomes of these analyses clarify that the sources of sustainable inefficiencies are the self-production process and the technology gap among the tourism regions, rather than the capacity of utilizing the input resources or maintaining the production outcomes. The network-based ranking emphasizes the sufficiency and deficiency of each place, and provides a map of reference among destinations. Based on these, the article reports some managerial suggestions, theoretical implications, and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]