IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jrpoli/v90y2024ics0301420724001387.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A systemic efficiency measurement of resource management and sustainable practices: A network bias-corrected DEA assessment of OECD countries

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Yin
  • Alnafrah, Ibrahim
  • Zhou, Yaying

Abstract

In the face of pressing challenges such as climate change and dwindling biodiversity, the global need for optimizing natural resource management is urgent. To address this, green innovations and digital government play a vital role in efficient resource utilization, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our study presents a comprehensive framework for evaluating natural resource management efficiency and its link to achieving SDGs. Using network bias-corrected Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and unsupervised machine learning techniques on 30 OECD countries, we found significant disparities in environmental and resource management efficiencies. Importantly, environmental efficiency strongly correlates with resource management efficiency, often surpassing the influence of green innovations. The results also reveal a pattern where major industrial economies like Germany, France, and the UK struggle with low natural resource efficiency. In contrast, smaller economies, particularly in the Nordic and Baltic regions, excel in resource management and employ green innovations and digital governance practices effectively to advance SDGs. This machine learning-driven dichotomy emphasizes the pivotal role of systemic resource management in achieving SDGs and highlights the leadership of smaller economies in sustainability. Our study significantly contributes to the understanding of green innovation systems and their role in enhancing natural resource management efficiency. Furthermore, it equips policymakers with the ability to pinpoint specific systemic shortcomings in natural resource management, facilitating the tailored development of policies to meet precise goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Yin & Alnafrah, Ibrahim & Zhou, Yaying, 2024. "A systemic efficiency measurement of resource management and sustainable practices: A network bias-corrected DEA assessment of OECD countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:90:y:2024:i:c:s0301420724001387
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.104771
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420724001387
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.104771?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Caihua Xu & Qian Wang & Shah Fahad & Masaru Kagatsume & Jin Yu, 2022. "Impact of Off-Farm Employment on Farmland Transfer: Insight on the Mediating Role of Agricultural Production Service Outsourcing," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, October.
    2. Ray, Subhash C & Desli, Evangelia, 1997. "Productivity Growth, Technical Progress, and Efficiency Change in Industrialized Countries: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(5), pages 1033-1039, December.
    3. Alois Kneip & Léopold Simar & Paul Wilson, 2011. "A Computationally Efficient, Consistent Bootstrap for Inference with Non-parametric DEA Estimators," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 38(4), pages 483-515, November.
    4. Xu, Yongan & Li, Ming & Yan, Wen & Bai, Jiancheng, 2022. "Predictability of the renewable energy market returns: The informational gains from the climate policy uncertainty," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    5. Emrouznejad, Ali & Yang, Guo-liang, 2018. "A survey and analysis of the first 40 years of scholarly literature in DEA: 1978–2016," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 4-8.
    6. Liu, John S. & Lu, Louis Y.Y. & Lu, Wen-Min & Lin, Bruce J.Y., 2013. "A survey of DEA applications," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 893-902.
    7. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    8. Florian Fizaine, 2020. "The economics of recycling rate: New insights from waste electrical and electronic equipment [L'économie du taux de recyclage : nouveaux éclairages sur les déchets électriques et électroniques]," Post-Print hal-02880890, HAL.
    9. Léopold Simar & Paul Wilson, 2011. "Inference by the m out of n bootstrap in nonparametric frontier models," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 33-53, August.
    10. Kao, Chiang & Hwang, Shiuh-Nan, 2008. "Efficiency decomposition in two-stage data envelopment analysis: An application to non-life insurance companies in Taiwan," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 185(1), pages 418-429, February.
    11. Aydin, Mucahit & Sogut, Yasin & Altundemir, Mehmet Emin, 2023. "Moving toward the sustainable environment of European Union countries: Investigating the effect of natural resources and green budgeting on environmental quality," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    12. Lee, Jonathan M. & Howard, Gregory, 2021. "The impact of technical efficiency, innovation, and climate policy on the economic viability of renewable electricity generation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    13. Chien Wang & Ram Gopal & Stanley Zionts, 1997. "Use of Data Envelopment Analysis in assessing Information Technology impact on firm performance," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 73(0), pages 191-213, October.
    14. Mandal, Uday & Dhar, Anirban & Panda, Sudhindra N., 2021. "Enhancement of sustainable agricultural production system by integrated natural resources management framework under climatic and operational uncertainty," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    15. Fizaine, Florian, 2020. "The economics of recycling rate: New insights from waste electrical and electronic equipment," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    16. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2002. "Non-parametric tests of returns to scale," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(1), pages 115-132, May.
    17. Ibrahim Alnafrah & Sulaiman Mouselli, 2020. "The Role of National Innovation Systems in Entrepreneurship Activities at Baltic State Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(1), pages 84-102, March.
    18. Ullah, Sami & Luo, Rundong & Nadeem, Muhammad & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier, 2023. "Advancing sustainable growth and energy transition in the United States through the lens of green energy innovations, natural resources and environmental policy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    19. Cottafava, Dario & Ascione, Grazia Sveva & Corazza, Laura & Dhir, Amandeep, 2022. "Sustainable development goals research in higher education institutions: An interdisciplinarity assessment through an entropy-based indicator," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 138-155.
    20. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Golany, B. & Seiford, L. & Stutz, J., 1985. "Foundations of data envelopment analysis for Pareto-Koopmans efficient empirical production functions," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1-2), pages 91-107.
    21. Miao, Chenglin & Fang, Debin & Sun, Liyan & Luo, Qiaoling, 2017. "Natural resources utilization efficiency under the influence of green technological innovation," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 153-161.
    22. Karlilar, Selin & Balcilar, Mehmet & Emir, Firat, 2023. "Environmental sustainability in the OECD: The power of digitalization, green innovation, renewable energy and financial development," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6).
    23. Muhirwa, Fabien & Shen, Lei & Elshkaki, Ayman & Hirwa, Hubert & Umuziranenge, Gloriose & Velempini, Kgosietsile, 2023. "Linking large extractive industries to sustainable development of rural communities at mining sites in Africa: Challenges and pathways," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    24. Cui, Kai & Li, Xinxue & Li, Gang, 2023. "What kind of fiscal policies and natural resources efficiency promotes green economic growth? Evidence from regression analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    25. Sachs,Jeffrey D. & Kroll,Christian & Lafortune,Guillame & Fuller,Grayson & Woelm,Finn, 2022. "Sustainable Development Report 2022," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781009210089, September.
    26. Ibrahim Alnafrah, 2021. "Efficiency evaluation of BRICS’s national innovation systems based on bias-corrected network data envelopment analysis," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-28, December.
    27. Chen, Fei-fei & Wang, Qiu-Su & Umar, Muhammad & Zheng, Liya, 2023. "Towards sustainable resource management: The role of governance, natural resource rent and energy productivity," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    28. Allevi, E. & Basso, A. & Bonenti, F. & Oggioni, G. & Riccardi, R., 2019. "Measuring the environmental performance of green SRI funds: A DEA approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 32-44.
    29. Wang, Kun & Rehman, Mubeen Abdur & Fahad, Shah & Linzhao, Zeng, 2023. "Unleashing the influence of natural resources, sustainable energy and human capital on consumption-based carbon emissions in G-7 Countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    30. Golany, B & Roll, Y, 1989. "An application procedure for DEA," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 237-250.
    31. Siyu Ren & Yu Hao & Haitao Wu, 2023. "Digitalization and environment governance: does internet development reduce environmental pollution?," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 66(7), pages 1533-1562, June.
    32. Xu, Li & Tan, Junlan, 2020. "Financial development, industrial structure and natural resource utilization efficiency in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    33. Ni, Zehua & Yang, Jingyi & Razzaq, Asif, 2022. "How do natural resources, digitalization, and institutional governance contribute to ecological sustainability through load capacity factors in highly resource-consuming economies?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    34. Lei, Lei & Ozturk, Ilhan & Murshed, Muntasir & Abrorov, Sirojiddin & Alvarado, Rafael & Mahmood, Haider, 2023. "Environmental innovations, energy innovations, governance, and environmental sustainability: Evidence from South and Southeast Asian countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    35. Chiang Kao, 2014. "Efficiency Decomposition in Network Data Envelopment Analysis," International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, in: Wade D. Cook & Joe Zhu (ed.), Data Envelopment Analysis, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 55-77, Springer.
    36. Zhao, Linhai & Rasoulinezhad, Ehsan, 2023. "Role of natural resources utilization efficiency in achieving green economic recovery: Evidence from BRICS countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    37. Das, Khanindra Ch & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar & Sadorsky, Perry, 2023. "Tax provision by international subsidiaries of Indian extractive industry multinationals: Do environmental pollution and corruption matter?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    38. Liu, Nan & Teng, Long & Tian, Wenjuan & Li, Ying, 2023. "Does digitalization enhance fossil fuels resources efficiency?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    39. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2007. "Estimation and inference in two-stage, semi-parametric models of production processes," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 31-64, January.
    40. Kaihua Chen & Jiancheng Guan, 2012. "Measuring the Efficiency of China's Regional Innovation Systems: Application of Network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 355-377, April.
    41. Ibrahim Alnafrah & Sulaiman Mouselli & Elena Bogdanova, 2020. "The nexus between digitisation and knowledge-based economy in low-income countries: the case of post-conflict Syria," International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(2), pages 123-146.
    42. Wang, Zhiwei & Huang, Yongjun, 2023. "Natural resources and trade-adjusted carbon emissions in the BRICS: The role of clean energy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    43. Ibrahim Alnafrah, 2019. "Dynamic structural comparison of BRICS national innovation systems based on machine learning techniques," International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(3), pages 265-290.
    44. Wang, Ying & Chen, Xiangyuan, 2020. "Natural resource endowment and ecological efficiency in China: Revisiting resource curse in the context of ecological efficiency," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    45. Zhang, Meng-Chen & Lin, Chun-Yu & Wei, Ying, 2023. "Natural resources exploration, efficiency of energy resources and financial development: Resources sector analysis via least square with structural breaks," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    46. Wei, Hua & Rizvi, Syed Kumail Abbas & Ahmad, Ferhana & Zhang, Yuchen, 2020. "Resource cursed or resource blessed? The role of investment and energy prices in G7 countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    47. R. D. Banker & A. Charnes & W. W. Cooper, 1984. "Some Models for Estimating Technical and Scale Inefficiencies in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(9), pages 1078-1092, September.
    48. Tzai-Chiao Lee & Muhammad Khalid Anser & Abdelmohsen A. Nassani & Mohamed Haffar & Khalid Zaman & Muhammad Moinuddin Qazi Abro, 2021. "Managing Natural Resources through Sustainable Environmental Actions: A Cross-Sectional Study of 138 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-19, November.
    49. Xie, Peijun & Jamaani, Fouad, 2022. "Does green innovation, energy productivity and environmental taxes limit carbon emissions in developed economies: Implications for sustainable development," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 66-78.
    50. Ahakwa, Isaac & Xu, Yi & Tackie, Evelyn Agba & Odai, Leslie Afotey & Sarpong, Francis Atta & Korankye, Benard & Ofori, Elvis Kwame, 2023. "Do natural resources and green technological innovation matter in addressing environmental degradation? Evidence from panel models robust to cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    51. Wu, Wenhan & Wu, Wenzhuo & Wu, Kouhua & Ding, Chen, 2022. "The nexus between green innovations and natural resources commodity prices in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    52. Duras, Toni & Javed, Farrukh & Månsson, Kristofer & Sjölander, Pär & Söderberg, Magnus, 2023. "Using machine learning to select variables in data envelopment analysis: Simulations and application using electricity distribution data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ibrahim Alnafrah, 2021. "Efficiency evaluation of BRICS’s national innovation systems based on bias-corrected network data envelopment analysis," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-28, December.
    2. Sebastian Kohl & Jan Schoenfelder & Andreas Fügener & Jens O. Brunner, 2019. "The use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in healthcare with a focus on hospitals," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 245-286, June.
    3. Jin, Baoling & Han, Ying & Kou, Po, 2023. "Dynamically evaluating the comprehensive efficiency of technological innovation and low-carbon economy in China's industrial sectors," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    4. Tatiana Bencova & Andrea Bohacikova, 2022. "DEA in Performance Measurement of Two-Stage Processes: Comparative Overview of the Literature," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 5, pages 111-129.
    5. Yang, Guo-liang & Fukuyama, Hirofumi & Chen, Kun, 2019. "Investigating the regional sustainable performance of the Chinese real estate industry: A slack-based DEA approach," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 141-159.
    6. Ming-Fu Hsu & Ying-Shao Hsin & Fu-Jiing Shiue, 2022. "Business analytics for corporate risk management and performance improvement," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 315(2), pages 629-669, August.
    7. Kaffash, Sepideh & Azizi, Roza & Huang, Ying & Zhu, Joe, 2020. "A survey of data envelopment analysis applications in the insurance industry 1993–2018," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 284(3), pages 801-813.
    8. Kao, Chiang, 2022. "A maximum slacks-based measure of efficiency for closed series production systems," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    9. Wen-Min Lu & Qian Long Kweh & Kai-Chu Yang, 2022. "Multiplicative efficiency aggregation to evaluate Taiwanese local auditing institutions performance," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 315(2), pages 1243-1262, August.
    10. Simar, Léopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2020. "Technical, allocative and overall efficiency: Estimation and inference," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 282(3), pages 1164-1176.
    11. Liu, John S. & Lu, Louis Y.Y. & Lu, Wen-Min, 2016. "Research fronts in data envelopment analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 33-45.
    12. Ohene-Asare, Kwaku & Turkson, Charles & Afful-Dadzie, Anthony, 2017. "Multinational operation, ownership and efficiency differences in the international oil industry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 303-312.
    13. Vladimír Holý, 2022. "The impact of operating environment on efficiency of public libraries," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 30(1), pages 395-414, March.
    14. Sinuany-Stern, Zilla, 2023. "Foundations of operations research: From linear programming to data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(3), pages 1069-1080.
    15. Liu, John S. & Lu, Louis Y.Y. & Lu, Wen-Min & Lin, Bruce J.Y., 2013. "Data envelopment analysis 1978–2010: A citation-based literature survey," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 3-15.
    16. Lampe, Hannes W. & Hilgers, Dennis, 2015. "Trajectories of efficiency measurement: A bibliometric analysis of DEA and SFA," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 240(1), pages 1-21.
    17. Dariush Akbarian, 2021. "Network DEA based on DEA-ratio," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 1-26, December.
    18. Eugenia Nissi & Massimiliano Giacalone & Carlo Cusatelli, 2019. "The Efficiency of the Italian Judicial System: A Two Stage Data Envelopment Analysis Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 146(1), pages 395-407, November.
    19. Wijesiri, Mahinda & Yaron, Jacob & Meoli, Michele, 2017. "Assessing the financial and outreach efficiency of microfinance institutions: Do age and size matter?," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 63-76.
    20. Ramanathan, Ramakrishnan & Ramanathan, Usha & Bentley, Yongmei, 2018. "The debate on flexibility of environmental regulations, innovation capabilities and financial performance – A novel use of DEA," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 131-138.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:90:y:2024:i:c:s0301420724001387. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/30467 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.