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Meta-frontier: literature review and toolkit

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  • Barnabe Walheer

    (Université de Liège)

Abstract

Introduced in the 1970s and refined at the beginning of the 2000s, the concept of meta-frontier is now recognized as the most popular operations research technique to deal with technology heterogeneity when conducting an efficiency analysis. As proof, the number of publications has followed an exponential trend with almost 800 publications overall. In short, the concept is based on partitioning DMUs into groups where each group uses its technology. The meta-frontier is defined as the envelopment of the group-specific counterparts. Technology gap ratios are evaluated to distinguish inefficiency behaviours from technological differences. After 20 years of applications and extensions, it is now time to assess the impact of the meta-frontier in the efficiency analysis literature. In this paper, we present a systematic literature review of the concept of meta-frontier. We cover several important aspects such as its origins, developments, and applications, and discuss technical considerations. An important focus will be made on how the partitioning of the DMUs into groups is made in practice; a crucial aspect of the meta-frontier technique. Beyond a simple literature review, this paper represents a guideline and toolkit for practitioners.

Suggested Citation

  • Barnabe Walheer, 2024. "Meta-frontier: literature review and toolkit," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 1-28, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:operea:v:24:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s12351-024-00830-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s12351-024-00830-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Henry Tulkens, 2006. "On FDH Efficiency Analysis: Some Methodological Issues and Applications to Retail Banking, Courts and Urban Transit," Springer Books, in: Parkash Chander & Jacques Drèze & C. Knox Lovell & Jack Mintz (ed.), Public goods, environmental externalities and fiscal competition, chapter 0, pages 311-342, Springer.
    2. 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.
    3. Weishu Liu, 2019. "The data source of this study is Web of Science Core Collection? Not enough," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 121(3), pages 1815-1824, December.
    4. Tsionas, Mike G., 2023. "Clustering and meta-envelopment in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 304(2), pages 763-778.
    5. 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.
    6. Walheer, Barnabé, 2023. "Meta-frontier and technology switchers: A nonparametric approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(1), pages 463-474.
    7. Aigner, Dennis & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Peter, 1977. "Formulation and estimation of stochastic frontier production function models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 21-37, July.
    8. Fang Liu, 2023. "Retrieval strategy and possible explanations for the abnormal growth of research publications: re-evaluating a bibliometric analysis of climate change," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(1), pages 853-859, January.
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