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Efficiency and University Size: Discipline-wise Evidence from European Universities

Author

Listed:
  • Bonaccorsi, Andrea
  • Daraio, Cinzia
  • Räty, Tarmo
  • Simar, Léopold

Abstract

Strategic management of universities must build the best possible relation between inputs and outputs. One relevant question, in this perspective, is whether the unit is making the best use of existing resources, or whether technical efficiency is in place. Here we address the question of technical efficiency with respect to university’s size. The crucial concept in this analysis is conditional efficiency and the ratio of size-conditional to unconditional efficiency measures. In particular we take use of robust order-m efficiency scores presented in Cazals, Florens and Simar (2002) and generalized in Daraio and Simar (2005a,b) to analyze data from four European countries and four different research fields. Our results are still explorative and mainly show how heterogeneous international datasets could be used to analyze productivity differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Bonaccorsi, Andrea & Daraio, Cinzia & Räty, Tarmo & Simar, Léopold, 2007. "Efficiency and University Size: Discipline-wise Evidence from European Universities," MPRA Paper 10265, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:10265
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cinzia Daraio & Léopold Simar, 2005. "Introducing Environmental Variables in Nonparametric Frontier Models: a Probabilistic Approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 93-121, September.
    2. 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.
    3. Ehrenberg, R.G.Ronald G., 2004. "Econometric studies of higher education," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 121(1-2), pages 19-37.
    4. Cinzia Daraio & Léopold Simar, 2007. "Conditional nonparametric frontier models for convex and nonconvex technologies: a unifying approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 13-32, October.
    5. Cazals, Catherine & Florens, Jean-Pierre & Simar, Leopold, 2002. "Nonparametric frontier estimation: a robust approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 106(1), pages 1-25, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Fabiola Saavedra-Caballero, 2024. "Recent Graduates in the Labor Market: The Efficiency Frontier of Higher Education Institutions," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 65(4), pages 755-774, June.
    2. Joanna Wolszczak-Derlacz & Aleksandra Parteka, 2011. "Efficiency of European public higher education institutions: a two-stage multicountry approach," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 89(3), pages 887-917, December.
    3. Klaus Wohlrabe & Felix de Moya Anegon & Lutz Bornmann, 2018. "How efficiently produce elite US universities highly cited papers? A case study based on input and output data," ifo Working Paper Series 264, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    4. Christopher Bruffaerts & Bram De Rock & Catherine Dehon, 2013. "The Research Efficiency of US Universities: a Nonparametric Frontier Modelling Approach," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2013-31, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Vidoli, Francesco, 2011. "Evaluating the water sector in Italy through a two stage method using the conditional robust nonparametric frontier and multivariate adaptive regression splines," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 212(3), pages 583-595, August.
    6. Klaus Wohlrabe & Félix de Moya Anegon & Lutz Bornmann, 2019. "How Efficiently Do Elite US Universities Produce Highly Cited Papers?," Publications, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, January.
    7. Daghbashyan, Zara, 2009. "Do university units differ in the efficiency of resource utilization?," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 176, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, revised 17 Dec 2012.
    8. De Witte, Kristof & Mika, Kortelainen, 2009. "Blaming the exogenous environment? Conditional efficiency estimation with continuous and discrete exogenous variables," MPRA Paper 14034, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Wolszczak-Derlacz, Joanna, 2017. "An evaluation and explanation of (in)efficiency in higher education institutions in Europe and the U.S. with the application of two-stage semi-parametric DEA," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(9), pages 1595-1605.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Universities; efficiency; International comparisons;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C15 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Statistical Simulation Methods: General

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