Efficiency analysis of viticulture systems in the Portuguese Douro region

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-591
Author(s):  
Micael Queiroga dos Santos ◽  
Xosé A. Rodríguez ◽  
Ana Marta-Costa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate and analyse the technical efficiency (TE) component of productivity for a sample of winegrowers from the Douro Demarcated Region in Portugal. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through face-to-face surveys and includes a sample of 110 farmers’ vineyards with specific input-output information and other data about production systems during the year of 2017. The authors use a two-stage data envelopment analysis using bootstrap techniques to obtain TE scores in the farmers’ vineyards and to examine the determinants of its efficiency. Findings The results show that some farmers’ vineyards have a low efficiency level and that there are essential determinants of the production system, which can influence its efficiency. This suggests considerable opportunities for improvement of wine grape productivity through better use of available resources considering the state of technology. Originality/value This work has overcome the lack of data in the farmers’ vineyards, the lack of efficiency studies in the region and also allowed to evaluate the production systems and to assess their impact on efficiency.

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Deutsch ◽  
Audrey Dumas ◽  
Jacques Silber

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of scholastic performance using an efficiency analysis perspective. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply data envelopment analysis (DEA) at the pupil level using the 2009 PISA survey in Azerbaijan. Before applying DEA with multiple outputs, this paper integrates the maximum amount of available information on inputs via the use of correspondence analysis. Findings The results show that scholastic efficiency depends positively on the externalities due to the resources of the school and to a peer effect. The analysis of the determinants of these externalities shows how they influence scholastic performance and has some policy implications. Practical implications Education policies should promote the resource externality, because its effect is more homogeneous among pupils. The mechanisms generating school externalities should be taken into consideration by educational authorities, when allocating resources to school and should give some guidelines about how to use these resources and how to manage a school in order to promote peer effects externalities. Originality/value The authors distinguish various sources of efficiency: that of the pupil and that due to school externalities operating via resources and peer effects. The authors relate the efficiency due to school externalities to individual, family and school characteristics.


2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 2126-2148
Author(s):  
Lucía Isabel García-Cebrián ◽  
Fabíola Zambom-Ferraresi ◽  
Fernando Lera-López

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze efficiency and its evolution in teams that played in the UEFA Champions League during nine seasons. The aim is to present a research procedure for determining the most accurate data envelopment analysis to estimate and compare the efficiency. Design/methodology/approach First, the authors analyzed the existence of a temporal trend using the S-statistic. The authors calculated the Kruskal–Wallis statistic to verify if there is stability in relative ranks. The results of the aforementioned tests have indicated that window analysis is an accurate methodology to apply to the sample. The authors analyzed 94 clubs with a sample of 288 observations, obtaining 768 efficiency ratios. They have been calculated using super-efficiency which enables to discriminate efficient units. Findings Results indicate that there is a low efficiency level in the nine seasons observed. There is a strong correlation between sports results and the efficiency of semifinalists. The authors conclude that improvement in a club’s efficiency could enhance its sports results. Finally, as practical implications, the authors highlight benchmark teams and alternative sports tactics to help clubs become more efficient and achieve better sports results. Originality/value This paper contributes to sports efficiency literature by presenting a research procedure to identify the most accurate methodology to be applied to panel data. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first empirical study on international football competitions applying WindowDEA to incomplete panel data.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 590-609
Author(s):  
Qianqian Yuan ◽  
Liansheng Larry Tang ◽  
Feng Yang ◽  
Diane E. Brandt ◽  
Leighton Chan

Purpose This paper aims to estimate the performance of the social security administration (SSA) in dealing with disability benefits applications in American. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a multi-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) method to analyze the efficiency of 167 hearing offices (HOs) to find the best performed HOs and inefficient ones and detect total improvement of inefficient and weak efficient offices. Findings The results show that totally 299,711 applications were processed and more applications will be processed if all offices can work efficiently. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first one to analyze the performance of SSA HOs using the multi-stage DEA method. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first one to analyze the performance of SSA HOs using the multi-stage DEA method.


Humanomics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Tariq Majeed ◽  
Abida Zanib

Purpose – This paper aims to empirically analyze the efficiency of full-fledged Islamic banks, Islamic branches of conventional banks and conventional banks in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses data envelopment analysis to measure and compare the efficiency of banks. Three measures of efficiencies such as total technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency are computed to achieve the objective of the paper. Findings – Overall, full-fledged Islamic banks are less efficient in terms of total technical efficiency and pure technical efficiency than conventional banks. However, Islamic branches of conventional banks are highly scale-efficient than their counterparts. Research limitations/implications – The findings need to be supported by considering production function and risk exposure factors. Originality/value – This paper evaluates and compares the efficiency of Islamic and conventional banks by utilizing the largest available data set during 2007-2014.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline S.L. Tan

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine psychological ownership (PO) experienced by followers of social media influencers toward both influencer and the product. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews that were conducted with 30 respondents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings The study demonstrated that the PO experienced by the follower changes under different conditions resulting from perceived value, social currency and follower activity. Social currency plays a vital role in determining the target of PO, often affecting the narrative by the follower. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the transference of PO between product and influencer as experienced by the follower. It provides an understanding on PO that is experienced in different levels of intensity and changes depending on the motive of the follower; hence, transference of PO occurs and it is not a static.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose The authors wanted to examine why undeclared workers had not received financial assistance in Europe during the pandemic and find the best way to help them and bring them out of the shadows. Design/methodology/approach To identify those whose paid work is entirely undeclared, a Eurobarometer survey of undeclared work in Europe is reported conducted in September 2019, just prior to the pandemic, and involving 27,565 face-to-face interviews in 28 European countries. Findings The paid work of one in every 132 citizens in Europe comprises wholly of undeclared work and one in 28 work at least some of the time in the undeclared economy. These workers have received no support, but they are more likely to be financially vulnerable. A high percentage of undeclared workers are widowed, divorced and living in households with multiple persons. Originality/value The authors argue that short-term support for these individuals could not only help them to survive the pandemic financially, but also transform undeclared work into declared work with long-term benefits for individuals and the wider economy.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Nunkoosing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Alex Cockain’s article “De-fusing and re-fusing face-to-face encounters involving autistic persons in Hong Kong”. Design/methodology/approach The commentary considers the issues raised in Cockain’s article primarily from a focus on Goffman’s concept of “stigma”. Cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of stigma are examined and its wider relevance considered. Findings There has been less research on the stigma of learning disability than on that of mental health, despite a very early study of learning disability (Edgerton, 1967) using the concept only four years after the publication of Goffman’s (1963) seminal work. A number of points of relevance of stigma are identified including to social role valorisation, visible and invisible stigmas, the concept of “passing”, microaggression, disablism and labelling. Originality/value The commentary illustrates the relevance of the concept of stigma to other aspects of learning disability and disability scholarship.


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 891-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justo De Jorge-Moreno ◽  
Virignia De Jorge-Huertas

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to conduct a benchmark analysis of European cities based on the estimation of a composite index of efficiency from the dimensions of the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor 2017 (CCCM). The study helps to initiate a new exploration path based on this information, using a segmentation criterion of countries according to their economic and demographic characteristics, in search of greater comparative homogeneity.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the metafrontier methodological proposal with data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been used to compare the groups of cities individually with their joint reference.FindingsThe results obtained indicate, from a greater control of heterogeneity, through the segmentation of the sample of cities and the metafrontier methodology, that the composite index (IEC3) through the enveloping data analysis methodology (DEA) is more robust than that obtained with the arbitrary assignment of CCCM weights. The analyses carried out make it possible to study and conduct more real and rigorous comparisons of the cities that experience the best practices, unlike other more distant ones. Reference to cities such as Paris, Louvain and Cork could serve as a basis for possible improvements.Originality/valueIt is important to bear in mind that the possible urban policies of a city and the creative strategies and their derived impact are different, because of the diversity in each city. These new comparability possibilities could serve as a tool for economic policy makers, companies and local managers to carry out learning and simulation processes in the improvement of creative cities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 831-846
Author(s):  
Bob Mckercher

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the factors that make tourist shopping districts successful. Design/methodology/approach In total, 12 sets of face-to-face interviews were conducted in 7 cities on 4 continents in September and October, 2019. In total, 21 individuals participated in the interviews. Interviews were conducted in Bangkok Thailand, Singapore, Melbourne and Brisbane Australia, Ottawa Canada, New York USA (three sets of interviews) and London England (four sets of interviews). Findings The literature focusses on operational issues, while respondents highlighted higher order issues relating primarily to organisational structure, governance and funding. Research limitations/implications The study focusses primarily on English speaking jurisdictions, with the exception of Bangkok. As such, the results may not be generalisable to non-English speaking economies. Practical implications Insights into factors influencing the success of tourism retail shopping districts are highlighted, especially the role of governance and creativity. Social implications The paper indicates that local stakeholders also play a key role in the success of such districts. Originality/value This is the first comprehensive, global study of the factors that make tourism shopping districts successful.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathrine Tambudzai Nengomasha ◽  
Alfred Chikomba

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the adoption and use of electronic document and records management system (EDRMS) in the public service in Namibia and Zimbabwe with the aim of establishing barriers and enablers, and best practices which each country could adopt from the other. Design/methodology/approach This multi-case study was informed by an interpretivist paradigm. Qualitative in nature, the study applied face-to-face interviews as the data collection method, supplemented by documents analysis. The study population was Namibia and Zimbabwe’s public sectors with units of analysis, being the governments’ ministries, offices and agencies which have implemented EDRMS. Findings The paper provides the state of EDRMS implementation in Namibia and Zimbabwe. It establishes how the two countries have implemented EDRMS and factors that have contributed to the success/failure of the implementation in both countries. Originality/value The paper is a response to the need for further research studies on the implementation of EDRMS in various countries.


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