An analysis of productive efficiency and innovation activity using DEA: An application to Spain's wood-based industry

Abstract

This paper intends to analyze the relationship between productive efficiency and innovation activity in Spain's wood-based industry. The methodology includes two levels of analysis. First, a non-parametric technique (data envelopment analysis, DEA) is applied with several inputs and outputs associated to economic and financial data. In a second stage, a logistic regression model explores the relationship between the property of efficiency and innovation activity indicators. This approach is used to analyze a set of firms in the following sectors: lumber and wood products, pulp and paper and wood furniture. Results do not show the existence of significant links between firm's efficiency and innovation activities. This outcome is consistent with a low firm priority toward R&D as a means to achieve competitiveness and an innovation strategy followed by many Spanish firms based on the acquisition of embodied technology available in international markets. In order to improve competitiveness in the long run, efforts should be made by Spanish wood-based firms to increase their production of in-house technologies.

The forest products industry in Spain. Productive, organization and environmental aspects

“…Estos resultados son consistentes con un patrón común a muchas empresas y sectores de la industria española, caracterizados por una baja prioridad hacia las actividades de innovación como medio de mejorar la competitividad de las empresas españolas, y por una estrategia basada casi exclusivamente en la adquisición de tecnologías en mercados exteriores (COTEC, 2004). Por otro lado, en Diaz- Balteiro et al (2006) puede comprobarse analí-ticamente la falta de existencia entre vínculos que relacionen la eficiencia de las empresas de la cadena de la madera y sus actividades de innovación. Además, muchos pequeños y medianos empresarios todavía consideran la innovación como una actividad costosa y adicional, difícil de gestionar, y con unos resultados arriesgados e intangibles a largo plazo.…”

“…Por último, en Diaz- Balteiro et al (2006) se analiza la eficiencia de estas empresas y su relación con las actividades de innovación que desarrollan.…”

Which preventive measures against mastitis can increase the technical efficiency of dairy farms?

“…Logistic models were used to analyse the impact of hypothesised determinants of efficiency in previous empirical settings (e.g. Diaz-Balteiro et al, 2006;Hansson, 2007). Although regression models such as the tobit model are also used for assessing hypothesised determinants of technical efficiency, the logistic model was considered more suitable, as the aim of this study was to analyse whether changing to the preventive measures applied on fully efficient farms can increase the probability of inefficient farms becoming fully efficient.…”

Evaluation of the Efficiency of Low Carbon Industrialization in Cultural and Natural Heritage: Taking Leshan as an Example

“…Thus, the year is considered as the Decision-Making Unit(DMU), then the efficiency of each DMU is assessed by the reduced index system. Data envelopment analysis first introduced by [32], is well established as a theoretically framework for conducting performance analysis, and its application by practitioners has resulted in some significant performance improvements [33][34][35]. It commonly possess many advantages over other techniques such as performance ratios and regression analysis, which makes it a very suitable tool for management in a wide variety of industries [36,37].…”