In this paper we show that given a utility threshold Luenberger’s benefit function correctly represents individual preferences as long as specific reference commodity bundles are considered. We further show a condition which is sufficient for reaching Pareto optimality that generalizes...

We discuss how to properly decompose economic efficiency when the underlying technology is non-homothetic using alternative allocative and technical efficiency criteria. We first show that only under the production of one output and assuming the particular case of constant returns to scale...

Cost or revenue efficiency measurement based on the approach initiated by Farrell has received great attention from academics and practitioners since the fifties. Farrell’s approach decomposes cost efficiency into two different sources, viz. technical efficiency and allocative efficiency....

The directional distance function encompasses Shephard’s input and output distance functions and also allows nonradial projections of the assessed firm onto the frontier of the technology in a preassigned direction. However, the criteria underlying the choice of its associated directional...

In for-profit organizations, profit efficiency decomposition is considered important since estimates on profit drivers are of practical use to managers in their decision making. Profit efficiency is traditionally due to two sources – technical efficiency and allocative efficiency. The...

Dealing with weighted additive models in Data Envelopment Analysis guarantees that any projection of an inefficient unit belongs to the strong efficient frontier, among other interesting properties. Recently, constant returns to scale (CRS) range-bounded models have been introduced for defining...

Gerard Debreu introduced a well known radial efficiency measure which he called a “coefficient of resource utilization.” He derived this scalar from a much less well known “dead loss” function that characterizes the monetary value sacrificed to inefficiency, and which is to be minimized...

The determination of closest efficient targets has attracted increasing interest of researchers in recent Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) literature. Several methods have been introduced in this respect. However, only a few attempts exist that analyze the implications of using closest targets on...

As a measure of overall technical inefficiency, the Directional Distance Function (DDF) introduced by Chambers, Chung, and Färe ties the potential output expansion and input contraction together through a single parameter. By duality, the DDF is related to a measure of profit inefficiency,...