Productivity Growth and Efficiency Changes in Publicly Managed U.S. Comprehensive Universities: Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Decompositions

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Abstract

This paper uses data envelopment analysis and Malmquist index decompositions in estimating productivity and efficiency changes of comprehensive degree granting, publicly owned U.S. universities. Panel data for 247 universities is employed for the academic years 2005-09. Results indicate that universities incurred productivity regress on the order of 4% per annum. The regress was due to declines in technological change that overpowered the efficiency gains achieved by universities. The latter derived from both university management and scale efficiency improvements. The dynamics of annual changes suggest that the financial crisis worsened productivity regress but created positive efficiency changes. It will, however, be interesting to observe future extensions of the current research to include additional post-crisis academic years.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalJournal of Business Management and Applied Economics
Volume1
StatePublished - Jul 1 2012

Keywords

  • DEA
  • Data Envelopment
  • Efficiency
  • Malmquist
  • Productivity
  • Universities

Disciplines

  • Economics
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences

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