Iranian Journal of Economic Research

Abstract In this paper we have tried to evaluate efficiency and productivity performance of Iranian manufacturing industries during the period 1995-2015. For this purpose we have used the data of Iranian two digits manufacturing Industries based on ISIC classification and used technique of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Malamquist Index. To compare the relative performance of manufacturing industries, we have then compared this performance of Iranian industries with an ideal Index which we have constructed based on the average performance of the three developed industrialized economies of USA, Germany and Japan. The result shows that not only productivity and efficiency of Iranian manufacturing industries are very low in almost all the branches in absolute terms, but also inefficiency are more pronounced when compared with our estimated ideal Index. Our disaggregation of efficiencies performance also shows that in almost all industrial branches allocative inefficiency is much higher than technical inefficiencies, indicating that , government macroeconomic mismanagement leads to inflationary pressures and high costs.

Abstract This study, by using data envelopment window analysis method examines the efficiency of 9 Iran’s oil refinery over the period of 2008-2013. Results of the study has shown that, during the period of study, only Kermanshah refinery was efficient in four windows and the rest of the refineries have experienced a stable trend of inefficiency. The inefficiency of oil refining companies has been mostly due to inefficiency in resource management. Inefficient companies in the field of scale efficiency have had a decreasing return to scale, that can be achieved by reducing the size of the company to the optimal scale. The highest amount of resources wasted in the refineries was related to the refinery's fuel and feed consumption. Isfahan refinery had the highest loss of capacity, fuel and feed consumption, and Abadan refinery had the most labor force wastage.

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate productivity and efficiency of intellectual capital of companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange through Data Envelopment Analysis approach and Malm-quist productivity index. In this study, the automotive industry and component manufacturers listed in Tehran Stock Exchange were chosen as pilot, and intellectual capital (human, physical, and structural capital) index was used as input index; stock return, return on assets, and return on equity were utilized as output variables for fifteen companies of this industry between 2006 and 2010. Results from the efficiency of intellectual capital indicated that throughout the years of assessment in this study, it was only a -brake- pad company that had the best performance among the selected companies; this was due to the fact that this company had been able to gain the maximum performance of intellectual capital in the assessed years. Results from the productivity of intellectual capital indicated that in the years between 2006 and 2010, except Saipa, Bahman Group, Zamyad which had a value smaller than 1 for the average productivity rate of their intellectual capital in the investigated growth range, this value was positive for the rest of the selected companies.  

Abstract Total factor productivity is an index to represent optimal use of production factors, and the degree of achievement of predetermined goals. In this study efficiency and productivity of research sector and total production (education and research) of 31 large state universities has been investigated, in order to improve the competitiveness and productivity. With the use of data envelopment analysis the efficiency and productivity changes of universities were measured, and also productivity growth of total and research productivity with separate components has been investigated. The results indicate that universities are technically inefficient. For example in research scope during 5 year, 7 universities are efficient, while 23 universities are inefficient. In total efficiency (research and educational) scope, 19 universities are efficient, while 12 university are inefficient. In order to avoid having randomized result in one year or to compare the first year with the last period, the geometrical mean of 5 years of study have been used. The findings of this study indicates that, Tehran university, Shiraz university, Kurdistan university, Ardebil university, Kermanshah university, Lorestan university and Hamedan university have the highest rang of efficiency among the others and also 13 university were lower than average. Consequently the study suggests that there are no significant improvements in research productivity and TFP in these years, which is due to the low improvement in technological efficiency. Moreover improvement of efficiency and productivity in universities requires strategic planning and productivity management cycle improvement.  

Abstract To achieve the national goals, specifically “Fourth Development Plan Objectives”; it is necessary to coordinate thetake into account  national goals with the regional actualities. For this purpose, resources should be allocated on the basis of regional capabilities and advantages.
 Since, wWelfare promotion is the most important social goal necessary for human excellencein most countries, the development programs based on the the regional economies planning process must consider the degree of human development in the different areas and provinces of country.regions of the economy.
Each region needs special plans with regard to its special characteristics. This will necessitate the identification of past and present status of different regions using scientific methods.
   In this paper, for the first time in Iran, we apply “Data Envelopment Analysis” to consider the human development in Iran's provinces and will measure the efficiencies of each provincesprovince in the resource utilization to produce human development index.
   As a matter of fact, Tthe results typically have shownshow that undeveloped provinces in overall general have higher efficiencies than developed provinces. Therefore, Iit will be necessary to pay more attention to the undeveloped regions in the future planning.

Abstract In this paper, we use data envelopment analysis (DEA), a specific non-parametric method, to obtain the efficiency of sugar produces. The main advantage of these non-parametric method, comparing parametric one, is that there is no necessity to specify a production function, and also, they provide some ways to calculate the efficiency of multi-product firms.     In this study, we measure the efficiency of 33 sugar factories of Iran in 1999. For this purpose, technical and scale efficiency of the sugar factories are calculated. The result shows the average technical efficiency is 69 percent. In addition, the technical efficiency of 7 factories including Neishabour, Piranshahr, Joveen, Isfahan, Eghlid, Miyandoab and Ghazvin is 100% relatively.    Also, the results of the scale efficiency show that 14 factories satisfy the efficient boundary condition and the average scale efficiency of the factories is about 75 percent. In addition, the rank of the efficient factories is determined, using different ranking methods. 

Abstract The aim of this paper is to measure the technical, allocative and economic efficiency of the Iranian banking system using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach.  In this survey, the performance of ten Iranian banks are studied during the period 1997-1999.
  From the view point of technical, allocative and economic efficiencies, three banks, Melli, Keshavarzi and Industry and Mine are efficient.  From the view point of technical efficiency,  Export Development bank is efficient.  The average of technical, allocative and economic efficiency during the period of study is 84.2%, 86.4% and 74.3%, respectively.  The overall results indicate that the technical, allocative and economic efficiency of specialized banks are higher than that of the commercial banks.