Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Adel Hatami-Marbini 
Author-Name-First: Adel
Author-Name-Last: Hatami-Marbini 
Author-Email: adel.hatamimarbini@uclouvain.be
Author-Workplace-Name: Louvain School of Management, Universite Catholique de Louvain
Author-Name: Zahra Ghelej Beigi 
Author-Name-First: Zahra Ghelej
Author-Name-Last: Beigi 
Author-Email: zahra.ghlichbegi@yahoo.com
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mathematics, Islamic Azad University 
Author-Name: Jens Leth Hougaard
Author-Name-First: Jens Leth
Author-Name-Last: Hougaard
Author-Email: jlh@ifro.ku.dk
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen
Author-Name: Kobra Gholami
Author-Name-First: Kobra
Author-Name-Last: Gholami
Author-Email: kobra_gholami@yahoo.com
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Science, Islamic Azad University
Title: Estimating Returns to Scale in Imprecise Data Envelopment Analysis 
Abstract: The economic concept of Returns-to-Scale (RTS) has been intensively studied in the context of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The conventional DEA models that are used for RTS classification require well-defined and accurate data whereas in reality data are often imprecise, vague, uncertain or incomplete. The purpose of this paper is to estimate RTS of Decision Making Units (DMUs) in Imprecise DEA (IDEA) where the input and output data lie within bounded intervals. In the presence of interval data, we introduce six types of RTS involving increasing, decreasing, constant, non-increasing, non-decreasing and variable RTS. The situation for non-increasing (non-decreasing) RTS is then divided into two partitions; constant or decreasing (constant or increasing) RTS using sensitivity analysis. Additionally, the situation for variable RTS is split into three partitions consisting of constant, decreasing and increasing RTS using sensitivity analysis. Finally, we present the stability region of an observation while preserving its current RTS classification using the optimal values of a set of proposed DEA-based models.
Length: 35 pages
Creation-Date: 2014-11
File-URL: http://okonomi.foi.dk/workingpapers/MSAPpdf/MSAP2014/MSAP_WP07_2014.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
Number: 07_2014
Classification-JEL: C61 D24 D80
Keywords: Returns-to-scale; Interval data; Data envelopment analysis
Handle: RePEc:foi:msapwp:07_2014