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The paper investigates the economic efficiency of higher education institutions (HEI) in Sweden to determine the factors that cause efficiency differences. Stochastic frontier analysis is utilized to estimate the economic efficiency of 30 HEI using both pooled and panel data approaches. HEI specific factors such as size, load, staff and student characteristics as well as government allocations are suggested to be the potential determinants of economic efficiency.The results suggest that HEI are not identical in their economic efficiency; though the average efficiency is high, they do perform differently. This variation is explained by the joint influence of HEI specific factors; the quality of labor is found to be highly significant for the cost efficiency of Swedish HEI. ; QC 20120213

Financial efficiency and profitability of "for profit"
institutions have been traditionally measured with the help of financial
ratios [Hassan and Sanchez (2009)]. However, financial ratios are
inappropriate to investigate the sources of inefficiency, estimate
financial or social efficiency with multiple inputs and outputs, and to
decompose the sources of efficiency or inefficiency into technical,
technological and scale efficiencies or inefficiencies respectively
[Hassan and Sanchez (2009)]. Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) are
special institutions, which simultaneously consider their social role to
uplift the marginalised community members along with their commercial
objective to secure self-sustainability. In standard literature this
phenomenon is coined MFIs as being "double bottom line" institutions.
[Gutierrez-Nieto, Serrano-Cinca, and Mar Molinero (2007);
Gutiérrez-Nieto, Serrano-Cinca, and Molinero (2007)]. This simultaneity
differentiates MFIs from conventional financial institutions. The
achievement of socioeconomic efficiency is indispensable for MFIs to
operate independently and on a wider scale. Thus investigation of
socioeconomic efficiency of MFIs is important for monitoring and optimal
policy implications.

Efficiency is essential for an institution because it can measure how well resources are used to achieve its specific goals (Wahab & Rahman, 2011). Zakat institutions must be managed efficiently, so they are maximized in promoting socio-economic goals, especially poverty alleviation (Wahab & Rahman, 2013). This study aims to analyze the efficiency level of Baitul Mal districts/cities of Aceh Province in Indonesia. Efficiency measurement uses a nonparametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach during 2018–2020. DEA analyzes the interaction between input variables consisting of socialization costs, number of amil, and operational costs, with output variables comprising the total collection and distribution of zakat, infaq, and sadaqah (ZIS). The results show that 11 Baitul Mal out of 69 decision-making unit (DMU) (15.94%) are efficient overall, technical, and scale. As for technical efficiency, there are 16 Baitul Mal (23.19%) that are efficient, the remaining 26 Baitul Mal (40.58%) have a score below 60, and 27 Baitul Mal (36.23%) have a score above 60. Regency Baitul Mal Aceh Besar became the only Baitul Mal that achieved efficiency throughout the research period. The source of Baitul Mal's inefficiency comes from all variables. Baitul Mal must optimize socialization costs by 60.68%, operational costs by 33.60%, and the role of amil by 3.20%. Furthermore, Baitul Mal must increase the amount of ZIS collection by 46.29% and the distribution of ZIS by 52.84% to achieve efficiency.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the direct and indirect effects of automated teller machines (ATMs) on the performance and scope economies of the Japanese financial institutions.Design/methodology/approachStochastic frontier approach is adopted to estimate banks' cost and profit efficiency indices and to examine the relationship between inefficiency scores and the number of ATMs.FindingsThe study concludes that the banks not only minimize costs and save money by using ATMs, but also spend the saved funds on hiring highly skilled staff to introduce a better product mix which allows the banks to observe scope economies.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that although branches would remain a crucial interaction point for relationship banking, but given their high fixed cost, shifting routine banking transactions from the branch to low-cost electronic channels can significantly reduce costs and enhance efficiency of the financial institutions.

In oligopsonistic labour markets, firms have some market power, and a wedge is created between wages and marginal product. When oligopsonistic firms' production technology requires generally trained workers, firms may therefore receive part of the returns to general training and be willing to pay for it despite its general nature. However this outcome is not efficient, in the sense that too few workers are trained and workers who are hired receive too little training. We consider how different institutions can affect this inefficiency. Industry-level minimum wages can remove the training inefficiency and provide workers with the right incentives to invest in general training. A training subsidy to firms can also be used to achieve first-best. Trade unions might also remedy the market failure, in two ways. First, if an industry-wide union has a direct say in the training decision and maximises the utility of a representative worker, it will choose the efficient level of training intensity. Second, firmspecific unions, through raising relative wages and reducing turnover, can increase training intensity.