IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v27y2013icp85-91.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Entropy-based performance evaluation on institutional structures of trunk highway management—Case study in China

Author

Listed:
  • Sun, Zhentian
  • Li, Xuhong
  • Qiao, Wenxin
  • Haghani, Ali

Abstract

Due to the large scale highway construction and fuel tax reform, the Chinese government is suffering from serious difficulties in the Trunk Highway (TH) management (similar to arterial highways in the US). Most concerns are related to the misappropriation of funds and over-staffing. To solve these problems, an effective approach is to employ an appropriate Finance and Personnel Management Institutional Structure (FAPMIS). This paper proposes a quantitative method to evaluate the performance of FAPMIS. FAPMISs are classified into three types based on their differences: vertical management structure (VMS), regional management structure (RMS), and hybrid of vertical and regional management structure (HVRMS). These three types are represented by three different graphical structures. Based on these structures, the authors propose three measures, i.e., graph entropy (GE), time efficacy entropy (TEE) and quality entropy (QE) to evaluate the performance of FAPMIS. When comparing the numerical results among the measures, we found that HVRMS got the minimum TEE and GE values, which indicates its inefficiency in combating the misappropriation of funds and over-staffing in TH management. Thus, HVRMS is not recommended for real-life applications in China. However, VMS attains a higher GE and TEE value than RMS, indicating that VMS will theoretically lead to relatively lower risk of misappropriation of funds and over-staffing.

Suggested Citation

  • Sun, Zhentian & Li, Xuhong & Qiao, Wenxin & Haghani, Ali, 2013. "Entropy-based performance evaluation on institutional structures of trunk highway management—Case study in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 85-91.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:27:y:2013:i:c:p:85-91
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2013.01.012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X13000152
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2013.01.012?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giachetti, Ronald E. & Martinez, Luis D. & Saenz, Oscar A. & Chen, Chin-Sheng, 2003. "Analysis of the structural measures of flexibility and agility using a measurement theoretical framework," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 47-62, October.
    2. Oliver E. Williamson, 1967. "Hierarchical Control and Optimum Firm Size," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 75, pages 123-123.
    3. Hayashi, Yoshitsugu & Yang, Zhongzhen & Osman, Omar, 1998. "The effects of economic restructuring on China's system for financing transport infrastructure," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 183-195, April.
    4. Fan, Shenggen & Chan-Kang, Connie, 2008. "Regional road development, rural and urban poverty: Evidence from China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 305-314, September.
    5. Hang, Wen & Li, Xuhong, 2010. "Application of system dynamics for evaluating truck weight regulations," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 240-250, August.
    6. Bai, Chong-En & Qian, Yingyi, 2010. "Infrastructure development in China: The cases of electricity, highways, and railways," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 34-51, March.
    7. Oberg, Achim & Walgenbach, Peter, 2008. "Hierarchical structures of communication in a network organization," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 183-198, September.
    8. Kaberger, Tomas & Mansson, Bengt, 2001. "Entropy and economic processes -- physics perspectives," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 165-179, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yang, YiBiao & Sun, Huanwu & Dai, Zhen & Wu, Min & Fu, Simei, 2023. "Comprehensive evaluation of majors offered by universities based on combination weighting," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    2. Sun, Zhentian & Li, Xuhong & Xie, Yuanchang, 2014. "A comparison of innovative financing and general fiscal investment strategies for second-class highways: Perspectives for building a sustainable financing strategy," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 193-201.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xu, Meng & Grant-Muller, Susan & Gao, Ziyou, 2015. "Evolution and assessment of economic regulatory policies for expressway infrastructure in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 42-49.
    2. Zhang, Yin-Fang & Ji, Shengbao, 2018. "Does infrastructure have a transitory or longer-term impact? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 195-207.
    3. Bazoumana Ouattara & Yin-Fang Zhang, 2019. "Infrastructure and long-run economic growth: evidence from Chinese provinces," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 263-284, July.
    4. Emmanuel Uniamikogbo & Emma I. Okoye & Arowoshegbe O. Amos, 2021. "Income Diversification and Financial Performance of Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria," International Journal of Applied Management Sciences and Engineering (IJAMSE), IGI Global, vol. 8(1), pages 89-105, January.
    5. Müllner, Jakob & Puck, Jonas, 2018. "Towards a holistic framework of MNE–state bargaining: A formal model and case-based analysis," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 15-26.
    6. Rebitzer, James B & Robinson, Michael D, 1991. "Employer Size and Dual Labor Markets," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(4), pages 710-715, November.
    7. Choe, Chongwoo & Ishiguro, Shingo, 2008. "On the (Sub)optimality of Multi-tier Hierarchies: Coordination versus Motivation," MPRA Paper 13451, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Pedro Ortín‐Ángel & Vicente Salas‐fumás, 1998. "Agency‐Theory and Internal‐Labor‐Market Explanations of Bonus Payments: Empirical Evidence from Spanish Firms," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(4), pages 573-613, December.
    9. Ying Lu & Walter Timo de Vries, 2023. "Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Rural Development in China over the Past 40 Years," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, May.
    10. Nakamura, Eri & Sakai, Hiroki & Shoji, Kenichi, 2018. "Managerial transfers to reduce transaction costs among affiliated firms: Case study of Japanese railway holding companies," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 102-110.
    11. Tai-Young Kim & Jeroen G. Kuilman, 2013. "The Demography of Resources," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(7), pages 1155-1184, November.
    12. Hong Bo & Baoshan Zhang & Christine Oughton & Xiaoling Yuan & Jun Ma, 2016. "China's State Energy Investment during 1991–2007: Investment Analysis and Policy Issues," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(10), pages 1769-1784, October.
    13. Luis Garicano & Richard A. Posner, 2005. "Intelligence Failures: An Organizational Economics Perspective," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(4), pages 151-170, Fall.
    14. Giulio Bottazzi & Marco Grazzi, 2014. "Dynamics Of Productivity And Cost Of Labour In Italian Manufacturing Firms," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(S1), pages 55-73, December.
    15. Allen N. Berger & Astrid A. Dick, 2007. "Entry into Banking Markets and the Early‐Mover Advantage," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 39(4), pages 775-807, June.
    16. Jayesh Kumar, 2003. "Ownership Structure and Corporate Firm Performance," Finance 0304004, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Hernán Bejarano & Brice Corgnet & Joaquín Gómez-Miñambres, 2019. "Labor Contracts, Gift-Exchange and Reference Wages: Your Gift Need Not Be Mine!," Working Papers 19-26, Chapman University, Economic Science Institute.
    18. Foster, John, 2011. "Energy, aesthetics and knowledge in complex economic systems," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 88-100.
    19. Lukasz Hardt, 2011. "An inquiry into the explanatory virtues of transaction cost economics," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 5(1), pages 120-147, November.
    20. Ng, Desmond W., 2011. "Thinking Outside the Box: An Absorptive Capacity Approach to the Product Development Process," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 14(3), pages 1-28, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:27:y:2013:i:c:p:85-91. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.