IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/soceps/v98y2025ics0038012124003434.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unleashing efficiency potential: The power of non-convex double frontiers in sustainable transportation supply chains

Author

Listed:
  • Saen, Reza Farzipoor
  • Karimi, Balal
  • Fathi, Amirali

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative technique to assess the sustainability of transportation supply chains by incorporating a unique free disposal hull (FDH) approach within a network data envelopment analysis (NDEA) framework. Unlike traditional DEA models that often overlook Supply chains' internal complexities, our proposed model is specifically designed to capture the intricate network structures of decision-making units (DMUs). This work extends FDH applicability by introducing a double frontier model that enables evaluation under both optimistic and pessimistic sustainability scenarios. Additionally, our model uniquely handles undesirable outputs and non-discretionary inputs, providing a more comprehensive assessment of supply chain sustainability. To demonstrate its real-world relevance, we apply our model in a case study focused on the transportation industry, yielding insights into environmental, economic, and social performance aspects and uncovering potential areas for improvement.

Suggested Citation

  • Saen, Reza Farzipoor & Karimi, Balal & Fathi, Amirali, 2025. "Unleashing efficiency potential: The power of non-convex double frontiers in sustainable transportation supply chains," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceps:v:98:y:2025:i:c:s0038012124003434
    DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2024.102143
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038012124003434
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.seps.2024.102143?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. Kiani Mavi, Reza & Saen, Reza Farzipoor & Goh, Mark, 2019. "Joint analysis of eco-efficiency and eco-innovation with common weights in two-stage network DEA: A big data approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 553-562.
    2. Fare, Rolf & Grosskopf, Shawna, 1996. "Productivity and intermediate products: A frontier approach," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 65-70, January.
    3. Amirali Fathi & Reza Farzipoor Saen, 2024. "Sustainability evaluation of transportation supply chains by common set of weights-network DEA and Shannon’s entropy in the presence of zero inputs," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 7999-8025, March.
    4. Leleu, Herve, 2006. "A linear programming framework for free disposal hull technologies and cost functions: Primal and dual models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 168(2), pages 340-344, January.
    5. Tavakoli, Ibrahim M. & Mostafaee, Amin, 2019. "Free disposal hull efficiency scores of units with network structures," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 277(3), pages 1027-1036.
    6. Karambu Kiende Gatimbu & Maurice Juma Ogada & Nancy L. M. Budambula, 2020. "Environmental efficiency of small-scale tea processors in Kenya: an inverse data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 3333-3345, April.
    7. Abad, Arnaud & Briec, Walter, 2019. "On the axiomatic of pollution-generating technologies: Non-parametric production analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 277(1), pages 377-390.
    8. Liu, John S. & Lu, Louis Y.Y. & Lu, Wen-Min & Lin, Bruce J.Y., 2013. "A survey of DEA applications," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 893-902.
    9. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    10. Arabmaldar, Aliasghar & Sahoo, Biresh K. & Ghiyasi, Mojtaba, 2023. "A generalized robust data envelopment analysis model based on directional distance function," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 311(2), pages 617-632.
    11. Esteve, Miriam & Aparicio, Juan & Rodriguez-Sala, Jesus J. & Zhu, Joe, 2023. "Random Forests and the measurement of super-efficiency in the context of Free Disposal Hull," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 304(2), pages 729-744.
    12. Dominique Deprins & Léopold Simar & Henry Tulkens, 2006. "Measuring Labor-Efficiency in Post Offices," Springer Books, in: Parkash Chander & Jacques Drèze & C. Knox Lovell & Jack Mintz (ed.), Public goods, environmental externalities and fiscal competition, chapter 0, pages 285-309, Springer.
    13. Paradi, Joseph C. & Zhu, Haiyan, 2013. "A survey on bank branch efficiency and performance research with data envelopment analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 61-79.
    14. Kerstens, Kristiaan & Azadi, Majid & Kazemi Matin, Reza & Farzipoor Saen, Reza, 2024. "Double hedonic price-characteristics frontier estimation for IoT service providers in the industry 5.0 era: A nonconvex perspective accommodating ratios," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 319(1), pages 222-233.
    15. HATAMI-MARBINI, Adel & TAVANA, Madjid & SAATI, Saber & AGRELL, Per J., 2013. "Allocating fixed resources and setting targets using a common-weights DEA approach," LIDAM Reprints CORE 2474, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    16. Sonali Sharma & Kakali Majumdar, 2021. "Efficiency of rice production and CO2 emissions: A study of selected Asian countries using DDF and SBM-DEA," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 64(12), pages 2133-2153, July.
    17. Liang Liang & Feng Yang & Wade Cook & Joe Zhu, 2006. "DEA models for supply chain efficiency evaluation," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 35-49, July.
    18. Mandal, Sabuj Kumar, 2010. "Do undesirable output and environmental regulation matter in energy efficiency analysis? Evidence from Indian Cement Industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 6076-6083, October.
    19. Zohreh Sadeghi & Reza Farzipoor Saen & Mahdi Moradzadehfard, 2022. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Developing a network data envelopment analysis model for appraising sustainable supply chains: a sustainability accounting approach," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 809-824, December.
    20. Mostafaee, Amin & Soleimani-damaneh, Majid, 2020. "Global sub-increasing and global sub-decreasing returns to scale in free disposal hull technologies: Definition, characterization and calculation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 280(1), pages 230-241.
    21. Lawrence M. Seiford & Joe Zhu, 1999. "Profitability and Marketability of the Top 55 U.S. Commercial Banks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(9), pages 1270-1288, September.
    22. Beltrán-Esteve, Mercedes & Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J., 2015. "Assessing environmental performance trends in the transport industry: Eco-innovation or catching-up?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 570-580.
    23. Rajiv D. Banker & Richard C. Morey, 1986. "Efficiency Analysis for Exogenously Fixed Inputs and Outputs," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(4), pages 513-521, August.
    24. Leleu, Hervé, 2013. "Shadow pricing of undesirable outputs in nonparametric analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 231(2), pages 474-480.
    25. R. Färe & D. Primont, 2003. "Luenberger Productivity Indicators: Aggregation Across Firms," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 425-435, November.
    26. Tavassoli, Mohammad & Badizadeh, Taliva & Farzipoor Saen, Reza, 2016. "Performance assessment of airlines using range-adjusted measure, strong complementary slackness condition, and discriminant analysis," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 42-46.
    27. Azadi, Majid & Shabani, Amir & Khodakarami, Mohsen & Farzipoor Saen, Reza, 2014. "Planning in feasible region by two-stage target-setting DEA methods: An application in green supply chain management of public transportation service providers," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 324-338.
    28. G. P. Afonso & D. C. Ferreira & J. R. Figueira, 2024. "A Network-DEA model to evaluate the impact of quality and access on hospital performance," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 342(3), pages 2169-2199, November.
    29. Sahoo, Biresh K. & Luptacik, Mikulas & Mahlberg, Bernhard, 2011. "Alternative measures of environmental technology structure in DEA: An application," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 215(3), pages 750-762, December.
    30. Fukuyama, Hirofumi & Song, Yao-yao & Ren, Xian-tong & Yang, Guo-liang, 2022. "Using a novel DEA-based model to investigate capacity utilization of Chinese firms," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    31. Atakelty Hailu & Terrence S. Veeman, 2001. "Non-parametric Productivity Analysis with Undesirable Outputs: An Application to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 83(3), pages 605-616.
    32. H Leleu, 2009. "Mixing DEA and FDH models together," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(12), pages 1730-1737, December.
    33. K Hervé Dakpo & Frederic Ang, 2019. "Modelling Environmental Adjustments of Production Technologies: A Literature Review [Modélisation de technologies génératrices de pollution : revue de la littérature]," Post-Print hal-02789879, HAL.
    34. Fukuyama, Hirofumi & Matousek, Roman & Tzeremes, Nickolaos G., 2024. "A unified framework for nonperforming loan modeling in bank production: An application of data envelopment analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    35. Zhou, P. & Ang, B.W. & Wang, H., 2012. "Energy and CO2 emission performance in electricity generation: A non-radial directional distance function approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 221(3), pages 625-635.
    36. Yao Chen & Liang Liang & Feng Yang, 2006. "A DEA game model approach to supply chain efficiency," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 5-13, July.
    37. Kao, Chiang, 2014. "Efficiency decomposition for general multi-stage systems in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 232(1), pages 117-124.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Kao, Chiang, 2014. "Network data envelopment analysis: A review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 239(1), pages 1-16.
    2. Liu, John S. & Lu, Louis Y.Y. & Lu, Wen-Min, 2016. "Research fronts in data envelopment analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 33-45.
    3. Tavakoli, Ibrahim M. & Mostafaee, Amin, 2019. "Free disposal hull efficiency scores of units with network structures," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 277(3), pages 1027-1036.
    4. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan & Goto, Mika, 2017. "A literature study for DEA applied to energy and environment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 104-124.
    5. Despotis, Dimitris K. & Koronakos, Gregory & Sotiros, Dimitris, 2016. "The “weak-link” approach to network DEA for two-stage processes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 254(2), pages 481-492.
    6. Qingxian An & Haoxun Chen & Jie Wu & Liang Liang, 2015. "Measuring slacks-based efficiency for commercial banks in China by using a two-stage DEA model with undesirable output," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 235(1), pages 13-35, December.
    7. Amirali Fathi & Reza Farzipoor Saen, 2024. "Sustainability evaluation of transportation supply chains by common set of weights-network DEA and Shannon’s entropy in the presence of zero inputs," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 7999-8025, March.
    8. Ang, Sheng & Liu, Pei & Yang, Feng, 2020. "Intra-Organizational and inter-organizational resource allocation in two-stage network systems," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    9. Alizadeh, Reza & Gharizadeh Beiragh, Ramin & Soltanisehat, Leili & Soltanzadeh, Elham & Lund, Peter D., 2020. "Performance evaluation of complex electricity generation systems: A dynamic network-based data envelopment analysis approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    10. AGRELL, Per & HATAMI-MARBINI, Adel, 2011. "Frontier-based performance analysis models for supply chain management; state of the art and research directions," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2011069, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    11. Leleu, Hervé, 2013. "Shadow pricing of undesirable outputs in nonparametric analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 231(2), pages 474-480.
    12. Wade D. Cook & Chuanyin Guo & Wanghong Li & Zhepeng Li & Liang Liang & Joe Zhu, 2017. "Efficiency Measurement of Multistage Processes: Context Dependent Numbers of Stages," Asia-Pacific Journal of Operational Research (APJOR), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 34(06), pages 1-18, December.
    13. Guo, Chuanyin & Abbasi Shureshjani, Roohollah & Foroughi, Ali Asghar & Zhu, Joe, 2017. "Decomposition weights and overall efficiency in two-stage additive network DEA," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 257(3), pages 896-906.
    14. Yin, Pengzhen & Sun, Jiasen & Chu, Junfei & Liang, Liang, 2016. "Evaluating the environmental efficiency of a two-stage system with undesired outputs by a DEA approach: An interest preference perspectiveAuthor-Name: Wu, Jie," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 254(3), pages 1047-1062.
    15. Cook, Wade D. & Seiford, Larry M., 2009. "Data envelopment analysis (DEA) - Thirty years on," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 192(1), pages 1-17, January.
    16. Annageldy Arazmuradov, 2016. "Economic prospect on carbon emissions in Commonwealth of Independent States," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 395-427, November.
    17. You, Yan Q. & Jie, Tao, 2016. "A study of the operation efficiency and cost performance indices of power-supply companies in China based on a dynamic network slacks-based measure model," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 85-97.
    18. Wu, Huaqing & Lv, Kui & Liang, Liang & Hu, Hanhui, 2017. "Measuring performance of sustainable manufacturing with recyclable wastes: A case from China’s iron and steel industry," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 66(PA), pages 38-47.
    19. Sahoo, Nihar R. & Mohapatra, Pratap K.J. & Sahoo, Biresh K. & Mahanty, Biswajit, 2017. "Rationality of energy efficiency improvement targets under the PAT scheme in India – A case of thermal power plants," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 279-289.
    20. Chiu, Yung-ho & Huang, Chin-wei & Ma, Chun-Mei, 2011. "Assessment of China transit and economic efficiencies in a modified value-chains DEA model," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 209(2), pages 95-103, March.

    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:soceps:v:98:y:2025:i:c:s0038012124003434. 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/locate/seps .

    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.