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Infrastructure Operation Efficiency and Influential Factors in Developing Countries: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Xiao Wei

    (School of Economics and Management, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China)

  • Haicheng Xu

    (Research Center of Economics and Management for Highway Infrastructure, School of Economics and Management, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China)

  • Beiqi Zhang

    (School of Economics and Management, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China)

  • Jianlong Li

    (School of Economics and Management, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China)

Abstract

The development of sustainable infrastructure has been identified as one of the seventeen sustainable development goals by the United Nations. Keeping the operation of infrastructure sustainable in terms of economy becomes a major challenge in developing countries. The objective of this research is to evaluate the operation efficiency of the expressway and explore the key influential factors. This research took expressway mileage as the physical output and evaluated the operation efficiency of the expressway companies based on the super-efficiency Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model; additionally, we analyzed the influential factors on the basis of the fixed-effects regression model. The results showed the following: (1) The average value of operation efficiency of China’s expressway companies from 2007 to 2017 was 0.904. In general, the operation of expressways was efficient. However, the differences in operation efficiency among the eleven expressway companies were significant, and some companies were seriously inefficient. (2) The asset–liability ratio, the scale, and the structure of property rights in the companies were shown to be the main factors affecting the operation efficiency. These results indicate that the development of innovative financing modes and optimization of the scale of each company are the key directions for infrastructure reform, which could eventually narrow the differences in operation efficiency and allow the development of sustainable infrastructure.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiao Wei & Haicheng Xu & Beiqi Zhang & Jianlong Li, 2019. "Infrastructure Operation Efficiency and Influential Factors in Developing Countries: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:655-:d:201096
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Charles R. Hulten, 1996. "Infrastructure Capital and Economic Growth: How Well You Use It May Be More Important Than How Much You Have," NBER Working Papers 5847, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Atif Ansar & Bent Flyvbjerg & Alexander Budzier & Daniel Lunn, 2016. "Does infrastructure investment lead to economic growth or economic fragility? Evidence from China," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 32(3), pages 360-390.
    3. Paul Collier & Martina Kirchberger & Måns Söderbom, 2016. "The Cost of Road Infrastructure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 30(3), pages 522-548.
    4. Shengqin Zheng & Ke Xu & Qing He & Shaoze Fang & Lin Zhang, 2018. "Investigating the Sustainability Performance of PPP-Type Infrastructure Projects: A Case of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-15, November.
    5. Tone, Kaoru, 2002. "A slacks-based measure of super-efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 32-41, November.
    6. Dieter Helm & Colin Mayer, 2016. "Infrastructure: why it is under provided and badly managed," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 32(3), pages 343-359.
    7. Tone, Kaoru, 2001. "A slacks-based measure of efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(3), pages 498-509, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Yanling & Xu, Yan & Zheng, Yingjie & Cao, Sheng & Wu, Zhenni & Song, Yijin, 2024. "Management efficiency of Chinese toll road operating companies and influencing factors," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    2. Yong Sun & Hui Liu & Jiwei Liu & Mingyu Sun & Qun Li, 2023. "Analysis of Factors Influencing the Corporate Performance of Listed Companies in China’s Agriculture and Forestry Sector Based on a Panel Threshold Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, January.

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