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Impacts on efficiency of merging the Swedish district courts

Author

Listed:
  • Per J. Agrell
  • Pontus Mattsson
  • Jonas Mansson

Abstract

Judicial courts form a stringent example of public services using partially sticky inputs and outputs with heterogeneous quality. Notwithstanding, governments internationally are striving to improve the efficiency of and diminish the budget spent on court systems. Frontier methods such as data envelopment analysis are sometimes used in investigations of structural changes in the form of mergers. This essay reviews the methods used to evaluate the ex post efficiency of horizontal mergers. Identification of impacts is difficult. Therefore, three analytical frameworks are applied: (1) a technical efficiency comparison over time, (2) a metafrontier approach among mergers and non-mergers, and (3) a conditional difference-in-differences approach where non-merged twins of the actual mergers are identified by matching. In addition, both time heterogeneity and sources of efficiency change are examined ex post. The method is applied to evaluate the impact on efficiency of merging the Swedish district courts from 95 to 48 between 2000 and 2009. Whereas the stated ambition for the mergers was to improve efficiency, no structured ex post analysis has been done. Swedish courts are shown to improve efficiency from merging. In addition to the particular application, this work may inform a more general discussion on public service efficiency measurement under structural changes, and their limits and potential.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Per J. Agrell & Pontus Mattsson & Jonas Mansson, 2019. "Impacts on efficiency of merging the Swedish district courts," LIDAM Reprints CORE 3042, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvrp:3042
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-019-03304-0
    Note: In : Annals of Operations Research, 2019, p. 1-27
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    2. Paolo Mazzocchi & Claudio Quintano & Antonella Rocca, 2024. "Efficiency analysis using SBM and PLS-SEM: insights from the Italian judicial system," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(6), pages 5621-5654, December.
    3. Giacalone, Massimiliano & Nissi, Eugenia & Cusatelli, Carlo, 2020. "Dynamic efficiency evaluation of Italian judicial system using DEA based Malmquist productivity indexes," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    4. Kuei-Hu Chang & Yi-Jun Chen & Chung-Cheng Liao, 2024. "A novel improved FMEA method using data envelopment analysis method and 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic model," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 341(1), pages 485-507, October.
    5. Xiaoqing Chen & Kristiaan Kerstens & Qingyuan Zhu, 2021. "Exploring Horizontal Mergers in Swedish District Courts Using Convex and Nonconvex Technologies: Usefulness of a Conservative Approach," Working Papers 2021-EQM-05, IESEG School of Management.
    6. Lopes, Nuno Q.M. & Silva, Maria C.A., 2024. "Scale and scope economies in first-instance courts: Portuguese specialized vs non-specialized courts," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    7. Aparicio, Juan & Ortiz, Lidia & Santín, Daniel, 2021. "Comparing group performance over time through the Luenberger productivity indicator: An application to school ownership in European countries," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 294(2), pages 651-672.
    8. Jonas Månsson & Christian Andersson & Fredrik Bonander, 2022. "What lessons can be learned from cost efficiency? The case of Swedish district courts," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 54(3), pages 431-451, December.
    9. Chen, Xiaoqing & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Tsionas, Mike, 2024. "Does productivity change at all in Swedish district courts? Empirical analysis focusing on horizontal mergers," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    10. Pereira, Miguel Alves & Bădin, Luiza & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Silva, Maria Conceição, 2025. "An integrative approach to reviewing the literature on judicial efficiency in Europe," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    11. Kristiaan KERSTENS & Xiaoqing CHEN, 2022. "Evaluating Horizontal Mergers in Swedish District Courts Using Plant Capacity Concepts: With a Focus on Nonconvexity," Working Papers 2022-EQM-02, IESEG School of Management.
    12. Giuseppe Vita & Paolo Lorenzo Ferrara & Alessandra Patti, 2025. "Analysis of time duration of civil disputes in Italy: a case study with microdata from Sicilian courts," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 74(1), pages 1-30, March.
    13. Amir Moradi-Motlagh & Ali Emrouznejad, 2022. "The origins and development of statistical approaches in non-parametric frontier models: a survey of the first two decades of scholarly literature (1998–2020)," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 318(1), pages 713-741, November.
    14. Sila Mishra, 2023. "‘Cyclic syndrome’ of arrears and efficiency of Indian judiciary," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-27, January.
    15. Tianle Yang & Zhennan Sun & Min Du & Qunyang Du & Lei Li & Fatima Shuwaikh, 2025. "The impact of the degree of coupling coordination between green finance and environmental regulations on firms’ innovation performance: evidence from China," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 347(1), pages 173-195, April.
    16. Xiaoqing Chen & Kristiaan Kerstens & Qingyuan Zhu, 2025. "Exploring horizontal mergers in Swedish district courts using technical and scale efficiency: rejecting convexity in favour of nonconvexity," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 351(2), pages 1319-1351, August.
    17. Duras, Toni & Javed, Farrukh & Månsson, Kristofer & Sjölander, Pär & Söderberg, Magnus, 2023. "Using machine learning to select variables in data envelopment analysis: Simulations and application using electricity distribution data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    18. Daniel Feliciano & Laura López-Torres & Daniel Santín, 2021. "One Laptop per Child? Using Production Frontiers for Evaluating the Escuela 2.0 Program in Spain," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(20), pages 1-17, October.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • P41 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Planning, Coordination, and Reform
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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