Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index Methods

Forestry is the underpinning of economic and environmental civilization for sustainable economic development. Forestry benefits ecosystems and local dwellings; thus, transforming and advancing forest products in a civilized society is critical to building a progressive community. This research aims...

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Main Authors: Mingxing Li, Xinxing Wang, Fredrick Oteng Agyeman, Ya Gao, Muddassar Sarfraz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-04-01
Series:Forests
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/5/909
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author Mingxing Li
Xinxing Wang
Fredrick Oteng Agyeman
Ya Gao
Muddassar Sarfraz
author_facet Mingxing Li
Xinxing Wang
Fredrick Oteng Agyeman
Ya Gao
Muddassar Sarfraz
author_sort Mingxing Li
collection DOAJ
description Forestry is the underpinning of economic and environmental civilization for sustainable economic development. Forestry benefits ecosystems and local dwellings; thus, transforming and advancing forest products in a civilized society is critical to building a progressive community. This research aims to analyze the merits of forest products based on static, dynamic, and scale efficiency. It employed the super-efficient data envelopment analysis—Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes, and Malmquist index methods with an enhanced robustness check by applying the Stochastic Frontier Analysis. The results show that, first, from the perspective of static efficiency, the forestry industry’s operating performance is maintained at a relatively high level, with a minimal fluctuation range; however, the scale efficiency is observed at a deficient level. Limited by the scale efficiency results, the aggregate comprehensive technical efficiency was at a low standard. The average total factor productivity of dynamic efficiency for each company reached 1.029, indicating that the resource allocation of listed companies is relatively reasonable, operating efficiency is on the rise, and technical level changes are a substantial source of total factor productivity growth. Furthermore, the super efficiency DEA findings indicated that 11 of the most high-performance companies attained an efficiency value above criterion value one after re-ranking. The comprehensive efficiency value of Sun Paper reached 1.438 in 2019, Sophia 1.393, Hexing Packaging 1.383, Fujian Jinsen 1.326, Bunny 1.271, Meike Home Furnishing 1.235, Jingxing Paper 1.222, Zhongshun Jiezou 1.116, Meiying Sen 1.099, Chenming Paper 1.064, Da Ya Dekor 1.015. Second, the comprehensive efficiency value of Fujian Jinsen’s company has a more significant impact on the overall average efficiency of the forestry listed companies. After excluding Fujian Jinsen, the average comprehensive efficiency of 2018–2019 indicated an upward trend for the listed companies. This study suggests that policymakers should strengthen the forestry industry development plan and policy implementation regulations to focus on the forward-looking and guiding principles of industrial and technological innovation policies.
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spelling doaj.art-ea204a6284364277b7970735573fef302023-11-18T01:23:31ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072023-04-0114590910.3390/f14050909Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index MethodsMingxing Li0Xinxing Wang1Fredrick Oteng Agyeman2Ya Gao3Muddassar Sarfraz4School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Management, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310015, ChinaForestry is the underpinning of economic and environmental civilization for sustainable economic development. Forestry benefits ecosystems and local dwellings; thus, transforming and advancing forest products in a civilized society is critical to building a progressive community. This research aims to analyze the merits of forest products based on static, dynamic, and scale efficiency. It employed the super-efficient data envelopment analysis—Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes, and Malmquist index methods with an enhanced robustness check by applying the Stochastic Frontier Analysis. The results show that, first, from the perspective of static efficiency, the forestry industry’s operating performance is maintained at a relatively high level, with a minimal fluctuation range; however, the scale efficiency is observed at a deficient level. Limited by the scale efficiency results, the aggregate comprehensive technical efficiency was at a low standard. The average total factor productivity of dynamic efficiency for each company reached 1.029, indicating that the resource allocation of listed companies is relatively reasonable, operating efficiency is on the rise, and technical level changes are a substantial source of total factor productivity growth. Furthermore, the super efficiency DEA findings indicated that 11 of the most high-performance companies attained an efficiency value above criterion value one after re-ranking. The comprehensive efficiency value of Sun Paper reached 1.438 in 2019, Sophia 1.393, Hexing Packaging 1.383, Fujian Jinsen 1.326, Bunny 1.271, Meike Home Furnishing 1.235, Jingxing Paper 1.222, Zhongshun Jiezou 1.116, Meiying Sen 1.099, Chenming Paper 1.064, Da Ya Dekor 1.015. Second, the comprehensive efficiency value of Fujian Jinsen’s company has a more significant impact on the overall average efficiency of the forestry listed companies. After excluding Fujian Jinsen, the average comprehensive efficiency of 2018–2019 indicated an upward trend for the listed companies. This study suggests that policymakers should strengthen the forestry industry development plan and policy implementation regulations to focus on the forward-looking and guiding principles of industrial and technological innovation policies.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/5/909total factor productivityforestry listed companydata envelopment analysisMalmquist production indexoperating performance
spellingShingle Mingxing Li
Xinxing Wang
Fredrick Oteng Agyeman
Ya Gao
Muddassar Sarfraz
Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index Methods
Forests
total factor productivity
forestry listed company
data envelopment analysis
Malmquist production index
operating performance
title Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index Methods
title_full Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index Methods
title_fullStr Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index Methods
title_full_unstemmed Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index Methods
title_short Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index Methods
title_sort efficiency evaluation and the impact factors of sustainable forestry development in china adoption of super efficiency data envelopment analysis and malmquist index methods
topic total factor productivity
forestry listed company
data envelopment analysis
Malmquist production index
operating performance
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/5/909
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