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Assessment of Technical Efficiency in Higher Education in Ecuador

Abstract:

This work aims to provide knowledge of efficiency; hence, it was proposed to assess the relative efficiency from a perspective of Data Envelopment Analysis in the Universities of Ecuador. A cross-sectional retrospective proposal was carried out, a data envelopment analysis was used as a reference, and a non-parametric technique allowed to measure the relative efficiency of decision-making units or DMUs. The CCR-O model revealed that 16 DMUs were efficient, whereas 20 DMUs were efficient under the BCC-O model, standing out both universities, Escuela Politécnica del Ejército and Litoral. Following the Bootstrap scale, 16 DMUs of the CCR-O model and 20 DMUs of the BCC-O reached Pure Technical Efficiency. Those units were found above the efficient frontier. The CCR-O model showed that 38 DMUs were inefficient within the inefficiency score, similar to the BCC-O model showing 34 inefficient DMUs. When comparing the real and specific values of Teaching-Research-Management, the inefficient DMUs obtained 33.33%. This input variable did not show a significant effect on the efficiency measures. While the inefficient DMUs reached 61.11% in Teaching-Research, 55.55% in Teaching, and 48.14% in Teaching-Management. Therefore, based on their real values, the units were over-endowed with parameters in their results. This work was designed following the output-oriented DEA-BCC model with performance to scale. This approach helped measure the performance of universities. However, its overall scope may misinterpret the real technical efficiency that depends on the universities’ resources.