The Institutional and Financial Market Research Group (GRISKA), in collaboration with the Center for Research and Community Engagement Development (P4M), Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), organizes a Guest Lecture titled “Advancing Research Capacity: From Data Envelopment Analysis to Reputable Publications.” The workshop and talk session features Assoc. Prof. Fakarudin Kamarudin, Ph.D., from Universiti Putra Malaysia, a specialist in data analysis using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method.

Opening his presentation, Assoc. Prof. Fakarudin explains the concepts of productivity and efficiency, noting that an organization with a larger output quantity is not necessarily effective. “If we are given additional information, such as data on the resources (inputs) used, we can see that a firm with smaller input and a certain level of output may be more efficient than a firm with both high output and high input,” he states.

He further emphasizes that DEA is an appropriate analytical tool for measuring efficiency in situations involving multiple inputs and outputs. He also notes that DEA is not limited to the financial sector. This point is supported through a comprehensive explanation of the historical development of DEA since its introduction by W. Cooper in 1978. As the method evolves, DEA begins to be applied in various sectors, including educational institutions, hospitals, and courts.

“Thus, DEA is not used only in the financial sector; it can be applied across disciplines as long as we can determine the input, output, and decision-making unit of the research subject,” he adds.

Assoc. Prof. Fakarudin further describes DEA as a method designed to assess comparative efficiency across organizational units such as bank branches, schools, and hospitals. Efficiency in this context reflects a reduction in resource usage (input) without lowering output quantity, or an increase in output without additional resources.

Beyond efficiency assessment, researchers frequently utilize DEA to examine operational practices that may support performance improvement within firms or organizational units. “In DEA, there are two main approaches—input-oriented and output-oriented. It is important to note that DEA does not test the influence of one variable on another. No single analytical method can address all research purposes; therefore, our choice of analysis must align with our objectives,” he explains.

The two-hour Guest Lecture is attended by FEB UNS lecturers from various departments, both conducted virtually through Zoom Cloud Meeting and onsite in Room 5503, Soedarah Soepono Building, FEB UNS. The workshop went interactively, with participants actively discussing various topics related to the application of DEA in ongoing and planned research projects.