AN APPLICATION OF THE IDEA MODEL IN THE ASSESSMENT OF CONTAINER TERMINALS EFFICIENCY WITH AN INTANGIBLE INPUT

ABSTRACT The assessment of port efficiency through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a valuable tool for ensuring accurate investment decisions in this capital-intensive industry. This study analyses the application of DEA on container ports. It assesses the efficiency of Brazilian container ports by proposing the inclusion of an intangible input related to the management practices of the terminals. In order to verify the effects of this input inclusion, the efficiency of 13 terminals is evaluated through the application of an IDEA-CRS model, which enables an appropriate handling of qualitative variables, with an orientation to the maximization of a single output, the annual container throughput, and inputs related to infrastructure, superstructure, and management unchanged. Model findings stress out the relevance of this intangible variable and the result that only three terminals are assessed as efficient, wherein the ones with the most robust management structure were not necessarily the most efficient.