Measuring Efficiencies of Michinoeki using DEA Model in Yamaguchi Area

A plethora of studies on Michinoeki from the viewpoint of break function, information dispatch function, regional cooperation function, and disaster prevention function have been published in the past decades. However, studies focusing on the calculation of efficiency to make managerial improvements are still sparse. First, this paper proposes a new two-step approach to calculate efficiency using a DEA model. Second, the relevant factors are determined using a multivariate regression model. The data were drawn from Yamaguchi area, which is considered the birthplace of Michinoeki in Japan. This paper makes a contribution to the management literature by: (1) Identifying the key factors of Michinoeki in Yamaguchi area, and (2) calculating the efficiencies of the Michinoeki, and (3) proposing a four-cell matrix model to ascertain the relative position of Michinoeki for future development.