Efficiency Analysis of Public Library Services Based on Establishing Entity and Outsourcing

Changhee Kim, Hyunjung Kim and Kanghwa Choi
Additional contact information
Changhee Kim: Department of Business Administration, Incheon National University, 199 Academy-ro, Incheon 22012, Korea
Hyunjung Kim: Division of Business and Commerce, Sunchon National University, 255 Jungang-ro, Suncheon 57922, Korea
Kanghwa Choi: Department of Business Administration, Hansung University, 116 Samseongyo-ro, Seoul 02864, Korea

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: This study investigates the difference in service efficiency based on establishing entity and outsourcing in 847 public libraries in Korea. The public libraries were categorized into three types based on establishing entity and outsourcing, where Type 1 libraries are those established and directly managed by the Office of Education under the central government, Type 2 libraries are established and directly managed by local governments, and Type 3 libraries are established by local governments and their operations are outsourced. Each library type was analyzed and compared using data envelopment analysis (DEA), and results found that public libraries established by local governments are more efficient than those established by the central government, while outsourcing operations improved the efficiency of public libraries. Further analysis of the projection point and excess quantity of input showed that the main cause of inefficiency for Type 1 libraries is the library area, and for Types 2 and 3, the number of periodicals. This study provides guidelines for the sustainable performance of public library services based on the factors of foundation and operational patterns.

Keywords: outsourcing; sustainable performance; data envelopment analysis (DEA); efficiency; public services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/21/9205/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/21/9205/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:21:p:9205-:d:440564

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().