Table 6 Technical efficiency estimates across SPF models
| SPF model | Pooled | Members | Nonmember | Change (%) | t-test of means |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | Mean | Mean | |||
| Unmatched conventional | |||||
| Technical efficiency |
0.817 (0.00) |
0.848 (0.01) |
0.803 (0.01) | 5.60 | 4.83*** |
| Metafrontier technical efficiency (MTE) |
0.811 (0.00) |
0.843 (0.01) |
0.800 (0.01) | 5.38 | 4.67*** |
| Technological gap ratio (TGR) |
0.994 (0.00) |
0.996 (0.00) | 3.24*** | ||
| Unmatched selection corrected | |||||
| Technical efficiency |
0.817 (0.00) |
0.839 (0.01) |
0.808 (0.00) | 3.84 | 3.68*** |
| Metafrontier technical efficiency (MTE) |
0.813 (0.00) |
0.834 (0.01) |
0.805 (0.00) | 3.60 | 3.48*** |
| Technological gap ratio (TGR) |
0.994 (0.00) |
0.996 (0.00) | 3.66*** | ||
| MTE difference (%) | 0.25 | − 1.08 | 0.62 | ||
| Matched conventional | |||||
| Technical efficiency |
0.813 (0.00) |
0.842 (0.01) |
0.803 (0.01) | 4.86 | 4.05*** |
| Metafrontier technical efficiency (MTE) |
0.809 (0.00) |
0.836 (0.01) |
0.800 (0.01) | 4.50 | 3.84*** |
| Technological gap ratio (TGR) |
0.994 (0.00) |
0.996 (0.00) | 4.05*** | ||
| Matched selection corrected | |||||
| Technical efficiency |
0.814 (0.00) |
0.831 (0.01) |
0.808 (0.00) | 2.85 | 2.66*** |
| Metafrontier technical efficiency (MTE) |
0.810 (0.00) |
0.826 (0.01) |
0.805 (0.00) | 2.61 | 2.39** |
| Technological gap ratio (TGR) |
0.993 (0.00) |
0.996 (0.00) | 5.00*** | ||
| MTE difference (%) | 0.12 | − 1.21 | 0.62 | ||