Abstract
"In this paper, we propose a flexible two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach to evaluate the bank performance. Specifically, instead of fixing the role of the deposits in an ex-ante manner, the proposed approach regards deposits as a flexible measure in which it can play different roles for different banks under evaluation. Further, the traditional two-stage approach that regards deposits as an intermediate measure can be a special case of our proposed approach. Additionally, a potential Pareto efficiency improvement for multiple perspectives is identified, which can mitigate discontentment arisen from those fixed-role strategies. The applicability and superiority of the proposed approach is illustrated by assessing the performance of Chinese listed banks over the period from 2014 to 2018. The empirical results demonstrate consistent evidence that the inefficiency of the banking system in China is mainly sourced from the value-added stage. However, different banks may prefer to clarify different roles for the deposits, demonstrating the importance of employing the proposed flexible approach."