Abstract
This paper presents a novel nonparametric methodology to evaluate convergence in an industry, considering a multi-input multi-output setting for the assessment of total factor productivity. In particular, we develop two new indexes to evaluate sigma-convergence and beta-convergence that can be computed using nonparametric techniques such as Data Envelopment Analysis. The methodology developed is particularly useful to enhance productivity assessments based on the Malmquist index. The methodology is applied to a real world context, consisting of a sample of Portuguese construction companies that operated in the sector between 2008 and 2010. The empirical results show that Portuguese companies tended to converge, both in the sense of a and beta, in all construction activity segments in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

Abstract
This study proposes an optimization model to improve the robustness of an existing bus schedule. Robustness represents the ability of schedules to absorb deviations from the timetable and to prevent their propagation through the daily operations. The model developed proposes an optimal assignment of arrival times and distribution of slacks among Time Control Points of a bus line, in order to minimize delays and anticipations from schedule. This required the use of data collected through GPS devices installed in buses, informing the location of buses during their daily operation. The robustness of bus schedules was evaluated through the quantification of delays and anticipations of real observations of bus shifts by comparison with the timetable. The performance measures used to evaluate robustness are the average delay (or anticipation) of buses by comparison with the timetable, and the probability that a passenger that arrives on time according to the timetable will miss the bus or have to wait more than a specified threshold at a Time Control Point. We also compared the improvement of the schedule proposed by the optimization model with the original schedule. The results obtained in a real-world case study, corresponding to a bus line operating in Porto, showed that the model could return an improved schedule for all performance measures considered when compared with the original schedule.

Abstract
Decision making in companies requires an assessment of the efficiency and productivity of individual inputs to provide insights into the scope for improvement of inputs' use. This paper estimates an input-specific Luenberger productivity growth indicator that can be decomposed to identify the contributions of input-specific technological change, technical efficiency change and scale efficiency change. These components for a specific input sum up to the aggregated indicators which are then compared with the traditional Luenberger indicator. The application focuses on panel data of Spanish and Portuguese construction firms over the period 2002-2011, accounting for three inputs: materials, labor and capital. The results show that aggregated productivity change and its components computed from the input-specific productivity indicator are different from those obtained using a traditional approach. The results also indicate that productivity change is negative for labor and capital for construction firms in both Spain and Portugal, while productivity change of materials is positive for Portugal and negative for Spain. Productivity decline is worse for capital in the Spanish construction firms, and for labor in Portugal.

Abstract
This paper develops an innovative methodology to assess municipal performance concerning the environmental efficiency of new buildings construction, focusing on the consumption of different types of materials. This study aims to support local governments in the definition of policies for improvements in service provision based on the results of a benchmarking study. The methodology developed includes two stages. The first step concerns the evaluation of municipal environmental efficiency using Data Envelopment Analysis and the identification of factors that may explain different levels of performance. The second step enables the classification of municipalities in terms of the efforts required to achieve environmental efficiency. For this purpose, we used clustering analysis, namely the k-means algorithm. To illustrate the methodology developed, we analyzed the data of the major materials used in the construction of new buildings (metals, non-metallic minerals, fossil fuels, and biomass) in the municipalities of Lisbon metropolitan area between 2003 and 2009. The study revealed that the environmental efficiency of new buildings construction varies considerably among municipalities, suggesting a high potential for performance improvement.

Abstract
Customers' response is an important topic in direct marketing. This study proposes a data mining response model supported by random forests to support the definition of target customers for banking campaigns. Class imbalance is a typical problem in telemarketing that can affect the performance of the data mining techniques. This study also contributes to the literature by exploring the use of class imbalance methods in the banking context. The performance of an undersampling method (the EasyEnsemble algorithm) is compared with that of an oversampling method (the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique) in order to determine the most appropriate specification. The importance of the attribute features included in the response model is also explored. In particular, discriminative performance was enhanced by the inclusion of demographic information, contact details and socio-economic features. Random forests, supported by an undersampling algorithm, presented very high prediction performance, outperforming the other techniques explored.

Abstract
Environmental performance assessments are often conducted using environmental indicators. Although these indicators provide a starting point for performance assessments, they do not provide guidelines that countries should follow to improve performance. This paper develops an enhanced Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model that provides a single summary measure of countries' environmental performance, based on the aggregation of the indicators that underlie the estimation of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The DEA model used is based on a novel specification of weight restrictions. The main contribution of the methodology used in this paper is to enable benchmarking in such a way that it becomes possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each country, as well as the peers with similar features to the country under assessment. These peers provide examples of good environmental practices that countries with worse performance should follow to improve performance. Journal of the Operational Research Society (2013) 64, 426-438. doi:10.1057/jors.2012.62 Published online 16 May 2012