Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore various efficiency aspects of banks in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in light of their remarkable growth in recent years.Design/methodology/approach: The authors used various data envelopment analysis technique to measure the relative efficiency for a sample of 39 banks in four ASEAN countries over 2000-2010.Findings: The analyses reveal three findings: first, Malaysian banks are more efficient comparatively to the other three ASEAN countries. Second, large-sized banks in ASEAN are less cost efficient. Third, government banks in the ASEAN region exhibit a substantial improvement in efficiency throughout the years, in contrast to the non-government banks.Originality/value: Efficiency analysis of banks in ASEAN countries, particularly covering this large period, that is, from 2000 to 2010 is very limited, in fact nil. Hence, this paper contributes to the finance and banking areas by providing a detail analysis of banks’ performance in the ASEAN region. This paper thus provides powerful insights to policy makers and bank managers in setting appropriate strategy for financial institutions in the region.

This study introduces a novel approach to enhance variable selection in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), especially in stochastic environments where efficiency estimation is inherently complex. To address these challenges, we propose a game cross-DEA model to refine efficiency estimation. Additionally, we integrate the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) with the Optimal Computing Budget Allocation (OCBA) technique, creating a hybrid method named OCBA–AIC. This innovative method efficiently allocates computational resources for stochastic variable selection. Our numerical analysis indicates that OCBA–AIC surpasses existing methods, achieving a lower AIC value. We also present two real-world case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in ranking suppliers and tourism companies under uncertainty by selecting the most suitable partners. This research enriches the understanding of efficiency measurement in DEA and makes a substantial contribution to the field of performance management and decision-making in stochastic contexts.

This research explores the integration of blockchain technology and smart contracts to enhance traceability within the cultural and tourism sectors. The goal is to improve the management, tracking, and authentication of cultural artifacts and tourism services, ensuring their integrity and fostering consumer trust. By leveraging a decentralized ledger and automated contract execution, the proposed framework aims to streamline supply chains and mitigate fraud, thereby reducing operational costs and promoting sustainable tourism practices. The research methodology encompasses a technical analysis of blockchain implementation, smart contract design, and an empirical evaluation of their impact on traceability. The findings indicate that blockchain and smart contracts provide a robust solution for traceability, essential for cultural heritage preservation and the tourism industry's growth.