The effect of soft power investment on Shanghai Port competitiveness using DEA

In order to improve the overall performance of Shanghai port, this paper proposes a systematic evaluation model to assess the competitiveness of Shanghai Port with 25 input indicators and 6 output indicators. The proposed evaluation model reduces the dimensions of the indices by Factor Analysis, and uses the data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach to validate the data from 2008 to 2013. By implementing the cross-evaluation mechanism after the analysis of factor deviation, this paper is capable to recognize the pros and cons of each decision-making units (DMUs), and provide practical implications for enhancing the competitiveness of Shanghai Port.