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This work contributes to a better understanding of DEA twofold: (i) it offers a normative solution to the zero-value weight problem and (ii) it provides the first experimental results on behavioral DEA based on an original taxonomy of cognitive biases related to performance evaluation. Behavioral DEA is a completely new research area.

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The question of modern performance evaluation has been extensively discussed in the literature, leading to a call for models including non-optimizing behaviors of decision makers and non-financial performance criteria. A promising management instrument is data envelopment analysis (DEA), which enables the aggregation of financial and non-financial indicators into a single measure. This work contributes to a better understanding of DEA from two perspectives: (i) it offers a normative solution to the zero-value weight problem and (ii) it provides the first experimental results on behavioral DEA based on an original taxonomy of cognitive biases related to performance evaluation. Behavioral DEA is a completely new research area which yields plenty of research opportunities.

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Performance evaluation - Data Envelopment Analysis - Zero-value weights - Balanced DEA - Management decision making - Cognitive biases - Behavioral DEA - Halo effect - Decoy effect

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Nadia Vazquez Novoa studied Business Administration in Argentina and Germany and pursued her doctoral research at the Technische Universität Braunschweig focusing on management decision making and performance evaluation based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA).

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