Abstract

We measure cost and revenue efficiency of the Islamic and conventional Malaysian banks by using the stochastic frontier method and the meta-frontier analysis (MFA) over the period 2006-2012. The use of MFA allows for the correction of the efficiency measurement errors caused by the technological and operational gap. The specific as well as the common frontiers obtained by the stochastic frontier method show the superiority of Islamic banks (IBs) compared to conventional banks (CBs) in terms of cost and revenue efficiency. This can reflect their high managerial capability. Efficiency measurement using MFA partially revealed different results. CBs have higher annual averages of cost efficiency scores than those of IBs over the period 2006-2011. The observed evolutionary trends of these averages contradict those of the capital base. This change in results is explained according to Johnes et al. (2013) by the modus operandi of IBs which seems in average less efficient than that of CBs. As for revenue efficiency, IBs are more efficient than CBs over the entire study period even though the evolution of the technological gap ratio confirms the inefficiency of their modus operandi. These results may be useful to political decision-makers and regulatory authorities. ch indicate the complexity of the audited firm and the characteristics of the audit.

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