Methodology for Performance Evaluation in Quantitative Research: A Philosophical, Executive and Critical Approach to the Data Envelopment Analysis

Quantitative research, based on the positivist paradigm, seeks to provide explanations based on universal rules, and its main purpose is an objective measurement, testing hypotheses, prediction and control. Meanwhile, "performance evaluation" is also one of the four elements of the knowledge of organization and management, which measures and assesses the status quo. So that it can be used as the basis for deciding whether to continue, modify or prevent the ongoing work. Accordingly, identifying the effective indicators on the performance, measuring the performance of the units under evaluation and recognizing their strengths and weaknesses is of great importance. Today, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a method for comparing and evaluating the relative efficiency of the units under evaluation, that, each has similar multiple inputs and outputs. This paper reviews and analyzes the data envelopment analysis method as one of the best and most widely used tools in quantitative research.