Strategic Alliances for Sustainable Development: An Application of DEA and Grey Theory Models in the Coal Mining Sector

Abstract

Sustainable development is a global trend and an economic priority for many governments. Although new energies can be considered good investments in green growth, they may lead to financial barriers to developing countries. The purpose of the study concentrates on an alternative solution that increases the efficiency performance of current fossil energy industries. The study has combined two models of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Grey Theory in determining inefficient units to propose potential strategic alliances for sustainable development in the Vietnam Coal industry. Besides considering inputs and outputs in the models, the location of coal mines is also a key indicator in recommending good alliances. The results show that the collaborations between the Cao Son coal mine and the Coc Sau coal mine, and between the Nui Beo coal mine and the Vang Danh coal mine, bring the best improvement for sustainable development. The study suggests detailed strategies in action that enterprises and policymakers can refer to, to apply in practice.

Keywords

• strategic alliance
• grey forecasting model
• Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)
• sustainable development
• coal mining industry