Statistical precision of productivity change: A bootstrap application to Taiwan’s telecommunications industry

This study investigates the impacts of telecommunications policy on productivity change of the Chunghwa Telecom Company (CHT) from pre- to post-privatization. A three-stage method is employed to measure the productivity scores of CHT during the period 1966–2008. The Malmquist productivity index (MPI) is used in the first stage to assess the productivity of CHT. In the second stage, the statistical confidence intervals of productivity scores of CHT were obtained using the bootstrapping algorithm. Finally, the Chow test and multiple regression models were also utilized to investigate the impact of telecommunications policy on productivity change of CHT. Results of empirical examination indicate that on average TFP scores obtained by the bootstrapping technique are smaller than those obtained by the MPI technique. In addition, there is no difference in productivity change of CHT between pre- and post-privatization according to the MPI and bootstrapping MPI. The results show that the effect of privatization on productivity change is insignificant. Instead, the operational efficiency of CHT is affected by the government involvement in decision-making under its private/public joint ownership, which causes CHT to be a firm with little managerial profit orientation.     

The Impact of Competition on the Efficiency of Public Enterprise: The Case of Korea Telecom

The notion of total productivity can be employed in evaluating the performance of monopolistic public enterprises in a transitional period. This study comparatively analyzes the efficiency change of Korea Telecom (KT) once the biggest telecommunications service provider in Korea but now facing both domestic and foreign competition. Dichotomizing the reference period into before-competition and after-competition and using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), we measure the technical efficiency, the allocative efficiency and the overall efficiency and highlight the differences between two periods. It is observed that the overall efficiency has been significantly improved mainly due to the enhancement of the allocative efficiency but the technical efficiency has been slightly improved. The major cause of insignificant improvement of technical efficiency is due to hothouse competition and excessive regulation on management of KT. Monopolistic firms in transition can respond to the external competition by reducing input cost and excessive capital. There may exist a considerable time lag, however, in achieving the improvement of technical efficiency.     

Service productivity and service quality: A necessary trade-off?

This paper is about service productivity and perceived service quality. Both a high service productivity and a high customer perceived quality are two main drivers of good performances in service companies and they simultaneously occur as a consequence of a synergy of several drivers such as employees' competences and motivation, organizational efficiency, technical devices availability, information technologies employment, etc. In scientific literature a trade-off between productivity and perceived service quality is asserted and several cases derived both by market observations and academic research could bear such trade-off out. But, is it possible to state that, under some circumstances, such a trade-off between productivity and perceived service quality could be avoided? And if yes, why such certified substitution should not work?In this paper, in order to trace some theoretical answer to the above questions, a managerial model based both on service science and production economics will be proposed. The model aims to find out some key causes that allow to explain the foundations of the mentioned trade-off and the potential conditions for its overcoming; moreover, such model will be employed in order to integrate services' productivity function with new variables and to provide some managerial guidelines for improving service management.     

A DEA Approach to Understanding the Productivity Growth of Malaysia's Manufacturing Industries

This paper seeks to explain the productivity growth performance of Malaysia's manufacturing sector using a panel data of 28 industries from 1981–1996. Here, the data envelopment analysis technique is used to calculate and decompose the Malmquist index of total factor productivity (TFP) growth into technical change, change in technical efficiency and change in scale efficiency. This allows the identification of the sources of productivity growth which is crucial for policy formulation. It was found that the annual TFP growth of the Malaysian manufacturing sector was low at 0.8% and this was driven by small gains in both technical change and technical efficiency, with industries operating close to optimum scale.     

The evolution of hog production and potential sources for future growth in China

Following reforms to the market, China’s hog industry has developed rapidly, however, with social and economic transitions, China’s hog industry is facing challenges which might restrict long-term growth in production. This paper analyzes the changes in regional scale, organization, input factors, and technological progress for China’s hog production over the last few decades. The paper seeks to reveal the sources of hog production growth and provide some suggestions for future development of the hog industry. To achieve these aims, the paper uses stochastic frontier production functions and the Malmquist index to measure total factor productivity (TFP) in the hog industry and decompose TFP into technical efficiency; technological progress; scale efficiency; and allocative efficiency using data for 25 provinces from 1980 to 2008. The results show firstly that; the TFP of hog production increased by 64.3% from 1980 to 2008, and allocative efficiency and scale efficiency improvements played a key role in this TFP growth. In contrast, technical efficiency and technical progress have changed little over this period. Secondly, TFP’s contribution to output was 39.7%, it being less than that of factor inputs to output. Thirdly, the results suggest that the growth of China’s pork production depends mostly on the increase in the quantity of factor inputs, especially feed. As a consequence, the key to ensuring long-term and stable development of China’s hog production would seem to involve focusing on enhancing total factor productivity and changing the pattern of production growth.     

Total factor productivity growth in Uganda’s telecommunications industry

The telecommunication sector is usually thought to be characterized by high productivity growth rates arising from increasing returns to scale. The actual productivity patterns in the sector, however, need to be empirically determined. A panel data set was assembled and a common set of input and output indicators was constructed to support the estimation of the Malmquist Total Factor Productivity index via input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis. A general specification encompassing all available input and output data was employed to obtain the average total factor productivity changes for the sector. Over the study period, there was total factor productivity growth in Uganda’s telecommunications industry, which was mainly due to technical or technological progress as opposed to technical efficiency. These results indicate the existence of a potential for tariff reduction via the X-factor in the price cap formula.     

政府行为下的土地财政与全要素生产率之间的关系分析

为了解政府行为下的土地财政行为模式对微观企业全要素生产率的差异化影响,本文统计了230个城市在2010~2019年的全要素生产率面板数据,利用工具变量法进行实证研究,发现无论是通过OLS法还是工具变量法,政府行为下的土地财政扩张均会对企业的全要素生产率产生抑制作用;且土地财政扩张在带来规模效应的同时会对技术进步和效率产生抑制;而政府行为下的土地财政扩张政策与企业全要素生产率之间的关系呈倒“U”型分布,即当人均出让收入的对数小于1.52时,土地财政会对全要素生产率具有促进作用,反之则会产生抑制作用。这表明过度依赖土地财政会导致地产行业的过度投资和房价上涨,造成资源配置的扭曲,进而抑制企业全要素生产率的发展。     

国家中心城市的金融集聚对经济效率的影响研究

本文以八大国家中心城市为研究对象，基于区位熵和 Malmquist 指数测算其金融集聚和经济效率，运用系统GMM和面板回归实证检验其金融集聚与经济效率关系。结果表明：整体上金融集聚对全要素生产率、纯技术效率、规模效率和技术进步均有显著促进效应；各城市金融集聚均对规模效率有显著促进效应，对全要素生产率及其他分解指数的影响存在显著差异。得出以市场化为改革核心、加强金融供给侧改革、“脱虚向实”、推进创新驱动和扩大金融开放等建议。     

ICTs quality and technical efficiency: An empirical analysis

In 1987, Robert M. Solow hinted at the computer age and productivity statistics puzzle. While this puzzle persisted for many years, a growing literature has picked it up to examine the effect of ICTs on technical efficiency. However, this literature has focused mainly on quantity-based ICTs measures, which have come under severe criticism in recent times. We advance this literature in this paper by shifting the focus of analysis to quality-based ICTs measures; in this case, Internet quality. We also extend the literature by examining how the envisaged relationship between ICTs quality and technical efficiency is conditioned by a country's unique attributes. Our results show a significantly positive effect of ICTs quality on technical efficiency. We also find that the technical efficiency gains associated with ICTs quality are higher in skill-abundant countries, countries that engage more intensively in cross-border trade, have stronger contracting institutions, and are endowed with well-functioning and well-developed financial markets that ensure greater efficiency of capital allocation. We find a network effect in the nexus between ICTs quality and technical efficiency. That is, the marginal effect of ICTs quality on technical efficiency increases as the number of Internet users expands. We discuss the policy implications of our findings.     

Total factor productivity enablers in the ICT industry: A cross-country firm-level analysis

Advancements in productivity in the digital economy constitute an important engine for economic growth. What drives productivity dynamics in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector? This study examines the productivity dynamics of ICT firms across countries from the perspective of corporate balance sheets. We study the effects of intangible assets and leverage on productivity growth using firm-level panel data from five industrialized countries. We find that intangible assets positively affect the total factor productivity in the ICT sector. The positive effect of intangible assets on total factor productivity growth is larger for ICT manufacturing firms than for ICT service firms. We also find that leverage has a positive relationship with total factor productivity development in the ICT sector. In addition, our empirical results substantiated that productivity is catching up to the technological frontier. Furthermore, larger firms and/or younger firms generally show higher total factor productivity growth than their peers. Economies of scale are more prominent in the ICT service sector than in the ICT manufacturing sector. Our findings contribute to the understanding of cross-country productivity dynamics in the ICT sector at the firm level in the digital economy.     

Privatization and production efficiency in Taiwan's telecommunications industry

Many managers, economists, and policy-makers have long believed that the production of a private enterprise is more efficient than that of a public one. This paper investigated whether it was good policy to privatize Taiwan's telecommunications industry by comparing the changes in efficiency in Chunghwa Telecom Company (CHT Co.) before and after privatization. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was used to evaluate their operational performance both pre- and post-privatization. The technical efficiency (CRS) computed with the CCR model assuming constant returns to scale, the technical efficiency (VRS), and the scale efficiency (VRS) were obtained with the BCC model assuming variable returns to scale, using the time-series data from CHT. The findings of this study show that the production efficiencies of CHT, both pre- and post-privatization are inefficient since all of the technical efficiencies are smaller than one.     

亚洲一带一路国家科技研发效率及其影响因素研究——基于 DEA 和累积 TFP 指数

研究不同国家间的科技研发效率及其影响因素对于比较不同国家间的科技资源配资效率、制定科技研发效率提高的相关政策具有指导意义。本文利用亚洲 12 个一带一路国家科技研发的两投入、两产出指标测算这些国家的科技研发效率及其影响因素。结果表明：这些国家技术进步率的提高带动了科技研发效率的上升；发展中国家科技研发表现出明显的后发优势。经济规模与科技研发效率之间呈现“U”型关系，金融深化程度、人力资本水平、健康人力资本和产业结构与科技研发效率之间存在显著的正相关。最后本文提出对策建议。     

Radial and non-radial decompositions of Luenberger productivity indicator with an illustrative application

Viewing slacks as one possible source of inefficiency, and that inputs have differential importance in the production process, this paper develops, based on the directional Russell measure of inefficiency, the non-radial Luenberger indicator. This indicator is then shown as the sum of the individual input-specific Luenberger indicators. The Luenberger indicator and its various input-specific indicators are also then shown as the composite measure of efficiency change and technical change. This decomposition enables the researcher to empirically examine the contributions of each factor input towards the productivity change and its components—efficiency change and technical change. Our proposed decomposition scheme is then empirically illustrated to analyze the eco-productivity performance behavior of the 22 OECD countries during the period 1995-2004. Our results indicate that first, the productivity change estimates yielded from the non-radial Luenberger indicator are different from those yielded from its radial counterpart, when slacks are present; second, most of these countries are found experiencing productivity growth due to technical progress alone; and finally, as regards the order of input-specific contributions towards productivity growth, capital contributes the most, followed by savings in emissions and labor, respectively.     

基于DEA-Malmquist指数的军工企业改制效率研究

本文以十大军工集团旗下真正涉及军工业务的22家上市公司为样本,以军品资本运作进入到实 质阶段的2008～2013年为观察期,以年报数据为基准,运用DEA-Malmquist指数对全要素生 产率、技术进步和技术效率进行测算。结果显示,上市军工企业的规模效率上升了19%, 但由于管理机制、技术水平等因素的制约,上市军工企业的综合技术效率只上升了04%; 另一方面,由于上市军工企业技术进步指数下降72%,导致全要素生产率下降了68%。军 工企业在改制重组的过程中应不断通过管理机制、科技创新等提高效率。     

基于DEA方法的河北省高端装备制造业投入产出效率分析

运用DEA方法对河北省2007年和2009年高端装备制造业及37个小类的投入产出效率进行技术有效性和规模有效性实证测度,并根据测度结果把37个小类划分为不同类型,指出各种类型行业的投入产出效率的特点。结果表明:各行业的投入产出技术有效性与规模有效性有关;各行业小类应结合实际情况,采取有效措施,提高其投入产出效率。     

资本深化、产业结构与中国城市劳动生产率

提高城市化质量和劳动产出效率是中国未来经济发展的必然选择。然而目前关于城市劳动生产率的研究大多是基于发达国家城市化平稳期假定做出的,这与中国当前发展情境不符。本文在城市产出总量函数中引入了资本存量和产业结构变量,考察快速城市化时期的资本存量、劳动投入、产业结构和城市规模等关键经济变量对城市劳动生产率的影响。基于中国1995—2010年地级以上城市市辖区数据,本文发现:劳均资本存量、产业结构和城市规模等因素对中国城市劳动生产率的提升有显著作用,并且呈现阶段性和趋势性特征。总体上看,资本深化的作用最大但呈缓慢下降态势,产业结构和城市规模的作用为正且呈"倒U型"变动,而人口集聚呈"规模报酬递增",要素投入呈"规模报酬递减"现象。     

Analyzing the relationships between information technology, inputs substitution and national characteristics based on CES stochastic frontier production models

This research examines four interrelated issues at the country level: the value of information technology (IT), inputs substitution and complement, the complementarity phenomenon created by IT and national characteristics, and the productivity paradox, jointly and critically from a global perspective, using the so-called productive efficiency as the performance measure. To that end, we develop the three-factor constant elasticity of substitution (CES) stochastic production frontier model and apply it to a set of panel data from 15 countries over the period 1993–2003, along with the traditional two-factor CES models, within the one- and two-equation frameworks. In the two-equation setting, six national characteristics are selected as the contributing factors of the productive efficiency. The findings include: (i) the value of IT as measured by the productive efficiency is duly recognized: (ii) the productivity paradox is found to be absent from the production process in a majority of developed and developing countries considered, rejecting the existing argument that the paradox exists only in developing economies but does not exist in developed countries; however, the developed countries have used IT capital in their production systems more productively efficiently than the developing nations; (iii) traditional capital (non-IT capital), traditional labor, and IT capital are not pairwise substitutable, contrary to the notion that they are pairwise substitutable at the firm level; (iv) constant returns to scale, as commonly assumed, are not supported by the data; (v) different national characteristics affect a country's output (represented by gross domestic product or GDP) and its productive efficiency differently; and (vi) the complementarity phenomenon is observed in most of the countries (developed and developing) under study.     

Assessing farm performance by size in Malawi,Tanzania, and Uganda

Many Sub-Sahara African countries have long endured sluggish agricultural productivity growth and a farm structure dominated by smallholders. This prevailing structure has led to public policies focusing on access to land and its distribution as ways to boost agricultural supply. Drawing on data from the Living Standards Measurement Study–Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) for three East African countries (Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda), our purpose is to: test whether smaller farms in these countries are more productive than larger ones; examine how managerial performance varies with farm size; and assess how public policy may improve farm performance. We adopt the Random Parameters Stochastic Production Frontier model to estimate and then decompose Total Factor Productivity (TFP) across different farm size classes. In doing so, we test for possible measurement errors of farmer self-reported land area using Global Positioning System (GPS) data, and explore the imperfect factor markets hypothesis. The results show that across the three countries TFP is higher for smaller farms than for larger ones. Overall, managerial performance is low suggesting that programs designed to enhance managerial capacity would promote farm productivity across all sizes. Other policies are size specific. Access to agricultural input markets improves the productivity of the small farms, while greater spending on transportation infrastructure and extension services enhances the productivity of the large.     

The impacts of country characteristics upon the value of information technology as measured by productive efficiency

Based on the theory of production, this paper investigates information technology (IT) contribution at a country level by linking it to the complementarity/substitutability phenomena created by the joint presence of IT and the five selected national characteristics. It negates the relationship between IT value and productivity based on a comprehensive panel data set from 25 countries over the period 1997-2006, when the individual analytical method is applied and productive efficiency is used as the performance criterion. The IT productivity paradox is re-examined under the one-equation stochastic frontier production model, while the influence of the five national characteristics is tested under the two-equation stochastic frontier production model. The findings include the following: (i) The IT productivity paradox occurs in not only middle-income (developing) countries but also high-income (developed) countries. (ii) Eastern European countries gain more productive efficiency than the G7 countries when IT is considered as a production factor. (iii) Different national characteristics have impacts on a country's output and productive efficiency. (iv) The chosen national characteristics present both complementarity and substitutability phenomena in association with IT investment, however, the joint presence of national savings and IT creates the substitutability phenomenon across different frontiers. (v) In linking cross-country differences in the IT investments to stages of economic development, our complimentary qualitative analysis tends to conclude that the investments in IT in the advanced developed countries (e.g., G7) and some of the newly developed or emerging economies are likely needed to keep the pace with other competitors and maintain their status of economic development; and the IT investments in the Eastern European countries are necessary to reach the competitive level as well as to raise their economic-development level. (vi) An important policy implication is that policy makers must carefully utilize national characteristics while formulating IT investment strategies.     

Gaining from vertical partnerships: knowledge transfer,relationship duration,and supplier performance improvement in the U.S. and Japanese automotive industries

We study sources of operational performance improvement in supplier partnerships. We argue that supplier performance will benefit most where time‐bound relational assets have developed between a buyer and supplier and the firms exploit the resulting communication efficiency by transferring productive knowledge. We examine the effects of two forms of knowledge exchange together with the prior duration of the buyer–supplier relationship. We find similar interaction patterns in two survey samples of Japanese and U.S. automotive suppliers. The effect of ordinary technical exchanges on supplier performance improvement does not vary with relationship duration. The effect of higher‐level technology transfer, however, grows more positive as relationship duration increases. Other results show relevant contrasts consistent with heterogeneous sourcing behavior between the two countries. The findings highlight the role of relational assets and show that it is important to distinguish between simple techniques and higher‐level technological capabilities when studying interfirm relationships. This research extends the literatures on knowledge transfer, buyer–supplier partnerships, and the performance dynamics of interfirm and intrafirm relationships in general. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.