Inefficiencies in the Japanese National Health Insurance system: A stochastic frontier approach

In this study, I examine the cost inefficiency and production inefficiency of municipal insurers operating under the Japanese National Health Insurance system. I employ insurer-level panel data for 2005 and 2010 and adopt stochastic frontier cost and production models to overcome analytical problems encountered in previous studies. The cost frontier estimates indicate that adverse effects on efficiency are associated with aging of the insured population, soft budget constraints due to government subsidies, insurer contributions to the elder care systems, and an increase in care provider densities. A positive effect on efficiency is associated with an expansion in insurer scale. The production frontier estimates suggest that cost inefficiencies decreased by roughly 15 percent between 2005 and 2010. The correlation between cost inefficiency and technical inefficiency is not particularly strong, whereas the correlation between cost inefficiency and allocative inefficiency is strong and positive.     

Thai manufacturing small and medium sized enterprise technical efficiency: Evidence from firm-level industrial census data

Thai manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) face intense competition in domestic and foreign markets. Given their importance to the economic development of the country it is important to have a clear understanding of their readiness to face the rigors of international competition, including the barriers and specific problems that they face. This study uses a stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and technical inefficiency effects model to analyze the technical efficiency of Thai manufacturing SMEs and key factors impacting upon it. Analysis of cross-sectional data from a 2007 census of Thai manufacturing SMEs indicates that their weighted average technical efficiency is approximately 50 percent, signifying a high level of technical inefficiency which is reducing potential output. The inefficiency effects model reveals that firm size, firm age, skilled labor, ownership characteristics and location are firm-specific factors that significantly affect the technical inefficiency of production. Key measures to improve the technical efficiency of Thai manufacturing SMEs are an adequate supply of inputs, access to credit facilities, extensive infrastructural development and training programs for employees.     

Technical Efficiency Measures and Its Determinants for Olive Producing Farms in Tunisia: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis

Abstract: This paper investigates farm level technical efficiency of production and its determinants in a sample of 178 olive producing farms in Tunisia using a stochastic frontier production function approach applied to cross‐section data. Results indicate that technical efficiency of production in the sample of olive producing farms investigated ranges from a minimum of 58.5 per cent to a maximum of 95.5 per cent with an average technical efficiency estimate of 82 per cent. This suggests that olive producers may increase their production by as much as 18 per cent through more efficient use of production inputs. Further, the estimated coefficients in the technical inefficiency model indicate the positive effect on technical efficiency of the share of productive trees, the share of skilled labour and agricultural training. However, a negative relationship between technical efficiency and fruit trees is found.     

An analysis on technical efficiency in post-reform China

This paper employs a fully nonparametric stochastic frontier model with time and individual effects to study technical efficiency in China's post-reform economy. The panel data cover China's thirty provinces for the period of 1985–2008. The empirical results show that the average output elasticity of labor is larger than the other two inputs of capital and human capital. Based on the specified inefficiency Tobit model, the factor analysis on technical efficiency shows that the time effects of technical efficiency in China's post-reform economy are significantly contingent on the factors. There exists significant regional differences in technical efficiency in China's economic development, and a number of policy implications can be drawn.     

跨国公司在华R&D投资的溢出效应研究——基于随机前沿分析方法(SFA)的检验

跨国公司R&D投资能否帮助中国内资部门提升产出的技术效率,是一个具有重要学术和政策研究价值的命题。本文利用1998～2006年中国30个省区的面板数据,重点考察跨国公司R&D投资对中国省区的溢出效应及其区域差异。基于SFA方法的检验结果显示:跨国公司R&D投资对中国省区技术效率提升有着显著的溢出效应;跨国公司R&D投资的溢出效应明显呈现出地区差异性的特点;竞争效应是导致跨国公司在华R&D投资技术溢出的主要渠道,而示范模仿渠道的溢出效应相对有限,其关键原因在于本地相对滞后的技术吸收能力制约了跨国公司R&D投资溢出效应的发挥。     

我国制造业企业的成本效率研究

本文运用了2001与2004年度我国制造业上市公司数据,采取随机前沿技术的成本函数,对254家企业进行成本函数估计得出具体参数值,按平均值分别测算我国制造业上市企业的前沿成本、成本效率、技术效率、配置效率和规模经济性。通过实证考察,结论认为技术效率的相对缺乏,是制造业企业成本非效率的主要因素,且高成本组始终处于较低的效率水平;2004年总体样本显示成本效率主要得益于技术进步,但资源的有效配置不容忽视;此外,规模经济性随着产出规模增加而下降。我国制造业上市公司作为一股"先进生产力"的代表,其成本效率需要前沿技术长期的推进。     

THE PREDICTABILITY OF STOCK MARKET RETURNS IN SOUTH AFRICA: PARAMETRIC VS. NON‐PARAMETRIC METHODS

This paper compares the forecasting performance of a sub‐class of univariate parametric and non‐parametric models in predicting stock market returns in South Africa. To account for conditional heteroskedasticity in stock returns data, the non‐parametric model is generated by the conditional heteroskedastic non‐linear autoregressive (NAR) model, while the parametric model is produced by the generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic in mean (GARCH‐M) model. The results of the paper show that the NAR as a non‐parametric model performs better than the GARCH‐M model in short‐term forecasting horizon, and this indicates the importance of a distribution‐free model in predicting stock returns in South Africa.     

Technical Change and Productive Efficiency: Irrigated Rice in the Philippines*

Panel data are used to study the technical efficiency of rice producers in the Philippines. Production efficiency over time is measured using a stochastic frontier regression with error decomposition. Sources of inefficiency are identified and the link between irrigation and productive efficiency is measured. Results suggest that irrigation was associated with higher levels of technical efficiency in the sample.     

Interest Rate Pass‐through in Malawi: Implications for the Effectiveness of Monetary Policy

This study investigates the interest rate pass‐through in Malawi and its implications on monetary policy effectiveness. Using the cost‐of‐funds approach and monthly data from 2009 to 2015, an autoregressive distributed lag model is fitted. Results show that there is a near complete pass‐through to the lending rate but not the savings rate. The magnitude of the pass‐through is relatively higher under smaller banks. The results suggest that the structure of the banking industry matters. Market power is important in understanding the variation in lending and savings rates across banks. Overall, short‐term rates as operating targets are consistent with inflation targeting in Malawi.     

Measuring the Impact of Socio-Economic Factors on School Efficiency in Australia

This paper examines the productive efficiency of government schools in New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. The study uses a technical inefficiency effects model applied to a unique three-year panel dataset containing 1235 primary and 371 secondary schools in NSW. A stochastic frontier production function and an inefficiency effects function that control for school socioeconomic and environmental factors are estimated. The dataset contains information on various school inputs, school expenditures by major functional area, parental socioeconomic characteristics, student characteristics, and standardized test scores. We examine the degree to which school and non-school educational inputs influence student achievement scores and find that, overall, primary schools are 88.6% and secondary schools 96.4% efficient. The index describing community socio-educational advantage has the most significant influence on students’ achievement scores.     

The asymmetric effects of oil price changes on China’s exports: New evidence from a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model

China’s dependence on oil imports has greatly increased in recent years. Due to the rapid expansion of global trade, exporting plays an important role in the Chinese economy. This paper uses monthly data from January 2005 to April 2021 to examine the short- and long-term effects of oil price increases and decreases on China’s exports. Our empirical analyses are based on the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model, which can effectively capture asymmetric relations. The empirical results provide significant evidence of asymmetry, such that oil price increases have significantly larger effects than oil price decreases in the long term. Interestingly, we find that energy-intensive exports and some specific sectors (e.g., crude fertilizers, petroleum products, and organic chemicals) benefit from oil price increases. We also observe recent declines in the coal and coke sector following positive oil price shocks due to restrictions on coal consumption.     

基于CES生产函数的国防支出就业效应研究

通过在CES生产函数中引入国防支出变量，并运用ARDL方法建立ARDL-ECM模型，探讨了国防支出与就业之间的短期波动和长期均衡关系。研究发现我国国防支出在短期内促进就业，但从长期看，我国国防支出的就业效应为负。研究结果表明要使国防支出在促进劳动力就业方面长期发挥作用，需要从军事人才培养体系、军事技术创新、军民融合等方面进一步优化国防资源配置。     

Effect of agglomeration on technical efficiency of small and medium‐sized garment firms in Egypt

This study investigates the effect of agglomeration on technical efficiency of small and medium‐sized garment firms in Egypt. Using a sample of 502 firms, we estimated a translog stochastic frontier production function with inefficiency components. We also applied a switching regression model to address self‐selection in choice of agglomeration. Results confirm that agglomeration enhances technical efficiency of sampled firms through development of industrial linkages and accumulation of human capital. Given the increasing importance of cluster‐based development policies, we underscore the need to promote agglomeration of garment firms, and thereby foster forward and backward linkages to improve their efficiency and to develop global value chains.     

我国产出缺口与通胀菲利普斯曲线形态的研究——基于LSTVAR模型的实证分析

菲利普斯曲线通过把通货膨胀与经济增长结合起来而成为了宏观经济研究的基石。考虑到两者之间的关系可能存在非线性以及经济系统的反馈性,本文基于季度数据首次建立了我国1995-2009年间两者之间的平滑转换向量自回归模型,结果表明两者之间具有显著的非线性,并且非线性转换由逻辑函数刻画,转换变量为滞后二期通胀率。广义脉冲响应分析表明样本期内我国经济系统的冲击主要来自总需求方面,且现阶段的菲利普斯曲线是凹的。     

组合预测模型在我国旅游业预测中的应用

文章首先选取Holt-Winters非季节指数平滑模型、自回归分布滞后模型以及局部多项式回归模型对中国1978-2011年的国际旅游外汇收入进行定量分析,随后基于预测误差平方和最小方法构造组合预测模型,研究结果表明组合预测模型的精度明显优于单项预测模型。     

Local government taxation: An analysis of administrative cost inefficiency

Local governments in Indonesia administer taxes inefficiently. The average cost of local tax administration as a percentage of revenue generated is estimated to be over 50%. There is, however, a wide variation in administrative inefficiency across local governments. The estimation of a stochastic cost frontier model suggests that administrative cost inefficiency increases significantly as fiscal transfers from the centre rise; the investigation also demonstrates that local governments with elected executives are no more administratively cost efficient than those with appointed heads. The simple and complex measures of cost inefficiency yield broadly similar results concerning the level and variation of inefficiency across local governments, but can offer significantly different estimates of the relative inefficiency of individual local governments. This poses a dilemma for the central government in monitoring and evaluating local government tax administration performance.     

TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY IN PRODUCTION IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THE BRAZILIAN PLASTICS AND STEEL INDUSTRIES

This paper estimates firm specific indexes of technical efficiencyfor the Brazilian plastics and steel industries. Two differentindexes are employed for the empirical estimates—the Farrellindex and an index developed from a linear programming approximationof a nonstochastic frontier production function specified inthe Cobb-Douglas functional form. Evidence of substantial relativetechnical inefficiency is revealed. In both industries onlya very small proportion of all the observed firms were producingamounts of output greater than 80 percent of that technicallypossible on the estimated frontier. Relative efficiency of thefirms in the two industries was not seen to be significantlyrelated to ownership (foreign or government), but tests didsuggest a tendency for larger firms, possessing larger marketshares, to be closer to the frontier than smaller firms.     

Nonparametric Evaluation of Economies of Scope in the Context of Technical Efficiency: The Case of Rice and Vegetable Farms in Korea

This paper provides a nonparametric evaluation of economies of scope in the context of technical efficiency allowing for non‐convexity, with an application to Korean rice and vegetable farms. Relying on non‐parametric‐free disposal hull and data envelopment analysis approaches and input–output data for rice and vegetable farms from the Korea Farm Household Economy Survey data collected in 2007, this article examines technical inefficiency and its decomposition under non‐convexity and convexity. Empirical measures of technical inefficiency and its decomposition results are provided, with a focus on a component of technical inefficiency associated with economies of scope (i.e. diversification benefits) under non‐convexity in production technology. The decomposition measures of technical inefficiency include pure technical inefficiency, size inefficiency and diversification inefficiency. The results provide empirical evidence supporting size‐dependent diversification strategies, where benefits of diversification are larger for small farms on average compared to those of large farms.     

Environmental efficiency and its distribution dynamics in Chinese cities

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates environmental efficiency and its distribution dynamics in Chinese cities. The analyses are applied the meta-frontier data envelopment analysis and the continuous dynamic distribution approach together with panel data of 286 Chinese cities at the prefecture and above-prefecture levels. The results show that during the period of 2002–2011, the average environmental efficiency in Chinese cities is well below the production frontier. The coastal cities show better performance than the central and western cities; large and extra-large cities are more efficient than small and medium cities; and the environmental efficiency for the ‘key’ cities is slightly better than that for the ‘non-key’ cities. The spatial dynamic distribution analyses indicate that the environmental efficiency of Chinese cities tends to converge. To improve environmental efficiency in the future, the government should pay more attention to the central cities, medium and large size cities in western China, and the non-key cities.

Abbreviations: CPI- Consumer price index; DEA- Date envelopment analysis; DMU- Decision making unit; GDP- Gross domestic product; GMI -Group- frontier managerial inefficiency; IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; MTR- Meta- technology gap ratio; NTP- Net transition probability; PAA- Prefecture and above-prefecture levels; PIM Perpetual inventory method; SFA Stochastic frontier analysis; TGI Technology gap inefficiency     

A global perspective on railway inefficiency and the rise of state ownership, 1880-1912

The rise of state ownership was one of the most significant policy changes in the railway sector in the early 20th century. This paper estimates the cost inefficiency of railway sectors across countries using stochastic frontier models and examines whether the rise of state ownership affected inefficiency. The results show that the trends in inefficiency differed substantially across countries from the 1880s to 1912. They also show that inefficiency increased with greater nationalizations and decreased with greater state railway construction. A counterfactual analysis suggests that the rise of state ownership contributed to lower inefficiency in most countries, but the effects within countries varied depended on whether state ownership increased through nationalizations or new construction.