A Stochastic Frontier Production Function with Flexible Risk Properties

This paper considers a stochastic frontier production function which has additive, heteroscedastic error structure. The model allows for negative or positive marginal production risks of inputs, as originally proposed by Just and Pope (1978). The technical efficiencies of individual firms in the sample are a function of the levels of the input variables in the stochastic frontier, in addition to the technical inefficiency effects. These are two features of the model which are not exhibited by the commonly used stochastic frontiers with multiplicative error structures.An empirical application is presented using cross-sectional data on Ethiopian peasant farmers. The null hypothesis of no technical inefficiencies of production among these farmers is accepted. Further, the flexible risk models do not fit the data on peasant farmers as well as the traditional stochastic frontier model with multiplicative error structure.     

Productivity Growth, Efficiency and Outsourcing in Manufacturing and Service Industries

This paper is a survey of recent contributions to, and developments of, the relationship between outsourcing, efficiency and productivity growth in manufacturing and services. The objective is to provide a thorough and up–to–date survey that provides a significant discussion on data, as well as on the core methods of measuring efficiency and productivity. First, the readers are introduced to the measurement of partial and total factor productivity growth. Different parametric and non–parametric approaches to the productivity measurement in the context of static, dynamic and firm–specific modelling are discussed. Second, we survey the econometric approach to efficiency analysis. The issues of modelling, distributional assumptions and estimation methods are discussed assuming that cross–sectional or panel data are available. Third, the relationship between outsourcing and productivity growth in manufacturing and services is discussed. The correspondence between a number of hypotheses and empirical findings are examined. Examples of varieties of relevant empirical applications, their findings and implications are presented. Fourth, measurement of inputs and outputs in manufacturing and services are discussed. Finally, to promote useful research, a number of factors important to the analysis of outsourcing, efficiency and productivity growth in the service sector are summarised.     

粮食安全:农村经济结构转化过程中面临的挑战

经济结构的转化是国民经济增长过程中的必然趋势,城市化与工业化双重作用使农业传统生产要素不断向第二、三产业流动,粮食供求趋于"紧平衡"态势,政府的粮食安全责任凸显.在此背景下,政府应发挥主导作用,在粮食生产中引进现代生产要素,通过提升效率来提高粮食生产能力并优化粮食生产的经济合理性.在实现粮食安全的同时减轻财政负担.     

稳健财政政策下国债的适度规模与管理

2005年起,我国开始实行稳健的财政政策,经济运行方式发生了变化,国债政策作为以前积极财政政策调节经济方向的重要工具也应采取相应变化以促进经济向前发展.由此加强我国国债规模管理,不仅应从总体上缩小国债规模,更应该注重国债资金的使用效率,对其加强监督管理.     

通过加总推出的总供给曲线

总供给曲线的推导是宏观经济学中的最重要内容之一。在大多数宏观经济模型中 ,在推导总供给曲线时 ,加总问题 (aggregationproblem)往往被忽略。一般认为 ,总供给曲线是各企业供给曲线的简单算术和或是一个代表性企业供给曲线的简单放大。但是 ,在现实中 ,各个企业是不同的。只有在非常严格的条件下 ,总供给曲线与企业供给曲线在性质上才是等价的。考虑到中国经济的制度性特点并在解决加总的一系列技术问题的基础上 ,本文推导出了在企业劳动生产率服从均匀分布情况下的总供给曲线。通过这种方法推出的总供给曲线具有许多传统总供给曲线所不具有的新性质。笔者希望本文能为进一步研究处于微观经济和宏观经济之间的往往被忽视的一块重要领域 (“中观经济领域”)做出贡献。     

The convergence of least squares learning in stochastic temporary equilibrium models

Summary. This paper provides conditions for the almost sure convergence of the least squares learning rule in a stochastic temporary equilibrium model, where regressions are performed on the past values of the endogenous state variable. In contrast to earlier studies, (Evans and Honkapohja, 1998; Marcent and Sargent, 1989), which were local analyses, the dynamics are studied from a global viewpoint, which allows one to obtain an almost sure convergence result without employing projection facilities. Received: April 7, 2001; revised version: September 5, 2001     

Cost Uncertainty and Unilateral Abatement

Unilateral abatement is sometimes advocated in order to set a good example that will make other countries follow. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether existence of correlated cost uncertainty provides an incentive for a country to undertake unilateral abatement. The theoretical model is driven by two main mechanisms; first, a learning effect, as the follower country might reduce its risk premium as it can observe the cost level in the leader country. Second, there is the public good effect, i.e., the marginal benefit of abatement declines when abatement is a public good and other countries contribute to pollution reductions. Results shows that unilateral abatement would be efficient in reducing uncertainty about the unit costs of abatement if a country with low cost uncertainty would undertake abatement first, while a country with initially high cost uncertainty would follow. However, countries may prefer to act simultaneously because of the larger uncertainties that are inherent in a sequential game.      

关于非英语专业高职学生学习自主性问题的探讨

本文通过对某高职院校非英语专业学生英语学习的自主性、元认知、兴趣、动机、自信度、焦虑度测试的分析研究表明:英语学习的自主性和性别及英语的学习成绩、兴趣、动机、自信度有非常显著的正相关性,而和英语学习元认知没有相关性,同时和英语学习焦虑度有非常显著的负相关性,从而为构建有效的培养英语学习自主性的教学模式提供依据,并就此提出若干提高学生英语学习自主性的建议。     

广东省流通服务业资本边际生产率变动趋势研究

为研究资本要素在广东省流通服务业中的使用和配置效率问题,首先运用永续盘存法估算出历年广东流通服务业中各行业以不变价计算的固定资本存量,再以收入法估算出历年行业的资本边际贡献份额,并计算了行业的不变价增加值,在此基础上估计出1993年~2003年10年间各行业的资本边际生产率。结果表明:这些行业的资本边际生产率在这10年间呈明显的上升趋势,即资本的使用效率在提高,但交通运输业的资本边际生产率偏低,且行业间的资本边际生产率差异增大,行业间资本的配置效率下降。     

对当前国内经济学界几个争论问题的看法

市场取向是中国经济改革的方向,政府对经济实施调控是为弥补市场失灵而不是搞计划经济;假定人自私,绝非倡导人自私,从这一假设出发去进行市场经济的制度设计恰恰可以抑制或减少人的自利行为带给社会经济的危害;效率与公平不是一个层面的问题,效率是公平的基础,公平失衡不是效率之错;对于政府求公平来说,重点在于消除不公平而非设计公平,这是一个渐进的过程,不可能一蹴而就.