Values, prices of production and market prices: some more evidence from the Greek economy

This paper extends the empirical investigation of the relationbetween labour values and different price forms in the caseof the Greek economy. Subjecting the labour theory of valueto empirical tests with data from various countries helps inthe derivation of general conclusions regarding its empiricalvalidity and practical usefulness. Our results on the closenessof values and prices as measured by their absolute deviationand correlation, the shape of the wage–profit curves,the predictive power of labour values over market prices comparedwith other ‘value bases’, and the comparison offundamental Marxian categories when estimated in value and priceterms provide further support for the empirical strength ofthe labour theory of value.     

Bootstrap and Pretest J-Type Non-Nested Tests for Orthogonal Regression Models: Some Monte Carlo Evidence

This paper compares the size and power of two J-type tests for weakly correlated or nearly orthogonal non-nested regression models: a bootstrap and a pretest test. The latter seems to outperform the former in terms of its size characteristics, especially when the alternative model has more non-nested regressors and the orthogonality between the two sets of regressors is severe. The bootstrap test does better in terms of power.

     

An updated ranking of academic journals in economics

Abstract We conduct an update of the ranking of economic journals by Kalaitzidakis, Mamuneas, and Stengos (2003) . However, our present study differs methodologically from that earlier study in an important dimension. We use a rolling window of years between 2003 and 2008, for each year counting the number of citations of articles published in the previous 10 years. This allows us to obtain a smoother longer view of the evolution of rankings in the period under consideration and avoid the inherent randomness that may exist at any particular year, because of new entrants.     

Testing for bivariate stochastic dominance using inequality restrictions

We propose a test of bivariate stochastic dominance within a generalized framework for testing inequality restrictions, utilizing the covariance structure of the estimates of the joint distribution functions. Monte Carlo simulations and an empirical example assess its usefulness.     

An empirical investigation of the relationship between education and growth in Pakistan

In this paper we try to examine the impact of education on growth in Pakistan for the time period of 1973–2001. Education, measured as gross enrollments and total expenditures, is broken down into primary, secondary and tertiary as well as by gender in each of the above categories. Time series techniques are used to determine whether education, for each category, has a causal impact on growth. The robustness of these results is then examined using the Levine–Renelt (1992) methodology. We find that secondary and higher education has a strong and robust impact on growth, whereas, at the primary level only initial female enrolments show a causal but not robust impact on growth.     

Specification and sensitivity analysis of cross-country growth regressions

We compare the sensitivity analysis of cross-country growth regressions based on extreme bounds analysis to a more direct specification testing approach using non-nested hypotheses tests. The results suggest that those specifications that are adequate are also those that include two of the only few conditioning variables that are found to be robust, namely the standard deviation of inflation and the standard deviation of domestic credit. First Version Received: November 2000/Final Version Received: May 2001     

Intertemporal pricing and price discrimination: a semiparametric hedonic analysis of the personal computer market

We apply a smooth coefficient semiparametric model to a unique high‐frequency data set to examine the intertemporal pricing of personal computers. Furthermore, we test whether firms charge differential component prices for their top performance personal computers and whether premium firms charge both a premium for all their computers and a premium for their top performance ones. We find nonlinear effects in the pricing of personal computer components. We also find that firms in general do not charge differential prices for the components of their top performance computers. In addition, high‐quality firms charge higher premia only for their most advanced products. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A non-linear sensitivity analysis of cross-country growth regressions

We extend the sensitivity analysis of cross-country growth regressions of Levine and Renelt (1992) by introducing a semi-parametric formulation of their regression function. Our results differ from theirs in how certain policy variables affect growth rates. We find that distortion variables, such as the standard deviation of gross domestic credit and inflation and real exchange rate distortions, have a robust negative effect on growth. JEL Classification: O47, C14
Une analyse de sensibilité non-linéaire des régressions de croissance pour divers pays. Les auteurs utilisent une formulation semi-paramétrique des équations de croissance de Levine et Renelt (1992) pour divers pays afin de rendre leur analyse de sensibilité plus compréhensive. Les résultats different de ceux de Levine et Renelt en ce que certaines variables de politique affectent les taux de croissance. On découvre que certains facteurs comme l'écart type du crédit intérieur brut et de l'inflation, et des distorsions des taux de change réels, ont un effet négatif important sur la croissance.     

Product line pricing in a vertically differentiated oligopoly

Abstract This paper examines the joint pricing decision of products in a firm’s product line. When products are distinguished by a vertical characteristic, those with higher values of that characteristic will command higher prices. We investigate whether, holding the value of the characteristic constant, there is an additional price premium for products on the industry and/or the firm frontier, that is, for the products with the highest value of the characteristic in the market or in a firm’s product line. We also investigate the existence of price premia for lower‐ranked products and other product line pricing questions. Using personal computer price data, we show that prices decline with the distance from the industry and firm frontiers, even after holding absolute quality constant. We find evidence that consumer tastes for brands is stronger for the consumers of frontier products (and thus competition between firms weaker in the top end of the market). There is also evidence that a product’s price is higher if a firm offers products with the immediately faster and immediately slower computer chip (holding the total number of a firm’s offerings constant), possibly as an attempt to reduce cannibalization. Finally, a product’s price declines with the time it is offered by a firm, suggesting intertemporal price discrimination.