A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of Output Level and Growth in Poland and Western Economies

This paper uses Bayesian stochastic frontier methods to measure the productivity gap between Poland and Western countries that existed before the beginning of the main Polish economic reform. Using data for 20 Western economies, Poland and Yugoslavia (1980–1990) we estimate a translog stochastic frontier and make inference about individual efficiencies. Following the methodology proposed in our earlier work, we also decompose output growth into technical, efficiency and input changes and examine patterns of growth in the period under consideration. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Institutions and Bank Performance: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis*

This article investigates the impact of institutions on bank efficiency and technology, using a stochastic frontier analysis of a data set of 7,959 banks across 136 countries over 10 years. The results confirm the importance of well‐developed institutions for the efficient operation of commercial banks. Furthermore, the insights reveal the impact of institutional reforms in improving bank efficiency. The results are robust to adjustments in country‐specific effects, achieved by including country dummies, as well as across different risk profiles. Moreover, they provide empirical evidence in support of the public view of the banking sector.     

统一分布假设的随机前沿分析模型

本文给出了随机前沿分析(SFA)中无效率项和随机误差项的统一分布假设模型,并推导出该假设下模型的技术效率的表达式。该统一分布假设模型综合了之前SFA方法中误差项的所有四种分布,还包含了其他分布,具有一般性,形式更为灵活,更能符合实际。根据本文还可以从理论上解释Greene(1990)与李双杰等人(2006)的实证研究结果。     

A Decomposition of Total Factor Productivity Growth in Korean Manufacturing Industries: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

This paper applies a stochastic frontier production model to Korean manufacturing industries, to decompose the sources of total factor productivity (TFP) growth into technical progress, changes in technical efficiency, changes in allocative efficiency, and scale effects. Empirical results based on data from 1980–1994 show that productivity growth was driven mainly by technical progress, that changes in technical efficiency had a significant positive effect, and that allocative efficiency had a negative effect. This study suggests that specific guidelines are required to promote productivity in each industry, and provides additional insight into understanding the recent debate on TFP growth in Korean manufacturing.     

Neoclassical Growth Accounting and Frontier Analysis: A Synthesis

The standard measure of productivity growth is the Solow residual. Its evaluation requires data on factor input shares or prices. Since these prices are presumed to match factor productivities, the standard procedure amounts to accepting at face value what is supposed to be measured. In this paper we estimate total factor productivity growth without recourse to data on factor input prices. Factor productivities are defined as Lagrange multipliers to the program that maximizes the level of domestic final demand. The consequent measure of total factor productivity is shown to encompass not only the Solow residual, but also the efficiency change of frontier analysis and the hitherto slippery terms-of-trade effect. Using input-output tables from 1962 to 1991 we show that the source of Canadian productivity growth has shifted from technical change to terms-of-trade effects.     

风险视角下中国保险公司效率的实证研究——基于随机前沿分析方法

在保险业竞争日益激烈的条件下,在风险管控的基础上如何提高效率已成为中国保险公司生存和发展的关键。本文将保险公司所承担的内生非系统性风险纳入效率评价体系中,在理论上阐明了对保险公司效率进行风险调整的基本原理,并基于随机前沿分析方法(SFA)构建了经过风险调整的成本和利润边界函数,实证测度了1999～2006年中国28家保险公司的成本效率和利润效率,使保险公司效率评价方法及其相应结果在经过风险调整后更具科学性。研究发现,中国保险公司成本效率和利润效率的估算结果在纳入风险因素之后出现上升,表明风险变量对保险公司成本和利润的变动具有显著影响,而且保险公司经营风险对其利润效率的调整效果要比对成本效率的调整效果显著。随着整体风险管理水平的提高,中国保险公司具有很大的提高赢利能力和减少成本的空间。     

我国税收征管效率及其影响因素——基于随机前沿分析(SFA)技术的实证研究

本文基于SFA方法并利用省际面板数据,对我国税收征管效率及其影响因素进行了实证分析.研究发现:①1997～2005年各地区税收征管效率都呈上升趋势,总体效率提高约19个百分点,这从征管角度揭开了"税收超GDP增长"之谜.但我国税收征管效率水平总体仍不高,虽然地区间征管效率差距较大,但其呈现出收敛趋势;②提高税务机构女性工作人员比重有助于征管效率的提高,36～45岁年龄段的工作人员在税收征管中有更高的效率;经济发展水平对征管效率有正效应,但其效应比较弱.适度减少税务机构人员数量可以提高税收征管效率.     

Numerical Tools for the Bayesian Analysis of Stochastic Frontier Models

In this paper we describe the use of modern numerical integration methods for making posterior inferences in composed error stochastic frontier models for panel data or individual cross- sections. Two Monte Carlo methods have been used in practical applications. We survey these two methods in some detail and argue that Gibbs sampling methods can greatly reduce the computational difficulties involved in analyzing such models.     

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.     

Pitfalls of Normal-Gamma Stochastic Frontier Models

Although conceptually pleasing, normal-gamma frontier models lead to difficult estimation problems. It is shown here that unless the sample size reaches several thousands of observations the shape parameter of the gamma density is hard to estimate, and that this carries over to estimates of the stochastic frontier, the individual inefficiencies, and the allocation of the overall variance to the stochastic frontier and to the inefficiencies.     

中国电子行业上市公司效率的随机前沿分析

本文使用随机前沿（SF）生产函数方法计算中国电子行业上市公司的效率，并对计算结果进行了分析。     

基于随机前沿面神经网络的TFP贡献率测度

针对全要素生产率(TFP)贡献率测度的问题,研究了用神经网络来测量TFP贡献率的方法和用随机前沿面来测量TFP贡献率的方法;指出了这两种方法在测算中存在的缺陷。并在此基础之上,提出了运用随机前沿面模型构造出随机前沿面神经网络来测量TFP贡献率,从而实现了利用随机前沿面神经网络模型进行TFP测度贡献率。全部计算过程都通过了编程计算,收进我们自己的软件系统DASC。     

Productive Efficiency of the Swine Industry in Hawaii: Stochastic Frontier vs. Data Envelopment Analysis

Improving productive efficiency is an increasingly important determinant of the future of the swine industry in Hawaii. This paper examines the productive efficiency of a sample of swine producers in Hawaii by estimating a stochastic frontier production function and the constant returns to scale (CRS) and variable returns to scale (VRS) output-oriented DEA models. The technical efficiency estimates obtained from the two frontier techniques are compared. The scale properties are also examined under the two approaches. The industry's potential for increasing production through improved efficiency is also discussed.     

A Principal Components Analysis of Common Stochastic Trends in Heterogeneous Panel Data: Some Monte Carlo Evidence

In this paper we propose a new approach based on principal components analysis to test for the number of common stochastic trends driving the non-stationary series in a panel data set. This test has the advantage that it is also consistent when there is a mixture of I (0) and I (1) series, making it unnecessary to pre-test the panel for unit root. Furthermore, the test solves the problem of dimensionality encountered in large panel data sets.     

中国省级物流产业全要素生产率估算:一个随机前沿的分析方法

运用随机前沿分析方法(SFA),对我国2001-2010年省级物流行业全要素生产率进行了估算,发现我国绝大多数省份的物流行业全要素生产率在2002、2003年有不同程度的下降;东、中、西部地区物流行业的全要素生产率有收敛趋势,且东、中部的物流行业全要素生产率差距不明显,但西部地区和东、中部地区仍然存在较大的差距。     

国际货币政策协调的随机模型分析

本文采用一个简单的新开放宏观经济随机模型。在名义粘性工资的假定下，应用对数线性模型，通过求工资设定问题、预期的产出、预期的贸易条件、预期的效用等变量的解析解，分析得出了任何偏离均衡状态的国内货币政策都会给本国居民带来期望效用的损失；采用统一的国际货币时，只要采用谨慎的货币政策将优于多种货币共存的情形。     

Simulated Likelihood Estimation of the Normal-Gamma Stochastic Frontier Function

The normal-gamma stochastic frontier model was proposed in Greene (1990) and Beckers and Hammond (1987) as an extension of the normal-exponential proposed in the original derivations of the stochastic frontier by Aigner, Lovell and Schmidt (1977). The normal-gamma model has the virtue of providing a richer and more flexible parameterization of the inefficiency distribution in the stochastic frontier model than either of the canonical forms, normal-half normal and normal-exponential. However, several attempts to operationalize the normal-gamma model have met with very limited success, as the log likelihood is possesed of a significant degree of complexity. This note will propose an alternative approach to estimation of this model based on the method of maximum simulated likelihood estimation as opposed to the received attempts which have approached the problem by direct maximization.     

基于SFA的我国汽车制造业技术效率的研究

本文以我国汽车制造行业为研究对象,选取10家具有代表性的汽车制造企业2000-2009年的面板数据,运用随机前沿分析(SFA)模型,实证研究了我国汽车制造企业的技术效率。研究结果表明,我国汽车制造业的技术效率总体呈波动趋势;客车、重卡企业技术效率最高,乘用车企业次之,轻卡、农用车企业最低;东部地区技术效率高于中部和西部;技术效率影响因素方面,库存过高、研发人员过多以及汽车产量过大不利于技术效率水平的提高,而企业与供应商和客户关系的加深,能提高企业的技术效率水平。     

Relative Performance of U.S. and Japanese Electricity Distribution: An Application of Stochastic Frontier Analysis

Journal of Productivity Analysis -     

Relative Performance of U.S. and Japanese Electricity Distribution: An Application of Stochastic Frontier Analysis

This paper estimates and compares the technical efficiency of the U.S. and Japanese electric utilities during the period 1982–1997 using a stochastic frontier analysis. Our focus is on electricity distribution services of major investor-owned utilities. We employ translog input distance functions to represent the technology of electricity distribution. Empirical results show that after controlling for environmental variables, on average, the Japanese electric utilities are more efficient. It is shown, however, that some U.S. utilities are as efficient as the most efficient Japanese utilities, indicating that the estimated frontier is not necessarily dominated by Japanese utilities.An erratum to this article can be found at