Environmental regulation and U.S. states' technical inefficiency

Using data on 48 states from 1982–1994, we estimate the impact of environmental regulation on technical inefficiency of U.S. states' manufacturing sector. The result indicates that environmental stringency has significant and positive impacts on U.S. states' technical inefficiency.     

Efficiency and Equity in School Funding: A Case Study for Kansas

This study measures cost inefficiency of Kansas public school districts and applied both mathematical programming and stochastic frontier approach. The empirical study uses two-stage data envelopment analysis model and the cost inefficiency effects model proposed by Battese and Coelli (Empirical Economics 24:325–332, 1995) and applied to a panel data. The results found mean inefficiencies from these two models are very close. The results indicate that Kansas school districts, on average, exhibit cost inefficiency in their operations, however, there is a tendency for inefficiencies to decline over time. The study does not find any strong evidence for lower efficiency due to lower expenditure per-pupil. Instead, we found inconclusive evidences where lower efficiency for certain school districts could be assigned to unfavorable environmental cost conditions.

The transient and persistent efficiency of Italian and German universities: a stochastic frontier analysis

Despite measures on the European level to increase the compatibility between the higher education sectors, the recent literature exposes variations in their efficiencies. To gain insights into these differences, we split the efficiency term according to the two management levels each university is confronted with. We separate short-term and long-term efficiency while controlling for unobserved institution-specific heterogeneity. We argue that the first term reflects the efficiency of the individual universities working within the country, while the second term echoes the influence of the overall country-specific higher education structure. The cross-country comparison displays whether efficiency differences between countries are related to the individual performance of their universities or their higher education structure. This allows more purposeful policy recommendations and expands the literature regarding the efficiency of universities in a fundamental way. Choosing Italy and Germany as two important illustrative examples, we show that the Italian higher education sector exhibits a higher overall efficiency value. With the individual universities working at the upper bound of efficiency in both countries, the remaining inefficiency and the gap between the countries are caused by persistent, structural inefficiency. Future measures should hence aim at the country-specific structure and not solely at the activities of single universities.     

The Zilcha criterion for dynamic inefficiency

Summary. This paper reexamines the condition (1 + n), which Zilcha (1991) presents as a necessary and sufficient condition for dynamic inefficiency of stationary allocations in overlapping generation models with stochastic production. We show that this condition is necessary but not sufficient for a stationary allocation to be dynamically inefficient by Zilchas definition. We also show that there is a narrow but widely studied class of specifications in which the Zilcha test is both necessary and sufficient for dynamic inefficiency of stationary competitive equilibrium allocations. Outside this class, however, counterexamples can be constructed relatively easily.Received: 30 September 2002, Revised: 13 August 2004, JEL Classification Numbers: D51, D90, E13, E22. Correspondence to: Steven RussellWe thank Jon Burke, Subir Chakrabarti, Itzhak Zilcha and an anonymous referee for helpful conversations and/or comments.     

Metafrontier frameworks for the study of firm-level efficiencies and technology ratios

This paper uses the concept of a metafrontier to compare the technical efficiencies of firms that may be classified into different groups. The paper presents the basic analytical framework necessary for the definition of a metafrontier, shows how a metafrontier can be estimated using non-parametric and parametric methods, and presents an empirical application using cross-country agricultural sector data. The paper also explores the issues of technological change, time-varying technical inefficiency, multiple outputs, different efficiency orientations, and firm heterogeneity.     

The Zilcha criteria for dynamic inefficiency reconsidered

We reconsider necessary and sufficient conditions for dynamic inefficiency given in Zilcha (J Econ Theory 52:364–379, 1990, J Econ Theory 55:1–16, 1991) and a critique by Rangazas and Russell (2005). First, we show that the characterization given in Zilcha (1990) for nonstationary economies is correct and correct Zilcha’s proof. Second, using this insight, we complement Rangazas and Russell’s (Econ Theory 26:701–716, 2005) discussion of the counterexamples to Zilcha (J Econ Theory 55:1–16, 1991). Third, we discuss consequences of our results for applied tests of (in-)efficiency based on the Zilcha criteria. We would like to thank Itzhak Zilcha, and in particular Peter Rangazas and Steve Russell for detailed and very helpful comments.     

The contributions of technical and allocative efficiency to the economic performance of European railways

This paper provides an empirical analysis of the relative contributions of allocative and technical efficiency to the productivity performance of European railways over the period 1972 to 1999. A stochastic frontier approach is used to analyse the cost structure of the railway industry. We estimate a translog cost system in which allocative inefficiency is modelled through an exact relationship between the cost share equations and the cost function. To allow the estimation of such a model using the sample theory approach we assume that the share equation residuals represent deviations from first-order conditions and, therefore, that they represent exclusively allocative inefficiencies. The use of this simplifying assumption renders our analysis computationally tractable, but it could be inconsistent with the economic theory of duality and for that reason caution is required in interpretation of results. Acknowledging this caveat, we find that European railways have experienced significant cost increases due to inefficient behaviour, with a mean value of around 15%. In contrast to previous studies, however, our estimates indicate a larger role for allocative inefficiency, which accounts for around of a half of the total increase in cost inefficiency.

Economic inefficiency in a revenue setting: the Norwegian whitefish fishery

The main focus in the inefficiency literature is on suboptimal input use and how this causes increased costs, due to technical and allocative inefficiency. Production or cost functions are then typically used to describe the underlying technology of the firm. The possible revenue loss, due to lower than maximum production levels and suboptimal output mix, has received substantially less attention. By using a revenue function to measure inefficiency, the focus, model and estimation technique presented in this article differ from those of previous studies. A shadow revenue model is used to decompose revenue inefficiency into its technical and allocative components, in which the allocative inefficiency is due to a suboptimal output mix. The approach is illustrated using panel data of Norwegian whitefish trawlers. The results reveal large inefficiencies, with respect to output levels as well as output mix, indicating that this can be an important part of the picture when investigating economic inefficiency. To identify the determinants of revenue inefficiency, we conduct a second-step regression, in which technical and allocative inefficiency is regressed upon a set of explanatory variables. The inefficiencies are partly explained by the management system and fleet structure.     

The determinants of variations in exit rates

A conceptual model of the determinants of exit across spatial areas is presented and empirically tested. The relative merits of two different methods of calculating exit rates are discussed, and results compared. In the empirical estimation, entry is found to be the dominant determinant of exit. However, other factors also have a systematic effect: among these are local income, the rate of change of unemployment, relevant managerial skills, and population density. Making allowance for variations in industrial structure across areas has some effect on the results, but does not eliminate the effect of variables other than entry.     

Economic reforms,efficiency and productivity in Chinese banking

This paper analyzes the impact of banking reforms on efficiency and total factor productivity (TFP) change in Chinese banking industry. Using an input distance function, we find that joint-equity banks are more efficient than wholly state-owned banks (WSOBs). Furthermore, both WSOBs and joint-equity banks are found to be operating slightly below their optimal size, suggesting potential advantages in expansion of their businesses. Overall, TFP growth was 4.4% per annum for the sample period 1993–2002. Joint-equity banks experienced much higher growth in TFP (5.5% per annum) compared to the WSOBs (1.4% per annum).      

Modelling Exogenous Variables in Human Capital Formation through a Heteroscedastic Stochastic Frontier

The objective of this paper is to suggest the use of a stochastic frontier model in which the inefficiency component is heteroscedastic in the measurement of technical efficiency in Human Capital Formation in the Italian University System. The heteroscedastic frontier model enables one to consider the effect of students’ individual characteristics and the influences of the resources and organization of the specific faculty on efficiency. The suggested model is applied to the case of Florence University graduates. The results show that the model specification is strongly supported by the data. Moreover, the suggested specification explains variation in technical efficiency in terms of graduate-specific factors. The technical efficiency scores obtained are comparable across faculties.

Measurement of technical and allocative efficiencies using a CES cost frontier: a benchmarking study of Japanese transmission-distribution electricity

This paper estimates the technical and allocative inefficiencies of the transmission-distribution sector of Japanese electric utilities using a panel data during the 1981–1998 period. A stochastic production frontier of the CES form is jointly estimated with input demand equations. Taking advantage of the self-duality, we retrieve the cost frontier by which the impacts of technical and allocative inefficiencies on costs and input demands are measured. The estimated elasticity of substitution is significantly different from unity in favor of the CES specification over the Cobb–Douglas. The results show that observed costs are 9 to 48% higher than the efficient level; technical inefficiency raises costs by 1 to 28%, while allocative inefficiency does so by 8 to 30%. Although their impacts on costs are similar, technical inefficiency more fluctuates so the differences in the performance of utilities are mainly due to technical inefficiency. We also find a substantial over-utilization of capital for all utilities.

Regulation and efficiency in transition: the case of Romanian banks

Using disaggregated panel data for the period 1996–2002, this paper estimates the cost efficiency of Romanian banks and relates it to regulation implemented by the National Bank of Romania. We estimate efficiency using a model that combines the frameworks of both stochastic frontier analysis and shadow cost functions. Our results indicate that, for all types of banks, the cost of technical inefficiency decreases in the years following tightening of regulation. A significant part of this decrease can be attributed to the policy change. Overall, the short-run increase in cost due to additional regulation exceeds the benefits from reduced technical inefficiency. However, our model does not account for other benefits, besides changes in X-inefficiency, such as stability of the banking system, which may be significant.      

Specification and estimation of stochastic multiple-output production and technical inefficiency

This paper presents a primal-based approach for specification and estimation of multiple-output production frontiers that allows simultaneous identification and estimation of determinants of technical inefficiency. The proposed model extends the technical efficiency effects model by Battese and Coelli (1995) to general multiple-output technologies. An empirical application using Swedish health care panel data from the years 1989–1994 is included. The key issue is to test for the effects on technical efficiency of an organizational reform implemented with the primary purpose to increase efficiency. The results reveal no significant effect on technical efficiency of the reform, but evidence of overall decreased technical efficiency and technical progress in the provision of health care over the studied time period are found.     

The measurement and sources of technical inefficiency in the Indonesian weaving industry

Production function models are estimated with a time series of cross-section data on Indonesian weaving establishments. The sources of technical inefficiency are investigated. Three firm attributes are identified as being potentially related to firm efficiency. They are firm ownership, age and size. The importance of these attributes as sources of inefficiency in the Indonesian weaving industry is investigated and the implications of the findings discussed.     

Specification and estimation of nonstandard profit functions

This paper critically examines appropriateness of the nonstandard profit function (NSPF) as a tool for measuring profit efficiency. We show that there are some fundamental problems with the NSPF approach, the way it is currently specified and estimated. This is true irrespective of whether technical inefficiency is included or not. Instead of estimating profit efficiency directly from the NSPF, we suggest alternative specifications and recommend using the cost function approach and deriving profit efficiency therefrom. Data from US banks are used to estimate the cost function and the NSPF. Results from alternative specifications are then compared and analyzed.

经济转型中的企业退出机制--关于北京市中关村科技园区的一项经验研究

本文运用来自北京市中关村科技园区的一套独特数据 ,从企业退出这个角度探讨决定中关村高科技企业成长的相关因素 ,尤其是企业的效率因素、企业负债和所有制性质 (或行政隶属关系 )对退出的影响。本文的基本发现是 ,效率高低日益成为决定中关村高科技企业生存的重要因素 ,这表明经过二十多年的经济改革开放 ,市场力量的重要性已日渐上升。另一方面 ,企业负债也成为制约企业生存与成长的重要因素。但是 ,企业净资产负债率对不同所有制企业的退出的影响也不尽相同 ,国有企业总体上不受其影响 ,而且行政隶属关系越高 ,所受影响也就越小 ;但净资产负债率对非国有企业则形成显著的压力。这说明传统计划体制下的预算软约束问题仍然没有消失。我们的研究还表明 ,随着时间的推移 ,行政隶属关系和所有制性质本身对企业生存提供的保护作用正在递减。