Do increases in energy efficiency improve environmental quality and sustainability?

Governments world-wide increasingly see energy efficiency as an important aspect of sustainability. However, there is a debate in the literature as to whether the impact of improved energy efficiency on reducing energy use might be partially, or more than wholly, offset through “rebound” and “backfire” effects. This paper clarifies the theoretical conditions under which such effects would occur and explores their likely significance using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Scottish economy. We find that for Scotland a general improvement in energy efficiency in the production sectors of the economy initially produces rebound effects that eventually grow into backfire. Energy use ultimately increases in response to an efficiency gain and the ratio of GDP to CO₂ emissions falls. The economic factors underpinning rebound effects are straightforward: energy efficiency improvements result in an effective cut in energy prices, which produces output, substitution, competitiveness and income effects that stimulate energy demands. However, the presence of strong rebound or even backfire does not mean that efficiency-enhancing policies are irrelevant: rather it suggests that such policies operating alone are insufficient to generate environmental improvements. The implication is that a co-ordinated portfolio of energy policies is required.     

An index number framework for explaining changes in input productivity– an application to energy efficiency

Lott (2009) finds that nonvoted ballot rates for down-ballot races are greater than those for presidential races, and newer technologies that reduce nonvoted presidential ballots create even greater rates of nonvoting down-ballot than the same older voting technologies. The conclusion is momentous: adopting voting technologies that minimize under-voting in presidential races actually increases under-voting across all races on the same ballot. This study extends Lott's by examining the Congressional vote on the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA 2002), which established a program to provide funds to states in order to replace punch card voting systems with newer technologies. We focus on the racial component of Lott's finding, specifically that Hispanic-American voters exhibit greater rates of voter fatigue than do white voters. This study posits that, given the large Hispanic-American populations in California and Texas and their propensity to support Democrats in these states, House Democrats from these states would not view the HAVA 2002 as favourably as House Democrats from other parts of the US. Among other results presented here, the data show that support for HAVA 2002 among California and Texas House Democrats was 11.6 percentage points below that of House Democrats from the other 48 states.     

On the efficiency of ‘single window’

In many countries, the process of obtaining government approval for different projects involves interaction with multiple government agencies at various levels. This often makes the approval process inefficient by unnecessary lengthening it. In this paper we study the effect of a re-organization of the approval process towards making it a single window clearance system, on the efficiency of the entire process. We have used the expected queue length and the expected waiting time in the system at the stochastic steady state as measures of inefficiency of an approval system.     

Profitability efficiency,marketability efficiency and technology gaps in Taiwan’s banking industry: meta-frontier network data envelopment analysis

The aim of this article is to measure the profitability efficiency (PE) and marketability efficiency (ME) of non-homogenous Taiwanese banks after the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards by using the convex meta-frontier data envelopment analysis model. The model is applied to simultaneously estimate PE and ME of the banks in financial holding companies (FHCs) and the banks not in FHCs. The meta-inefficiencies in individual processes are further decomposed into group inefficiencies and technology gap inefficiencies to explore the sources of inefficiency. The empirical results indicate that the banks in FHCs can reduce more costs than the banks not in FHCs, whereas the banks not in FHCs can create greater market value than the banks in FHCs. For the banks joining and not in FHCs, technology gap inefficiency is the main source of inefficiencies in both profitability and marketability processes.     

Study on the efficiency of equipment shared by universities

Based on the theory of data envelopment analysis, this paper sets up the super-efficiency data envelopment analysis （DEA） model. It makes use of the model to evaluate efficiency of equipment shared by universities in Tianjin. It explored database of many universities and put forward suggestions to improve the efficiency of equipment shared by universities at present.     

Are incomplete markets able to achieve minimal efficiency?

Summary. We consider economies with incomplete markets, one good per state, two periods, t = 0,1, private ownership of initial endowments, a single firm, and no assets other than shares in this firm. In Dierker, Dierker, Grodal (2002), we give an example of such an economy in which all market equilibria are constrained inefficient. In this paper, we weaken the concept of constrained efficiency by taking away the planners right to determine consumers investments. An allocation is called minimally constrained efficient if a planner, who can only determine the production plan and the distribution of consumption at t = 0, cannot find a Pareto improvement. We present an example with arbitrarily small income effects in which no market equilibrium is minimally constrained efficient.Received: 26 November 2002, Revised: 28 May 2003, JEL Classification Numbers: D2, D52, D61, G1.We are grateful to an anonymous referee for very valuable comments. E. and H. Dierker would like to thank the Institute of Economics, University of Copenhagen, for its hospitality and its financial support.     

Firms’ efficiency,exits and government procurement contracts

This study shows that productivity trends in Russia are similar to those in other countries where technology leaders enjoy productivity growth, with a gap increasing between them and other companies. The survival analysis suggests that the most efficient firms quit the market at a faster rate than other companies do. Survival functions of the least efficient firms do not always differ significantly from those of other enterprises. Additional financial support from government contracts helps firms in all efficiency groups survive but this effect is stronger for laggards. The shift of gains from the public procurement system towards low productive firms leads to the distorted allocation of resources in the economy and, in the long run, may undermine economic growth by allowing inefficient companies to stay in the market significantly longer than would be the case in a more competitive environment.     

Time-varying transmission efficiency of China’s monetary policy

This paper tries to investigate the time-varying characteristics of China’s monetary policy transmission from the impulse response evidence of both open-economy DSGE model and TVP-VAR model. We find that the transmission efficiency of price-based monetary policy has significantly improved over the sample period, while quantity-based monetary policy is weakening. The resume of exchange reform in 2010 also strengthens the exchange rate channel especially in terms of price-based monetary policy. Combining with the evidence from DSGE model underlines the importance of further interest rate liberalization and price-based monetary policy Taylor rule should also consider the exchange rate stability.     

Does decentralization contribute to efficiency? Evidence from OECD countries

This article provides evidence on the relationship between fiscal decentralization and technical efficiency. We begin the first stage of this study with a data envelopment analysis to obtain technical efficiency estimates for a sample of 23 OECD countries over the period 1992–2009. In a second stage, we explore the effects of fiscal decentralization and other control variables on technical efficiency. The results including all the control variables reveal a statistically significant negative relationship between fiscal decentralization of public expenditure and technical efficiency.     

The symbiosis of scientific and technological innovation efficiency and economic efficiency in China — an analysis based on data envelopment analysis and logistic model

In this study, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to estimate the scientific and technological innovation efficiency and economic efficiency of China’s provinces and cities from 2000 to 2016. Based on these two efficiency measures, a logistic model is used to calculate their symbiosis. The results show that, while the high scientific and technological innovation efficiency are concentrated in the eastern coastal areas, the high economic efficiency spread from the eastern coastal zones to the inland regions. Further, these efficiencies have gradually shifted from independent development to symbiotic development between 2000 and 2007. From 2008 to 2011, the symbiotic point largely spread, emphasising the difference between regions. After 2012, the symbiotic point gathered around 0 again, indicating that external influences greatly influenced the symbiotic patterns in all regions. Finally, we introduce relevant policy recommendations based on the symbiotic condition.     

The efficiency of Mozambique soccer league: the Moçambola

This paper analyses the technical efficiency of the Mozambique football league from 2008 to 2014 using a Bayesian stochastic frontier model with exponential specification. Covariates include contextual characteristics such as location, identification as a Muslim club, and sporting performance. The results uncover that Mozambique sports clubs display varying efficiency, revealing distinct managerial incentives in the Mozambique football league. Policy implications are derived, including efficiency scores deemed to be acceptable to the league and reconsideration of the rationale for national investment in all league’s clubs.     

Energy efficiency and economic growth of China： 1953-2006

Energy plays an important role in the economic life. With the rapid development of economy, the constraint of energy on the sustainable development of economy is becoming more and more obvious. This paper just Studies the factors influencing energy efficiency of China and the relationship between energy efficiency and China＇s economic： growth. By using time series multivariable linear regression methods with China＇s relevant data from 1953 to 2006, this paper constructs the regression model to analyze the factors that would impact energy, efficiency. After that, a regression model of China＇s real output to capital, labor and energy e lficiency is conducted to estimate the marginal contribution of every factor to the real output to prove the fundamental influence of energy efficiency to the economic growth. In the end, some policies and recommendations are also put forward in order to improve the energy efficiency; of China.     

Does accrual accounting improve municipalities’ efficiency? Evidence from Germany

The stressed financial situation in the public sector and the continuous aspiration for austerity in western governments and public bodies is omnipresent. As one core element in the New Public Management shift, Germany, like many other countries, has experienced significant reforms in public sector accounting and reporting in the last decade. We analyse the effect of new accounting and budgeting regimes. We therefore analyse the cost efficiency of German local governments in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia over 3 years using a stochastic frontier approach. This study presents evidence for increased efficiency amongst municipalities due to the adoption of accrual accounting.     

Determinants of banks’ Nerlovian economic efficiency: a DEA-bootstrap approach

ABSTRACT

This study aims to evaluate the Nerlovian economic efficiency of Taiwanese commercial banks and its determinants by assuming the presence of an imperfectly competitive market using a two-stage estimation procedure: Nerlovian economic inefficiency and its components’ price, technical and allocative efficiencies computed and decomposed in the first stage, which are regressed on the explanatory variables with a bootstrapped truncated approach in the second stage. The estimation results show that in the first-stage analysis, the Nerlovian economic inefficiency of banks is primarily due to allocative inefficiency, and indicate the existence of price inefficiency in Taiwan. In the second-stage analysis, the results confirm that both the years in operation of the bank and the ratio of credit loans are the main determinants of banking profit efficiency. In addition, this study not only shows that publicly owned banks contribute to better price efficiency but also proves that loan loss reserve to total assets is negatively associated with technical efficiency. The equity ratio exerts an insignificant favourable impact on allocative efficiency. The findings of this research are essential for bank managers in Taiwan.     

Does ownership affect firms’ efficiency? Panel data evidence on Italy

This paper provides empirical evidence on the relation between the identity of ultimate owners and technical (in)efficiency by estimating stochastic production frontiers on Italian firm level panel data for twelve manufacturing industries over the 1978–93 period. Privately-owned independent firms are used as reference group and their efficiency is assessed against three alternative forms of ownership: subsidiaries of (privately owned) national business groups, subsidiaries of foreign multinationals, and state owned firms. Even if cross-industry differences obviously exist a common pattern can however be identified. Overall, subsidiaries of foreign multinationals (state owned firms) are found to be more (less) efficient than the reference group. On the contrary, no systematic difference is found between independent firms and subsidiaries of national business groups.First version received: July 2002/Final version received: September 2003We wish to thank the Editor Robert Kunst, a very constructive Referee, Luigi Benfratello, Maurizio Conti, Almas Heshmati, Giovanna Nicodano and the participants at the EARIE conference in Lausanne for helpful comments on a previous draft.     

Did efficiency of Indian public sector banks converge with banking reforms?

This paper examines the issue of convergence of efficiency levels among Indian public sector banks (PSBs) during the post-reforms period spanning from 1992/1993 to 2005/2006. The empirical results indicate that the majority of PSBs have observed an ascent in technical efficiency during the post-reforms years. Further, the inefficient PSBs have been noted to be catching up with the efficient ones. That is, the banks with low level of efficiency at the beginning of the period are growing more rapidly than the highly efficient banks. In sum, the study confirms a presence of convergence phenomenon in the Indian public sector banking industry.

An international comparison of hospital efficiency: does institutional environment matter?

The consensus among many health economists is that no meaningful performance differences exist among for-profit and non-profit hospitals in the US, but this topic has continued to be a matter of academic, judicial, and public policy interest. A similar debate has ensued internationally, regarding the potential efficiency gains from privatization of public enterprises. In this paper, we examine empirical evidence from the public, highly regulated Norwegian hospital sector and the private, highly competitive and unregulated California hospital sector to ascertain whether institutional environment and level of market competition significantly affect the degree of productive efficiency in hospitals. We compare and discuss the productive efficiency of four similar sets of hospitals operating in different institutional and competitive environments. The four samples are carefully matched in the dimensions of sample size, hospital size, and average lengths of stay. Heterogeneity in output definition is used to control for other dimensions (casemix, age distribution of patients). We use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to estimate and compare average long-run as well as short-run efficiency measures across groups. We find that scale and scope regulation of Norwegian hospitals improves long-run efficiency, primarily due to better utilization of capital.     

Multi-factor agricultural productivity,efficiency and convergence in Botswana, 1981–1996

This paper applies the sequential Malmquist index to calculate multi-lateral, multi-factor productivity (MFP) indices for agriculture in the 18 districts and the commercial sector of Botswana from 1981 to 1996. The MFP index grew at an average rate of 1.7% per annum, led by the regions that specialize in livestock, which grew at well over 3% per annum. This growth was powered by technological change at 4% per year, but offset by technical efficiency falling at 2.4% per annum, as the commercial sector and the better regions exploited new technologies and infrastructure, whereas the less productive areas fell further behind the best practice frontier. Thus, convergence tests show that the gap between the more productive and the poorer regions widened.     

Considering endogeneity and heterogeneity–a hierarchical random parameters approach to measuring efficiency

Modelling efficiency in healthcare with stochastic production frontiers (SPF) is complicated because of the immeasurable elements, quality of care and casemix as well as complex data structures. This analysis considers a SPF approach to estimating efficiencies for organizations in the Republic of Ireland that supply GP services outside of normal working hours. These organizations are run out of a number of primary care centres. The daily payroll for the centre is the output in the SPF and the services offered by these centres enter the production function as inputs. It is argued that these services are exogenous variables and are determined by patient characteristics and reported conditions and not the staff within the centre. A characteristic of the data used is a two-tier structure emanating from a centre lying within a co-op. To account for this tier structure the analysis considers a random parameters approach. The analysis also considers proxies for quality of care and casemix and incorporates them into the SPF. The sensitivity of efficiency values to the excluding the random parameters, quality of care and casemix variables is examined by estimating three reduced forms of the model which ignore each of these elements.