Impact of the dedicated infrastructure on bus service quality: an empirical analysis

An econometric analysis is conducted to quantify the impact of different variables on the service quality of the Santiago, Chile bus system. The indicators tested as measures of service quality are the average bus speed, the bus trip time coefficient of variation and the bus headway coefficient of variation. The analysis uses peak hour data obtained for all the routes served by the system’s various concessionaire operators. A separate multiple linear regression model is estimated for each indicator, with the latter as the explained variable. The main explanatory variables are a series of design factors representing different types of dedicated route infrastructure and the incorporation in some routes of segments of urban motorway. The results of the models show that the existence of dedicated bus route infrastructure positively impacts all three service quality indicators. The use of motorway segments in particular has a major positive effect on average speed. The model estimates also reveal that the main explanatory factor in headway variability at the end of a route is the headway variability at the start of it, the latter factor determined by operator management decisions regarding bus despatches.     

The impact of imports on price-cost margins: An empirical illustration

This article decomposes the impact of imports on domestic price-cost margins into separate price and cost effects. Using data from 24 food-processing industries, the empirical results show that although the direct impact of imports on prices is always negative, a positive net impact on price-cost margins occurs in industries characterized by low own-price elasticity of demand and diseconomies of scale. Further results show that the disciplining effect of imports is more preponderant the lower the degree of domestic competition. First version received: September 2000/Final version received: March 2002 RID="*" ID="*"  Professor and Associate Professor, respectively, in their respective departments. They can be reached at rigoberto.lopez@uconn.edu or elena.lopez@uah.es. The authors are grateful to two anonymous referees for their fruitful and helpful comments. Financial support provided by the USDA CSREES special grant No. 00-34178-9036 and by the Cátedras del Banco Santander Central Hispano-Universidad de Alcalá. This is Scientific Contribution No. 1794 of the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station. RID="*" ID="*"  Professor and Associate Professor, respectively, in their respective departments. They can be reached at rigoberto.lopez@uconn.edu or elena.lopez@uah.es. The authors are grateful to two anonymous referees for their fruitful and helpful comments. Financial support provided by the USDA CSREES special grant No. 00-34178-9036 and by the Cátedras del Banco Santander Central Hispano-Universidad de Alcalá. This is Scientific Contribution No. 1794 of the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station.     

The devil in the details: Non-convexities in ecosystem service provision

Standard economic theory is built on key assumptions regarding concavity and convexity, particular with respect to the production possibility frontier. Non-convexity is readily demonstrated using a two species conventional model. Now that ecosystem services are growing in prominence it is important to confirm that typical natural resource production relations obey these conditions. If not, innocently prescribing price or allocation policies can lead to a minimum rather than a maximum or to wrong equilibrium solutions in general. This is a particular danger in decentralized pricing systems.     

The influence of taxes on migration: evidence from Switzerland

Empirical studies on the impact of taxation on migration havebeen limited by a lack of comparable data in an internationalcontext and a lack of variation in tax burdens within countries.A notable exception to the latter is Switzerland. Prior empiricalstudies on tax competition in Switzerland have had to rely onaggregated data. In general, these studies have been supportiveof the notion of tax competition, i.e., high earners tend torelocate to low-tax regions. The authors use an alternativepanel approach based on micro-data from the first three wavesof the newly established Swiss Household Panel. Despite activecommunity tax policies aimed at attracting new residents anda significant increase in tax-burden dispersion among communitiesin the past decade, no tax-induced migration is observed. Migrationdecisions are found to be strongly influenced by accommodation-relatedfactors that point to important housing-market effects.     

服务型制造试点政策对企业服务绩效的影响

服务型制造是制造业转型升级高质量发展的重要方向。国家高度重视服务型制造试点工作,推动服务型制造创新发展。现有研究聚焦企业内部因素和外部市场因素对制造企业服务绩效的影响,对试点政策因素的促进作用缺乏关注。以浙江省经济和信息化厅分别于2017和2018年公布的第一、第二批服务型制造试点企业名单为基础,选取包含试点企业在内的浙江省200家具有服务特征的上市制造企业2013-2019年面板数据,通过双重差分分析,检验服务型制造试点政策对企业服务绩效存在的影响。研究发现,服务型制造试点政策的实施对制造企业服务绩效的提升具有显著正向的影响,并且理论上试点带来的企业声誉可能会进一步增强这种提升作用。此外,试点政策对服务绩效的影响存在异质性特征,其净影响随着试点政策的持续而不断加强。具体表现为从试点第一年到试点第三年,企业服务绩效提升速度逐年提高。研究结论有效验证了浙江省服务型制造试点政策实施效果,为我国服务型制造试点政策的制定、实施与改进提供了启示。     

施工组织设计对工程造价的影响

本文简述了施工组织设计与工程造价的关系,并通过施工组织设计中的一案、一表、一图等几个侧面阐述了施工组织设计对工程造价的影响,强调施工组织设计是编制工程造价的重要因素之一,编制施工组织设计要从工程本身的实际出发,考虑各方面的因素,以达到降低工程造价的目的。     

Filling vacancies: an empirical analysis of the cost and benefit of search in the labour market

This paper investigates empirically the factors that affect the cost–benefit ratio of employers’ search. The empirical analysis is based on a small Dutch data set containing individual information on filled vacancies. It is found that firms that use advertisements during recruitment are sensitive to labour market conditions; their search cost per applicant rises (drops) in tight (slack) labour markets because of the diminished ability of advertisements to generate applicants in tight labour markets. Furthermore, it is found that the high search cost incurred by posting identical vacancies is more than compensated for by the benefits from having a larger flow of applicants.     

On the economics of immigration: some empirical evidence for Switzerland

The paper sheds light on the question of whether immigration represents a cost factor or an economic benefit for the host society. Starting with some conceptual issues of immigration research, it then gives some theoretical and empirical insights on this question. In particular, empirical evidence on the distributional effects of immigration is presented for Switzerland. Based on a large first-hand data set by the Swiss Statistical Office, this case study shows that in 1990, the presence of resident foreigners has not put additional strain on the public coffers, but that, on the contrary, there was a favourable financial effect for the native population. An overall judgement on the distribution issue, with special attention given to public goods and club goods, is thus possible.     

The economics of university computer provision: a case study in public production and cost

Is the provision of computer services in British universities provided efficiently? The pattern of expenditure in the last twenty years is explored and a study is made of current spending across universities. Variations in unit computing costs and the output of computing expreience is studied for British universities using conventional cost and production function estimation. In addition the three-demensional production surface for the output of computer provision is estimated using distance weighted techniques. This case study has more general applicability to other areas of public production and cost.     

On the marginal cost of public funds and the optimal provision of public goods

This paper argues that, in models with heterogeneous agents, the concept of the marginal cost of public funds (MCPF) will only be useful if it is compared with an analogous concept for the benefit side. The MCPF does not assume a unique value and is not particularly illuminating in and out of itself. Also gone is the benchmark status of MCPF = 1. Turning to the provision of public goods, using a mechanism design approach, the paper constructs a two-stage proof for Kaplow's [Kaplow, L., 1996. The optimal supply of public goods and the distortionary cost of taxation. National Tax Journal 49, 513–533.] proposition concerning the “irrelevance” of labor supply and distributional concerns in public good provision. This highlights the two fundamental ingredients for his result. First, the provision of public goods per se, when it satisfies the Samuelson's rule, is only potentially Pareto-improving. Second, the actual Pareto improvement will materialize when, or if, one reforms the income tax structure. If the reform is not forthcoming, the decision on public goods provision must rely on redistributional concerns. Finally, the paper generalizes Broadway and Keen's [Boadway, R., Keen, M., 1993. Public goods, self-selection and optimal income taxation. International Economic Review 34, 463–478.] result to a model with many types of agents, many private goods and without making any assumptions regarding which self-selection constraints are or are not binding.     

Institutions,quality competition and public service provision: The case of public education

This paper contributes to the literature on integovernmental competition in two ways. First, the institutional setting within which public services are delivered is analyzed with respect to the impact on the quality of services provided. Previous studies have measured competition only in terms of governmental structure, ignoring the issue of service quality and the potential for differentiating local governmental jurisdictions along quality dimensions. Second, the outcome of competition is defined in terms of service quality. Previous studies generally have measured the outcome of competition by examining the fiscal effects of fragmentation and accountability through service costs or tax revenue impacts. School districts were used to empirically test quality competition. Student academic performance was modeled as a function of control variables and the degree of competition from neighboring school districts. Academic performance in public schools was positively associated with the performance of neighboring districts, although the effect was small. These findings, however, suggest that strategies to strengthen interjurisdictional competition may be useful in enhancing public service quality.     

On the relationship between the provision of waste management service and illegal dumping

The illegal dumping of waste has been a serious environmental concern of most countries in the world. This paper examines the relationship between the provision of waste treatment facilities and the frequency of illegal dumping. Our results show that a shortage of intermediate waste treatment facilities has played an important role in increasing the frequency of illegal dumping.     

A missing link in modeling : The future of time-use as an illustration

A Theory of Action is formulated based on the intentionality of actions. The transformation rules from the new theory to system dynamics were developed and the methodology was then applied to certain problems of future time-use. The modeling approach used is holistic and it requires a meta-system to system dynamics in order to produce quantitative results.     

国际服务贸易促进我国经济增长的实证分析及对策研究

随着全球经济的重点正从货物贸易转向服务贸易,服务贸易在我国经济高速持续增长中能够发挥重要支持和源泉作用。通过对1985-2001年的统计数据进行实证分析国际服务贸易对我国经济增长的作用,对我国服务贸易开放度与国际竞争力进行实证分析探讨服务贸易对经济增长带动不足的原因。提出引进、消化国外先进的生产性服务;发挥服务业传统优势,提高服务业知识技术含量,不断创造出新的优势;用竞争优势理论,努力增强我国服务贸易的国际竞争力;充分发挥政府在服务业竞争能力培育中的作用等增强服务贸易国际竞争力、支撑经济增长的政策建议。     

Choice of the empirical definition of zero in the translog multiproduct cost functional form

The translog cost function is valuable to researchers for empirical analysis in themodelling of indirect cost and profit functions. A flaw of the functional form is in themodelling of zero output values. This study examined the impacts of empirical definition of zero output values on price elasticities, economies of scope and scale, using the translog cost function. Estimation of a system of cost and factor share equations with regularity condition imposed was conducted. Results show that the choice of default values affects policy recommendations.     

Employment effects of payroll taxes - an empirical test for Germany

This study tests to what degree the incidence of payroll taxes in Germany is on employment and whether in consequence payroll taxes, in particular social insurance contributions, are the culprit behind the growing unemployment problem. Using industry level data for 18 years (1977–1994) a system of five dynamic factor demand equations is estimated. Various simulations indicate that the employment effects of payroll taxes are minimal.     

Bank competition and the cost of debt: the role of state ownership and firm size

The argument on the puzzling relationship between bank competition and the cost of debt remains inconclusive as the effects of state ownership and firm size are intertwined. We find that bank competition is negatively associated with the cost of debt and observe that the negative effect of bank competition is stronger for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and weaker for large-sized enterprises. Our findings accord with the market power hypothesis. State ownership strengthens the negative impact of bank competition on the cost of debt, but firm size tends to weaken it. SOEs and large-sized enterprises are associated with a lower cost of debt compared to non-SOEs and small- and medium-sized enterprises, respectively.     

Effect of an audience in public goods provision

This paper investigates a novel public goods game where contributions to the public goods require effort that is observable. When the players are observed, they exert more effort to contribute to the public goods, and free-riding diminishes significantly compared to the no observer case. These effects are absent when no effort is required in order to contribute to the public goods. Furthermore, in the presence of an audience, the contributions to the public goods do not diminish when the game is repeated in the effort-required environment. Being observed does not affect the performance of the players if there is no strategic aspect of the game, in other words, when they play a private goods game. These results indicate that an individual wants to avoid appearing lazy when her effort helps the society.