Estimating DEA technical and allocative inefficiency using aggregate cost or revenue data

In this paper, we address the question of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) evaluation of efficiency when aggregate cost or revenue data must be used. We show that the DEA technical inefficiency measure using total revenues as the single output variable or total costs as the single input variable equals the aggregate technical and allocative inefficiency. We employ this result to estimate allocative inefficiency and construct statistical tests of the null hypothesis of no allocative inefficiency analogous to those of the null hypothesis of no scale inefficiency. We illustrate our method using revenue and personnel data for the top U.S. public accounting firms over 1995–1998. Our empirical results indicate the existence of statistically significant allocative inefficiency in the public accounting industry.

Estimating Final Demand Expenditure at Factor Cost and Net Price Indices

This article describes the methodology which is currently used at Statistics Canada to compute price indices, net of taxes and subsidies (net price indices), and to estimate final demand expenditure at factor cost in the Canadian system of national accounts. This methodology involves the use of a specially designed input–output model of the Canadian economy. The model is used to extract the taxes, net of subsidies paid on the inputs used by industries, and to allocate these net taxes to the direct and indirect final demand deliveries of the industries. Downstream interindustry links are established to trace the final demand deliveries of industries. Using these links, the model could easily be extended to decompose final demand expenditure into other cost components, such as the embedded energy cost or the cost of imported inputs. Some empirical results are shown to illustrate how the calculations are made.     

Optimal taxation and intergovernmental transfer in a dynamic model with multiple levels of government

In this paper, we study the optimal choices of the federal income tax, federal transfers, and local taxes in a dynamic model of capital accumulation and with explicit game structures among multiple private agents, multiple local governments, and the federal government. In general, the optimal local property tax is zero if the local property tax is constrained to be nonnegative, whereas the optimal local consumption tax is always positive. When the local consumption tax is chosen optimally, the federal income tax can be either positive or negative. For most reasonable parameter values, our numerical calculations have shown that with a positive local consumption tax there exists a reverse transfer from local governments to the federal government.     

Behind closed doors: Sex bias at professional and managerial levels

U.S. companies have made important strides in combating sex discrimination in the workplace over the last two decades, but more subtle forms of sex bias still exist, often in decisions and behaviors that occur behind closed doors. This paper focuses on sex bias at professional and managerial levels. It explores sources of sex bias in the informal culture, selection and recruitment, task assignment, performance appraisal, promotion, and salary allocation, and then suggests action steps to help reduce sex bias in each of these areas.     

分级分类规范和拓展政府投资方式

我国政府投资方式有狭义和广义之分。政府投资存在分级管理与按投资方式管理责任界限不清、投资补助资金渠道和管理部门分散、补贴不到位和过度补贴同时存在、部分政府投资方式规范管理滞后等问题。规范政府投资方式,需重点解决各级政府间条与块、分与统的关系,按资金渠道、项目投向和使用主体优化政府投资方式,分级分类规范政府投资方式,酌情取消和精简合并政府投资补助类型,推进政府投资功能化补助、精细化管理,按照项目的服务功能和风险特征拓展政府投资方式。     

A statistical procedure for testing social reciprocity at group,dyadic and individual levels

This paper examines statistical analysis of social reciprocity, that is, the balance between addressing and receiving behaviour in social interactions. Specifically, it focuses on the measurement of social reciprocity by means of directionality and skew-symmetry statistics at different levels. Two statistics have been used as overall measures of social reciprocity at group level: the directional consistency and the skew-symmetry statistics. Furthermore, the skew-symmetry statistic allows social researchers to obtain complementary information at dyadic and individual levels. However, having computed these measures, social researchers may be interested in testing statistical hypotheses regarding social reciprocity. For this reason, it has been developed a statistical procedure, based on Monte Carlo sampling, in order to allow social researchers to describe groups and make statistical decisions.     

Trade union cross‐border alliances within MNCs: disentangling union dynamics at the local,national and international levels

This study identifies three types of workplace union strategy in the development of cross‐border relations within North American and European multinational companies: defensive isolation, risk reduction and proactive solidarity. Qualitative case studies of MNCs with operations in Canada and Mexico indicate that the nature and intensity of participation in cross‐border trade union alliances are shaped by the union dynamic at the local, national and international levels. A combination of greater workplace union power resources, notably discursive capacity, and of strong supportive approach of the national union, notably dedicated resources and space for bottom‐up initiatives, contributes to proactive solidarity strategies towards international union networks. The absence of these factors is associated with risk reduction and defensive isolation strategies.