The Production Possibility Frontier as a Maximum Value Function: Concavity and Non-increasing Returns to Scale

This paper makes both a methodological as well as a substantive contribution to the literature on the concavity of the production possibility frontier (PPF). Rather than using the standard, calculus‐based techniques, the method here relies on the fact that the PPF is a maximum value function. The consequent simplification in analysis makes it possible to demonstrate that the conditions which are sufficient to guarantee global concavity of the PPF are considerably less stringent than those stated in the literature. Existing analyses have assumed that production functions are (a) concave and homothetic, or (b) display non‐increasing returns to scale (NIRS) and homogeneity. This paper shows that concavity without homotheticity, or NIRS and quasiconcavity without homogeneity (or even homotheticity) are sufficient, thus greatly increasing the generality of existing results. The analysis can be extended to include situations in which the input set includes industry‐specific factors.     

Oligopsony and the distribution of wages

We propose a simple model of wage dispersion arising from oligopsonistic competition in the labor market. Our model has workers who are equally able but who have heterogeneous preferences for non-wage characteristics, while employers have heterogeneous productivity characteristics. We completely and explicitly solve for the equilibrium wage distribution and show that “inside” and “outside” forces interact in wage determination. This interaction generates spillover effects of minimum wages in a manner which is consistent with the empirical evidence.     

Linking the Keynesian Cross and the Production Possibilities Frontier

This artidc shows how linking the Keynesian cross and the production possibilities frontier can yield worthwhile results while maintaining analytical simplicity. It demonstrates how this particular blend of Keynesian and classical tools can show the scope and limitations of each and provide the basis for teaching about other schools of macroeconomic thought.     

Calculating the Efficient Frontier for the Portuguese Stock Market

The paper investigates the efficient frontier and capital market line for the Portuguese stock market before and after the Global Financial Crisis. The efficient frontier and capital market line shift to positions that offer investors better opportunities as we move from 2000‐2008 to 2009–2015.     

我国茶产业全要素生产率增长及其分解--基于随机前沿生产函数的分析

文章利用超越对数的随机前沿生产函数,测算了1996-2007年我国茶产业的全要素生产率。研究表明：研究期间我国茶产业TFP平均增长0.70%,平均技术进步率为1.42%,平均技术效率为72.05%,但都呈逐步下降趋势; TFP增长的主要来自技术进步,但技术效率的变化和规模报酬率出现一定的退步,阻碍TFP的增长;各省份TFP增长有差异,其中四川省的TFP增长速度最快,而湖南省和陕西省的TFP成负增长;我国茶叶的劳动产出弹性逐年增大,而资本产出弹性逐渐变小,且我国茶叶生产一直处于规模报酬递减状态。     

农地城市流转合理配置的可能性边界分析

农地城市流转现象是土地在农地和城市用地两种用途之间竞争配置的结果。从某种角度看,农地资源向城市用地流转的实质,就是如何分配与使用那些可以有多种用途但为数有限的农地资源,来满足轻重缓急程度各不相同的无限的用地需要。为此,文中采用经济学家通常提出的生产可能性边界工具分析了中央政府、地方政府、农民和城市用地使用者四个主要的参与主体在农地城市流转决策中各自承担的作用,分析了农地城市流转合理配置的社会理性。     

Factor Heterogeneity,Factor Market Imperfection and Trade

This paper develops a tractable model of examining how factor heterogeneity and imperfect factor market interact for determining a pattern of trade. Institution plays a crucial role for the interaction. In my work, firm productivity is defined as a composition of factor productivity and technology. Thus, input selection should affect the pattern of Melitz’s intra-industry allocation due to the incurring transaction cost. For a simple model, I assume two factors (labor and capital) and two sectors, which are relatively less institution-dependent and relatively more institution-dependent. When the economy is open, effect of the transaction cost on income distribution is more drastic for an institutionally underdeveloped country. Depending on institutional quality, the economic openness reallocates resource across countries through job creation or job destruction. The job turnovers redistribute income between heterogeneous labors within countries. The income redistribution is catalyzed by international mobility of capital. As a result, income disparity is widened between the institutionally developed country and the institutionally underdeveloped country. This paper can contribute to the literature of institution and international trade.     

Market Structure and Factor Price Equalization

There is a widespread belief that factor price equalization is "less likely" if some industries are imperfectly competitive and, in particular, that this is so if some industries are under the control of strategy-playing oligopolists. However, it is shown that, if each category of oligopolists is recognized as a primary factor of production, then the dimensionality of the set of endowments compatible with factor price equalization is independent of market structure.
JEL Classification Numbers: D33, D43, F12, L13.     

Oligopsony Distortions and Welfare Implications of Trade*

While imperfect competition in the output market has garnered extensive focus in the new trade theory literature, input market imperfection has received considerably less attention. Since market power in input purchase has been growing in recent years, it is worth examining the welfare implications of trade arising from oligopsony power. We develop a model consisting of two final goods, one intermediate good, and two primary factors (capital and labor). One final good and the intermediate good employ primary factors, whereas the other final good uses labor and the intermediate input. All markets operate under perfect competition except for the intermediate input, which is oligopsonistic. Using this model, we show that oligopsony can lead to some anomalies such as an increase in the oligopsony output, reward to the intensive‐factor in the oligopsony sector, national welfare, and deterioration of terms of trade, but it always decreases the reward to the intermediate input.     

Openness and the Efficiency of FDI: A Panel Stochastic Production Frontier Study

This paper uses a stochastic translog production frontier to estimate technical inefficiency indices whose conditional mean is specified as a function of FDI and its interaction with openness of the economy. The model is estimated using an annual panel of 46 countries for the years, 1981–2001. The results suggest that increased FDI increases potential output in both developed and developing countries with the effect being more profound in the former. It is also found that increased FDI reduces technical inefficiencies the more open is the economy but that this effect holds only for developed economies. Thus qualified support is found for the “Bhagwati hypothesis” as the results reveal that the efficiency–enhancing effect of FDI depends not only on openness but also on the degree of development of the host country.

Variable factors and eficiency in the US seel idustry: a Production Frontier Analysis

In an efficient NFL beting market, point spreads incorporate all relevant information contained in past game outcomes. Efficiency implies that trading rules based on past game outcomes should not be able to produce a consistent pattern of winners over losers. This study identifies 15 trading rules based on historical game outcomes and, using simulated gambling, tests them over the 1984–1986 NFL seasons. The study's main finding indicates that the NFL betting market is efficient, but does identify a small set of profitable trading rules over this time period.     

信用也是生产力要素

信用是市场经济的基础和生命线,是资本和资产,是品牌和形象,特别是在经济进入全球化的过程中,信用是进入国际市场的通行证,非但如此,经济的有序和政治的清明都有赖于此。因此,信用理应作为生产力的要素,登上现代经济的舞台。     

贸易结构调整、要素市场扭曲与要素收入分配

笔者把哈里斯-托达罗模型引入H-O模型,分析贸易结构调整、劳动力有限流动、劳动节约型技术进步对收入变动的作用机制.结果发现:要素收入分配与贸易商品要素密集度转变存在密切联系,劳动所有者收入下降是贸易商品结构调整的结果;资本深化和劳动节约型技术进步不利于劳动所有者;作为一个劳动力相对丰裕的国家,贸易商品结构从劳动密集型转向资本密集型,出现和要素密集度背离的现象,原因是要素市场的资源配置扭曲和产品内贸易的发展.     

市场微观结构视角的公司财务研究前沿综述

以往一直处于平行发展状态的市场微观结构理论和公司财务学近来出现了交叉融合的趋势,且这一视角的研究将随着我国股权分置改革的完成而变得日趋重要。文章系统回顾了市场微观结构中的两个重要研究主题股票流动性和信息不对称对公司财务行为影响的学术前沿动态,具体包括股票流动性和信息不对称对资产定价、融资决策、投资决策和公司治理等方面影响的文献。文章在对这些文献做出回顾与评述的基础上进一步指出了未来的研究方向。     

寡头垄断企业技术创新最佳技术含量的博弈分析

构建了双寡头垄断企业技术创新的收益函数和博弈模型,对双寡头垄断竞争企业的技术创新进行了定量分析,并与两企业合作创新的情况作对比,说明企业的技术创新有一个最佳的技术含量,而且技术含量越高的行业,越容易形成寡头垄断;并推翻了以往模型中得出的认为不合作对社会更有效率的说法。提出应鼓励企业,尤其是创新空间很大的企业之间进行合作,而不是一味地提倡竞争,并对模型进行了实例研究。     

市场冲击、要素扭曲配置与生产率损失——基于出口企业订单波动的经验研究

市场波动的不确定性会导致出口企业扭曲(或错误)配置劳动力要素,本文通过Blinder-Oaxaca分解法将出口企业在国内市场和外部市场的订单(业务)波动类型分为四组,以此考察不同波动情形下资源错配的企业生产率损失。市场处于膨胀期(订单增长期)的企业相对萧条期(订单递减期)企业由此会付出更大的生产率损失,即市场机会损失更显著;订单外销导向(比内销导向)的要素扭曲配置代价更高,即存在显著的出口干中学损失。此外,要素扭曲配置还会导致多样性收益损失。除了信息不充分,要素和产品市场不发达造成的劳动力调整粘性,也会导致企业非意愿逆向调整(扭曲配置),进而降低了出口企业的全要素生产率。而肩负社会(就业)责任的国有出口企业短期内缺乏劳动力要素调整的市场敏感度,因而抗订单波动的决策风险较小。