Estimating Market Power in the South African Banking Sector

Indicators of market power can be ambiguous because cost economies associated with scale and not market imperfections may influence results. This article illustrates that without direct measures of concentration, estimates of costs, scale economies and profitability can be used to identify market power in banking. Secondly, via this method, econometric estimates provide meaningful evidence of market power in the South African banking sector over the study sample period (1979–1998). A reasonable conclusion is that while industrial structure is important, careful consideration needs to be given to cost economies and profitability when assessing market power. In addition, there is a need to consider appropriate policy to reduce market power in banking in South Africa.     

Aggregate Matching Efficiency: A Stochastic Production Frontier Approach, France 1990–1994

We evaluate the determinants of aggregate matching efficiencychanges through a stochastic translog production frontiermodel. The efficiency coefficient is represented by a stochasticfunction of variables meant to capture workers and firmscharacteristics. The model is estimated on French data coveringtwenty-two regions from March 1990 till February 1995. Ourestimates suggest that aggregate matching efficiency has decreasedsteadily in the early nineties. There are also wide cross-regionaldifferences. On average, about 30% of the variations ofefficiency observed across time and regions can be related tochanges in the explanatory variables used in the model. The mostimportant explanatory variables are the proportion of youngsters,females and immigrants in the stock of job seekers. Long-termunemployment has a significant negative effect, population densitya significant positive one. The huge decline in the proportion ofpermanent job offers has apparently little effect on matchingefficiency.     

董事会激励对公司效率影响的随机前沿分析

本文将激励形式分为两种内部激励——显性激励、隐性激励和两种外部激励——产品市场压力、资本市场压力,并以2005—2008年度中国纺织服装行业上市公司为样本,利用随机前沿模型实证分析了董事会激励对公司效率的影响。结果表明:显性激励方面,董事会薪酬激励优于权益激励;隐性激励方面,董事长更替对公司效率有积极显著的影响,而董事长和总经理的两职合一对公司效率有负面的影响。外部激励方面,产品市场的竞争压力比资本市场的收购风险对公司董事会更有约束力。     

基于非参数随机前沿面模型的高技术产业效率研究

笔者利用非参数-随机前沿面模型对我国的高技术产业效率进行了实证研究。研究结果表明我国的高技术产业发展过多的是依靠数量扩张,投入产出效率不高,各地区之间的高技术产业效率差异很大,而且在某些地区还存在着高技术产业发展水平和效率水平相背离的现象。     

我国电子及通信设备制造业研发转化效率的实证分析——基于随机前沿生产函数

运用随机前沿分析法测算了2000—2010年我国电子及通信设备制造业的研发转化效率,并分析了市场结构、企业规模、政府扶持力度和技术改造能力对我国电子及通信设备制造业研发转化效率的影响。研究结果表明:2000—2010年期间,我国电子及通信设备制造业的研发转化效率呈稳步增长趋势,但总体水平仍较低;市场结构、企业规模以及技术改造能力对研发转化效率的影响显著,而政府扶持力度对研发转化效率的作用不明显。最后,提出提升我国电子及通信设备制造业研发转化效率的政策建议。     

基于随机前沿生产函数的我国主要省市人力资本与R＆D投资效率实证检验

人力资本和R&D投资一方面促进了经济增长,另一方面又增强了科研主体对外部技术的吸收能力,推动了知识与技术的扩散。本文基于随机前沿生产函数,利用1998—2007年中国29个省市共290个观测数据,通过引入人力资本和R&D投资两个参数,分析人力资本和R&D投资对生产力的直接影响和通过提高技术吸收能力对技术效率的间接影响。结果表明:人力资本在诠释地区间效率差异中扮演着极其重要的角色,它不仅直接影响生产力的提高,而且还通过提高技术吸收能力从而间接影响技术效率;R&D投资对技术效率有重要影响,而对生产力的直接影响并不强。     

我国商业银行效率测度分析——基于SFA技术的实证研究

基于2005~2012年22家商业银行的非平衡面板数据,运用超越对数生产函数形式的SFA技术实证分析了所选银行的经济效率值,选取的银行包括国有大型商业银行、地区性商业银行、农村和外资商业银行等类型。为考察所有制对银行效率的影响,以税前利润收入和贷款净额分别作为产出指标建立模型。并对低效率残差项的不同分布假设的精度进行比较,选出最优模型。研究表明:近年来我国商业银行效率整体水平有较大幅度提高;所选银行中,外资银行效率水平最高,地区性商业银行效率值最分散,国有商业银行的效率较集中,普遍位于0.8左右,农村商业银行的效率最低。最后,针对不同所有制银行的特点,提出提高其效率的政策建议。     

我国重点高校技术转移效率变化的影响因素研究—基于面板随机前沿分析方法

为研究制约我国重点高校技术转移效率提升的影响因素,本研究基于随机前沿分析的超越对数函数测算了我国91所高校2007—2016年的技术转移效率的动态变化,探究了外部区域市场和高校自身异质性因素对技术转移效率的影响程度。研究发现:市场需求对技术转移效率的拉动作用是有限的,过大的市场需求可能抑制技术转移效率的提升;而高技术产业的聚集和与市场联系的增强可以有效提升技术转移效率。此外,就技术转移效率动态变化模式的研究发现,高校技术转移效率增长模式在不同学科结构和区域之间存在显著差异。最后,就研究结论对高校和政府提升技术转移效率提出了相应的政策建议。     

中国高新技术改造传统产业企业技术创新效率测算及其影响因素——基于超越对数随机前沿模型的实证分析

利用2008—2012年182家上海高新技术改造传统产业企业的面板数据,运用超越对数随机前沿模型测度了其技术创新效率,并分析了企业的创新开放性、技术学习努力程度、技术学习能力、科技活动长期行为倾向、政府支持力度等对企业技术创新效率的影响。结果显示:企业的技术学习能力、科技活动长期行为倾向和政府支持力度对企业技术创新效率的提升有显著的促进作用,而创新开放性、技术学习努力程度在2年后才有正向影响。最后提出相关的政策建议。     

中国工业部门能源利用效率的测度与节能潜力：基于随机前沿方法的分析

能源利用效率是制约我国经济社会可持续发展的关键因素。本文以工业部门2003年至2010年38个行业的面板数据为样本,运用随机前沿方法对各行业的技术效率进行测定和比较,并对各行业的节能潜力进行了分析。研究发现,资本密集型行业的能源利用效率最高,其次是劳动密集型行业,资源密集型行业的能源利用效率最低。各行业能源效率都有提高的趋势,节能潜力因行业而异。针对不同行业的节能潜力,政府应采取不同的节能激励政策。本研究可以为识别行业节能潜力差异性和提高能源效率的政策制定提供参考,进一步促进能源利用技术效率提高和经济的可持续发展。     

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.

A performance assessment of Mozambique banks: a Bayesian stochastic frontier

This article analyses the technical efficiency of Mozambican banks from 2005 to 2014 with a Bayesian stochastic frontier model. The intermediate approach is adopted and the results reveal that efficiency varies amongst the banks analysed. Foreign ownership of Mozambican banks is also analysed, as is public ownership, the role of mergers and acquisitions, big banks and active dividend policy within the context of bank costs. Policy implications are then derived.     

Financial systems and economic growth in South Africa: a dynamic complementarity test

This study examines the relationship between banks, stock markets and economic growth in South Africa. The study attempts to answer one critical question: are stock markets and banks complementary to one another in the process of enhancing economic growth? The complementarity between the stock markets and banks is examined by including a set of interactive terms in a standard growth model, alongside bank development and stock market development proxies. In order to test the robustness of the results, three proxies of stock market development have been used, namely stock market capitalization, stock market traded value and stock market turnover – against the ratio of bank credit to the private sector, a proxy for bank-based financial development. The economic growth is, however, proxied by real GDP per capita. Using the ARDL-Bounds testing procedure, the study finds that the complementarity between stock market development and bank-based financial development is weak and sensitive to the proxy used to measure stock market development.     

Legacy and credit scores in South Africa

This paper assesses the impact of legacy and credit scores on access to bank credit in South Africa. Typically, credit data focuses on socio-economic information. However legacy variables, factors beyond the control of individuals, have not been well considered. We find that although credit scores clearly influence access to credit, legacy has a statistically significant impact on credit scores and on the amount of credit granted. While these results can be interpreted as bias against those with negative legacy, they can also be explained in terms of information asymmetry and the relative ability to enforce contracts with clients who have positive legacy.     

Looking at the determinants of efficiency in banking: evidence from Italian mutual-cooperatives

Italy has experienced a restructuring and consolidation process in the banking industry since the 1990s that is expected to foster efficiency and competition. Despite the reforms, a peculiarity of the industry is the persistence of small mutual-cooperative banks (Banche di Credito Cooperativo, BCCs) active in narrow markets. The scope of this paper is to analyze the determinants of BCCs’ efficiency in the 2006–2011 period. In the first step of the study, a stochastic cost frontier is used to yield bank efficiency. Then the cost efficiency becomes the dependent variable of fixed and random effect models. The reference market of BCCs is the province (NUTS3). We find that BCC cost efficiency is positively affected by market concentration and demand density and inversely related to branching. Importantly, these results are robust to any sample restriction anchored to the distribution of efficiency. While the evidence regarding the credit quality is inconclusive for all BCCs, the sensitivity analysis shows that the risk in local markets is a source of BCC cost inefficiency.     

中国烟草加工企业技术效率分析——基于参数方法与非参数方法的对比研究

针对中国烟草加工企业因规模扩张而出现的管理效率低下等问题,使用2000--2006年企业层面的截面数据,运用参数方法和非参数方法测算了中国烟草加工企业的技术效率,并对两种方法的测算结果进行了比较分析。结果表明：两种测算结果存在较高的相关性,测算结果比较可靠;2000--2006年中国烟草加工企业的平均技术效率为0．74～0．79,具有稳步上升趋势;行业整体规模效率较高,但规模报酬递减的企业所占的比重有所增大。     

The Real Equilibrium South African Rand/US Dollar Exchange Rate: A Comparison of Alternative Measures

This article indicates how different measures of the real exchange rate, i.e., the exchange rate adapted for cost inflation, price inflation and labour costs, influence the equilibrium view and misalignment of the South African rand/US dollar exchange rate. The approach followed is based on the behavioural equilibrium exchange rate approach by Clark and MacDonald (1998), where the exchange rate is influenced by a number of fundamental and transitory factors. The real equilibrium exchange is estimated by using a single equation regression and a number of key explanatory variables. To determine the long-run relationship a Vector Error Correction Mechanism is used.     

农户小麦生产的技术效率分析——以河南省为例

本文使用2005—2008年河南省农户微观层面的截面数据,运用参数方法测算了近年河南省农户小麦生产的技术效率和规模报酬。结果表明:2005—2008年河南省小麦生产的技术效率呈递增趋势,平均技术效率在0.77～0.87之间,且生产处在规模报酬递增的阶段。     

经济增长的技术效率及其影响因素研究——以四川省为例

运用2000—2010年数据,基于对数型柯布—道格拉斯生产函数的随机前沿模型,对四川省区域经济增长效率及其影响因素进行研究。结果表明,四川省经济增长主要靠劳动力驱动,平均技术效率水平较低,经济处于规模报酬递减状态,且其区域差异有扩大的趋势。而基础设施建设和科研投入对经济增长效率具有促进作用,金融机构的贷款业务和政府财政支出对效率的提高具有抑制作用。     

中国地区工业知识生产效率测算

文章运用1996-2003年我国29个省(自治区,直辖市)的大中型工业企业面板数据,以新产品开发项目数衡量创新产出,以研发资本存量和研发人员表示创新投入,采用数据包络分析和随机前沿分析方法,对我国地区工业的知识生产效率进行了测算和分析。分析结果表明,用随机前沿法测算的知识生产效率较大而且较为稳定;各地区工业的知识生产效率存在较大差异,具有明显的不均衡发展特征;总体而言,我国地区工业的知识生产效率偏低,存在较大的改进潜力。