VALUING RURAL RECREATION BENEFITS: AN EMPIRICAL COMPARISON OF TWO APPROACHES

Two methodologies for valuing non-market benefits (contingent valuation and the travel cost method) are briefly described. Both are then applied to the problem of valuing non-market recreation benefits derived by visitors to a part of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Central Scotland. Results, in terms of consumer surplus estimates, are presented for each method, and problem areas found in applying the two methodologies are pointed out.     

Productivity effects of international outsourcing: evidence from plant-level data

Abstract.  We investigate the impact of international outsourcing on productivity using plant-level data for Irish manufacturing. Specifically, we distinguish the effect of outsourcing of materials from services inputs. Moreover, we examine whether the impact on productivity is different for plants being more embedded in international markets through exporting or being part of a multinational. Our results show robust evidence for positive effects from outsourcing of services inputs for exporters, either domestic or foreign owned. By contrast, we find no statistically significant evidence of an impact of international outsourcing of services on productivity for firms not operating on the export market.