Big and beautiful? On non-parametrically measuring scale economies in non-convex technologies

Knowledge on the scale economies drives the incentives of regulators, governments and individual utilities to scale-up or scale-down the scale of operations. This paper considers the returns to scale (RTS) in non-convex frontier models. In particular, we evaluate RTS assumptions in a Free Disposal Hull model, which accounts for uncertainty and heterogeneity in the sample. Additionally, we provide a three-step framework to empirically analyze the existence and extent of RTS in real world applications. In a first step, the presence of scale (and scope) economies is verified. Secondly, RTS for individual observations are examined while in a third step we derive the optimal scale for a sector as a whole. The framework is applied to the Portuguese drinking water sector where we find the optimal scale to be situated around 7 to 10 million m3.Free Disposal Hull, economies of scale, optimal size, water sector

Big and beautiful? On non-parametrically measuring scale economies in non-convex technologies.

Knowledge on the scale economies drives the incentives of regulators, governments and individual utilities to scale-up or scale-down the scale of operations. This paper considers the returns to scale (RTS) in non-convex frontier models. In particular, we evaluate RTS assumptions in a Free Disposal Hull model, which accounts for uncertainty and heterogeneity in the sample. Additionally, we provide a three-step framework to empirically analyze the existence and extent of RTS in real world applications. In a .rst step, the presence of scale (and scope) economies is veri.ed. Secondly, RTS for individual observations are examined while in a third step we derive the optimal scale for a sector as a whole. The framework is applied to the Portuguese drinking water sector where we .nd the optimal scale to be situated around 7 to 10 million m3.

Numerical Estimation of Agricultural Supply Functions - A Micro Economic Approach based on Mathematical Programming

This paper describes a cost function approach to modelling production and resource use at the level of the individual farm firm. The procedure for deriving the supply function using mathematical programming under fairly general condition of a convex input set is shown, and the model is demonstrated. It is suggested that the model is used as the basic building block in agricultural sector models, the advantage being that the technology is modelled as a production frontier providing better opportunities for modelling input and output substitution.Cost function, linear programming, economies of scale, agricultural sector models, production frontier, Farm Management,

The Interaction of Inflation and Financial Development with Endogenous Growth

A cash-in-advance, endogenous growth, economy defines financial development within a banking sector production function as the degree of scale economies for normalized capital and labor. Less financially developed economies have smaller such returns to scale, and can be credit constrained endogenously by a steeply sloping marginal cost of credit supply. The degree of scale economies uniquely determines the marginal cost curvature and the unit cost of financial intermedition, which is expressed in terms of an interest differential. The interest differential result allows for calibration of the finance production function using industry data. A hypothesis of how financial development interacts with inflation and growth is tested, using fixed effects panel estimation with endogeneity tests, dynamic panel estimation, and an extended use of multiple inflation rate splines in estimation of the growth rateInflation, financial development, growth, panel data

Transit Costs and Cost Efficiency: Bootstrapping Nonparametric Frontiers.

This paper explores a selection of recently proposed bootstrapping techniques to estimate non-parametric convex (DEA) cost frontiers and efficiency scores for transit firms. Using a sample of Norwegian bus operators, the key results can be summarised as follows: (i) the bias implied by uncorrected cost efficiency measures is numerically important (close to 25%), (ii) the bootstrapped-based test rejects the constant returns to scale hypothesis (iii) explaining patterns of efficiency scores using a two-stage bootstrapping approach detects only one significant covariate, in contrast to earlier results highlighting, e.g., the positive impact of high-powered contract types. Finally, comparing the average inefficiency obtained for the Norwegian data set with an analogous estimate for a smaller French sample illustrates how the estimated differences in average efficiency almost disappear once sample size differences are accounted for.

Estimating the Potential Gains from Mergers

We introduce simple production economic models to estimate the potential gains from mergers. We decompose the gains into technical efficiency, size (scale) and harmony (mix) gains, and we discuss alternative ways to capture these gains. We propose to approximate the production processes using the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach, and we use the resulting operational approach to estimate the potential gains from merging agricultural extension offices in Denmark. Contents: 1. Introduction, 2. Literature, 3. Production Models, 4. Measures of Merger Gains, 5. Decomposing Merger Gains, 6. Alternative Decompositions, 7. The Danish Agricultural Extension Services, 8. Final Remarks, References. Key Words: Data Envelopment Analysis, management, organization, mergersData Envelopment Analysis, management, organization, mergers, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

AN ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY IN AGRICULTURE: A NONPARAMETRIC APPROACH

A nonparametric analysis of technical, allocative, scale, and scope efficiency of agricultural production is presented based on a sample of Wisconsin farmers. The results indicate the existence of important economies of scale on very small farms, and of some diseconomies of scale for the larger farms. Also, it is found that most farms exhibit substantial economies of scope, but that such economies tend to decline sharply with the size of the enterprises. Finally, the empirical evidence suggests significant linkages between the financial structure of the farms and their economic efficiency.Farm Management, Industrial Organization,

APPLICATIONS OF DUALITY THEORY TO AGRICULTURE

Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Evaluating Projects and Assessing Sustainable Development in Imperfect Economies

We are interested in three related questions: (1) How should accounting prices be estimated? (2) How should we evaluate policy change in an imperfect economy? (3) How can we check whether intergenerational well-being will be sustained along a projected economic programme? We do not presume that the economy is convex, nor do we assume that the government optimizes on behalf of its citizens. We show that the same set of accounting prices should be used both for policy evaluation and for assessing whether or not intergenerational welfare along a given economic path will be sustained. We also show that a comprehensive measure of wealth, computed in terms of the accounting prices, can be used as an index for problems (2) and (3) above. The remainder of the paper is concerned with rules for estimating the accounting prices of several specific environmental natural resources, transacted in a few well known economic institutions.Sustainable development, Imperfect economies

RECENT APPLICATIONS OF NONPARAMETRIC PROGRAMMING METHODS

Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,