Total Factor Productivity of Tunisia's manufacturing sectors: measurement, determinants and convergence towards OECD countries

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, sector-based Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is calculated for six Tunisian manufacturing sectors over the period 1983-2002. Economic determinants of the productive performance are also investigated. In doing so, we take care of the direction of the causality by using a panel data Granger type-test. The recent literature in international economics has placed a particular emphasis on the relation between TFP and variables reflecting the potential impact of both trade and financial openness. Sector-based TFPs proved to be sensitive to some of these variables, highlighting a causality that does not reject the stimulating impact of exports and foreign direct investments. Second, the paper implements some panel data unit root tests to investigate the statistical hypothesis of TFP catching up of Tunisia with OECD members. In benchmarking each of the six Tunisian sectors by those of the most developed countries, panel data unit root tests do not reject the hypothesis of an overall catching- up for five of them.cerdi

Total Factor Productivity of Tunisia’s manufacturing sectors: measurement, determinants and convergence towards OECD countries

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, sector-based Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is calculated for six Tunisian manufacturing sectors over the period 1983-2002. Economic determinants of the productive performance are also investigated. In doing so, we take care of the direction of the causality by using a panel data Granger type-test. The recent literature in international economics has placed a particular emphasis on the relation between TFP and variables reflecting the potential impact of both trade and financial openness. Sector-based TFPs proved to be sensitive to some of these variables, highlighting a causality that does not reject the stimulating impact of exports and foreign direct investments. Second, the paper implements some panel data unit root tests to investigate the statistical hypothesis of TFP catching up of Tunisia with OECD members. In benchmarking each of the six Tunisian sectors by those of the most developed countries, panel data unit root tests do not reject the hypothesis of an overall catching- up for five of them.

Textile manufacturing in eight developing countries:How far does the business environment explain firms' productive inefficiency?

Production frontiers and inefficiency determinants are estimated by using stochastic models. Textile manufacturing is considered for a sample of eight developing countries encompassing about one thousand firms. We find that the most influential individual inefficiency determinants relate to in-house organization. Both access to financing and infrastructural services (e.g. power supply, modern information technologies...) also matter. Information about determinants is then regrouped into three broad categories (e.g. managerial organization, economic environment, institutions) by using principal component analyses. Results do not reject the hypothesis that managerial know-how and the quality of institutions are the most important determinants. The impact of the external economic environment is of less importance although statistically significant. Sector-based simulations are then proposed in order to assess productivity gains which would occur if firms had the opportunity to evolve in most favorable environments within the sample. Domestic and international production contexts are considered, respectively. When referring to domestic benchmarks, the contribution of in-house organization prevails as the main source of gains for the eight countries. The role of institutions proves dominant for Egypt and India when focusing on international simulations.textile;firms;Technical efficiency;organizational know-how;productivity;institutions;external economic environment;one step stochastic frontier method

In between public and private space: privacy in shopping centers of the contemporary city

Ponència presentada a: Session 8: Post-ocupación / Post-occupancy: buildings and citie

Estrogenic Endocrine Disruptors and their Possible Deleterious Effects on Marine Organisms: Use of a Novel Monitoring Bioassay

Abstract: Estrogens are both natural and synthetic substances that mimic the effect of the female estrogenic hormone in the body and impart estrogenic activity. Human wastes, birth control pills and chemicals like detergents are a major source of estrogens in the environment. In waste water treatment plants, a major part of these estrogens are not removed after treatment and are released in the marine environment. They are suspected to interfere with the exposed aquatic species™ endocrine systems. In fact, they mimic the effect of the endogenous hormone and therefore can disrupt the endocrine systems of exposed species and the reproductive systems of aquatic fauna. To understand their environmental fate, the estrogenic activity was studied by using the Yeast Estrogenic Screening (YES) bioassay. This bioassay has been validated in the detection of a wide range of estrogenic receptor agonists. A reverse phase HPLC method was used to identify the nature of estrogenic components.We focused on two marine bivalves Ruditapes decussatus and Cerastoderma glaucum recognised bioindicator organisms useful in biomonitoring. Our work is based on in situ and in vivo studies. Different compartments were used: the effluents of a wastewater treatment plant, the sea water, the sediment and the clam Ruditapes decussatus. Some observed histological effects showing hermaphroditic cases and parasites in the cockle Cerastoderma glaucum are also discussed in this paper

Total Factor Productivity of Tunisia's manufacturing sectors: measurement, determinants and convergence towards OECD countries

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, sector-based Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is calculated for six Tunisian manufacturing sectors over the period 1983-2002. Economic determinants of the productive performance are also investigated. In doing so, we take care of the direction of the causality by using a panel data Granger type-test. The recent literature in international economics has placed a particular emphasis on the relation between TFP and variables reflecting the potential impact of both trade and financial openness. Sector-based TFPs proved to be sensitive to some of these variables, highlighting a causality that does not reject the stimulating impact of exports and foreign direct investments. Second, the paper implements some panel data unit root tests to investigate the statistical hypothesis of TFP catching up of Tunisia with OECD members. In benchmarking each of the six Tunisian sectors by those of the most developed countries, panel data unit root tests do not reject the hypothesis of an overall catching- up for five of them

Usefulness of Bioindicators and Biomarkers in Pollution Biomonitoring

We have different possibilities and tools to assess the impact of pollution on marine ecosystems. The ecotoxicological approaches are based on the use of biomonitors and biomarkers. They aim to study the effect of toxic chemicals on the biological organisms especially at the population, community and ecosystem levels. The ultimate goal of ecotoxicology is to be able to predict the effects of pollution so that the most efficient and effective action to prevent or remediate any detrimental effect.In order to assess the impact of anthropogenic activities on the aquatic ecosystem and to insure compliance with regulation or guidelines, we use biomonitoring. This kind of approach is based on the use of biological responses in order to assess anthropogenic changes in the environment. Biomonitoring involves the use of indicator species such as filter feeding mollusk bivalves. These organisms tend to accumulate pollutants in their tissues without showing any apparent detrimental effect. Moreover, they could reflect the real bio available fraction of the pollutant. In order to have an early warning system predicting the pollution effects even at low levels, biomarkers were extensively studied. Some of them were validated in both field and in vivo conditions.In the present paper, the usefulness of bioindicators and biomarkers in pollution monitoring are discussed. An overview of results from case studies dealing with in situ, in vivo and transplantation experiments is presented

Textile manufacturing in eight developing countries:How far does the business environment explain firms' productive inefficiency?

Production frontiers and inefficiency determinants are estimated by using stochastic models. Textile manufacturing is considered for a sample of eight developing countries encompassing about one thousand firms. We find that the most influential individual inefficiency determinants relate to in-house organization. Both access to financing and infrastructural services (e.g. power supply, modern information technologies...) also matter. Information about determinants is then regrouped into three broad categories (e.g. managerial organization, economic environment, institutions) by using principal component analyses. Results do not reject the hypothesis that managerial know-how and the quality of institutions are the most important determinants. The impact of the external economic environment is of less importance although statistically significant. Sector-based simulations are then proposed in order to assess productivity gains which would occur if firms had the opportunity to evolve in most favorable environments within the sample. Domestic and international production contexts are considered, respectively. When referring to domestic benchmarks, the contribution of in-house organization prevails as the main source of gains for the eight countries. The role of institutions proves dominant for Egypt and India when focusing on international simulations

Total Factor Productivity within the Tunisian manufacturing sectors and international convergence with OECD countries

The purpose of this paper is to examine Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of six Tunisian manufacturing sectors and to compare these productivities with those of OECD countries. The analysis covers the period 1983-1999. First, TFP is measured and some of the main economic and financial determinants are identified. In carrying out this econometric exercise we are careful to take into account the problem of the direction of causality between variables. For the empirical analysis, panel data causality tests are conducted. The results suggest that TFP growth rates are sensitive to variables reflecting international openness. Secondly, the paper investigates the evolution of the TFP gaps between Tunisia and OECD countries. A stochastic convergence has been considered here. Two panel data unit root tests are employed. A global convergence is evidenced for five sectors.

Total Factor Productivity within the Tunisian manufacturing sectors and international convergence with OECD countries

The purpose of this paper is to examine Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of six Tunisian manufacturing sectors and to compare these productivities with those of OECD countries. The analysis covers the period 1983-1999. First, TFP is measured and some of the main economic and financial determinants are identified. In carrying out this econometric exercise we are careful to take into account the problem of the direction of causality between variables. For the empirical analysis, panel data causality tests are conducted. The results suggest that TFP growth rates are sensitive to variables reflecting international openness. Secondly, the paper investigates the evolution of the TFP gaps between Tunisia and OECD countries. A stochastic convergence has been considered here. Two panel data unit root tests are employed. A global convergence is evidenced for five sectors.cerdi