A Shadow Price Approach to Technical Efficiency Measurement.

The axiomatic literature on technical efficiency measurement has drawn attention to the indication problem of the Debreu-Farrell (DF) measure. We follow a shadow price approach to preserve the DF benchmark while reconciling it with the Koopmans efficiency characterization. First, we define a set of Koopmans efficient references that can be rationalized in a similar way as the DF projection. The indication problem is then captured using a measure of implicit allocative or mix efficiency, also interpretable as a dominance measure in price space. We consequently present a mix-adjusted DF framework for efficiency measurement in which e.g. the Zieschang (1984) procedure can be fitted.

Technical Efficiency Evaluation: Naturally Dual!

We provide a dual perspective on technical efficiency evaluation, in two respects. First, we build on the price assumptions implicitly associated with the notion of technical efficiency in a general equilibrium framework to characterize a set of appropriate references to be used in the technical efficiency evaluation of an input-output vector. Some existing evaluation methods always select an element of this set, but other methods fail to do so. Second, the above framework leads us to assert that a well-grounded measure of technical efficiency is naturally decomposable. One part refers to technical efficiency as captured by the classical Debreu-Farrell measure. The other part refers to technical efficiency resulting from the “implicit allocative efficiency” or “mix efficiency” of the evaluated vector. We present both a quantity-based distance measure and its price-based equivalent to evaluate this complementary dimension of technical efficiency. This generalized perspective encompasses the standard Debreu-Farrell framework for technical efficiency evaluation, and makes it fully consistent with the well-established Koopmans efficiency notion.

A Shadow Price Approach to Technical Efficiency Measurement

The axiomatic literature on technical efficiency measurement has drawn attention to the indication problem of the Debreu-Farrell (DF) measure. We follow a shadow price approach to preserve the DF benchmark while reconciling it with the Koopmans efficiency characterization. First, we define a set of Koopmans efficient references that can be rationalized in a similar way as the DF projection. The indication problem is then captured using a measure of implicit allocative or mix efficiency, also interpretable as a dominance measure in price space. We consequently present a mix-adjusted DF framework for efficiency measurement in which e.g. the Zieschang (1984) procedure can be fitted.

Product Mixes as Objects of Choice in Nonparametric Efficiency Measurement

Non-radial measures of technical efficiency essentially differ from their radial counterparts in that the product mix of the efficient reference is allowed to be different from the product mix of the evaluated observation. Whereas existing non-radial measures are still based on the product mix of the evaluated, i.e. possibly inefficient observation, we change the perspective and propose a measure based on the mix properties of the efficient reference. The resulting `inverse' measure can be considered as complementary to the Färe-Lovell (or ``Russell'') efficiency measure.Data Envelopment Analysis, Non-radial efficiency measures, Product mix benchmarking

Profit Efficiency Analysis Under Limited Information. With an Application to German Farm Types

Lack of information about technology and prices often hampers the empirical assessment of the validity of the profit maximization hypothesis. We show that the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology comprises natural tools for dealing with such incomplete information. In particular, we focus on the economic meaning of the DEA model that builds on assumptions of monotone and convex production possibility sets, and provide some extensions that further exploit this economic interpretation. This perspective on DEA is all the more attractive since its original use for technical efficiency analysis is sometimes questionable given its restrictive production assumptions. An application to German farm types complements our methodological discussion. By using nonparametric tools to test specific hypotheses about profit differences, we further demonstrate the potential of the non-parametric approach in deriving strong and robust statistical evidence while imposing minimal structure on the setting under study.profit maximization hypothesis; Data Envelopment Analysis; non-parametric techniques; agriculture

A shadow price approach to technical efficiency measurement.

Technical efficiency; Efficiency; Measurement;

Minimally disproportional representation: generalized entropy and Stolarsky Mean-Divisor Methods of Apportionment

We study divisor methods, the primary class to solve apportionment problems, based upon Stolarsky means Saß. These encompass the five traditional methods. We disclose a one-to-one relation between methods of the form Sa1 and aggregate measures of seat/vote disproportionality of the generalized entropy family: using a divisor method based upon such a generalized logarithmic mean coincides with minimizing a generalized entropy inequality measure. The Balinski-Young ‘favoring small states’.-ordering ranks the generalized entropy methods. This framework improves upon an inconsistency in the traditional inequality approach to apportionment problems, which we illustrate by showing that the major rationale of the ‘method of equal proportions’.is consistently preserved by a non-traditional method.

Robust human development rankings.

The United Nations' Human Development Index (HDI) takes several dimensions ---income, school enrolment and literacy rate, longevity--- and combines them into a single figure that measures the degree of development of a given country. However, there is disagreement about (i) how to normalize the scores for the different criteria to make them comparable and (ii) how to aggregate the (normalized) scores over the different criteria. At the risk of stressing the obvious, changes in normalization and/or aggregation will affect the country rankings. First, we focus on robust rankings, i.e., rankings which hold for a wide set of normalization and/or aggregation procedures. Second, we show that all proposed ranking procedures can be implemented via linear programming techniques. Third, we illustrate how our methodology can prove useful in assessing the robustness of the human development country ranking/classification (produced annually by the United Nations) in a descriptive and statistical way.

Trust as Societal Capital: Economic Growth in European Regions.

The neo-institutional approach to economic phenomena has forwarded the institutional framework within a society as a fundamental determinant of economic performance. Cultural characteristics, also referred to as "societal capital", have gained specific attention in this respect. Basically, a culture that is characterised by trust is increasingly considered as a competitive advantage. This paper fits in this neo-institutional perspective. We outline an integrated conceptual framework that articulates the direct and indirect channels through which a culture may influence the economic record. Confining to economic growth as an indicator of economic performance and using data from the European Value Study, we subsequently investigate empirically the link between cultural values and economic performance, hereby focusing on a European sample that includes regions as units of observation. This empirical evidence indeed seems to confirm the trust-growth hypothesis. Building on this result, we finally consider a number of possible policy implications. We hereby envisage the government as the main designer of the formal institutional framework within which economic agents interact. In addition, we emphasise the government’s exemplary role as a visible emanation of societal values.

Robust human development rankings

The United Nations' Human Development Index (HDI) takes several dimensions ---income, school enrolment and literacy rate, longevity--- and combines them into a single figure that measures the degree of development of a given country. However, there is disagreement about (i) how to normalize the scores for the different criteria to make them comparable and (ii) how to aggregate the (normalized) scores over the different criteria. At the risk of stressing the obvious, changes in normalization and/or aggregation will affect the country rankings. First, we focus on robust rankings, i.e., rankings which hold for a wide set of normalization and/or aggregation procedures. Second, we show that all proposed ranking procedures can be implemented via linear programming techniques. Third, we illustrate how our methodology can prove useful in assessing the robustness of the human development country ranking/classification (produced annually by the United Nations) in a descriptive and statistical way.Human Development Index, Lorenz Dominance, Linear programming, Robustness Analysis