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on Efficiency and Productivity |
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Issue of 2011‒01‒23
nine papers chosen by |
| By: | Anindya Sen (Department of Economics, University of Waterloo); Marcel-Cristian Voia (Department of Economics, Carleton University); Frances R. Woolley (Department of Economics, Carleton University) |
| Abstract: | In this paper we examine the impact of a professor’s appearance, as rated by students, on his or her salary, controlling for research and teaching productivity. We also estimate the impacts of a professor’s appearance on the quality of his or her teaching, as evaluated by students, and the impact of appearance on research productivity, as measured by citations, publications, co-authorship, and grant funding. Our study is based on data describing economics professors at sixteen universities. Although a relatively small proportion of our sample is rated “hot” by students, hotness generates, for some, a significant earnings premium, even with comprehensive controls for productivity. We find a strong relationship between hotness and teaching productivity, but a much weaker relationship between hotness and research productivity. |
| Date: | 2010–09–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:car:carecp:10-07&r=eff |
| By: | Subhash C. Ray (University of Connecticut) |
| Abstract: | In the present study we evaluate the overall cost efficiency of a network of branches of a single large public sector bank in India within the city of Calcutta using the data for the year 2002. Our objective is to determine the optimal number of branches within a postal district that could provide the observed amounts of banking services to the customers in that area at the minimum operating cost. Our DEA results show that while in many cases, consolidating multiple branches would be more cost efficient, there are numerous instances, where increasing the number of branches would be optimal. |
| Keywords: | Network Efficiency; DEA; Banking. |
| JEL: | C61 G21 L25 |
| Date: | 2011–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uct:uconnp:2011-03&r=eff |
| By: | Nelen, Annemarie (ROA, Maastricht University); de Grip, Andries (ROA, Maastricht University); Fouarge, Didier (ROA, Maastricht University) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes whether part-time employment is beneficial for firm productivity in the service sector. Using a unique dataset on the Dutch pharmacy sector that includes the work hours of all employees and a “hard” physical measure of firm productivity, we estimate a production function including heterogeneous employment shares based on work hours. We find that a larger part-time employment share leads to greater firm productivity. Additional data on the timing of labor demand show that part-time employment enables firms to allocate labor more efficiently. First, firms with part-time workers can bridge the gap between opening hours and a full-time work week. Second, we find that during opening hours part-time workers are scheduled differently than full-timers. For example, we find that part-time workers enable their full-time colleagues to take lunch breaks so that the firm can remain open during these times. |
| Keywords: | heterogeneous labor, matched employer-employee data, allocation of labor, timing of labor demand |
| JEL: | J24 L23 L25 |
| Date: | 2011–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5423&r=eff |
| By: | Arzu Yavuz |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tcb:wpaper:1103&r=eff |
| By: | Selim, Sheikh (Cardiff Business School) |
| Abstract: | The nineties' agricultural reform in China that was aimed at deregulating the agricultural market eventually resulted in a huge drop in agricultural production and a high rate of inflation in agricultural prices; this apparently motivated the government to take over the control of agricultural prices in 1998. We examine how and to what extent this reform affected the productivity and welfare of grain farmers in China at the regional level. We find that the price regulation that destroyed the incentive to exert more effort adversely affected the growth in agricultural productivity but contributed to the growth in farmers. welfare. Although the price regulations resulted in short term improvement in welfare across all the regions, for the long run such regulations can result in larger drop in agricultural production because of its negative impact on incentives to produce more. |
| Keywords: | China; Welfare; TFP; Agriculture; Grain Production |
| JEL: | N55 O13 O53 Q12 |
| Date: | 2011–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdf:wpaper:2011/2&r=eff |
| By: | Samir Amine; Pedro Lages Dos Santos |
| Abstract: | Nous étudions, dans cet article, le rôle des allocations chômage dans la détermination de la nature des emplois offerts. Nous montrons qu’un système d’indemnisation du chômage généreux, en provoquant une accentuation de la sélectivité des agents, affecte les caractéristiques des emplois créés qui deviennent plus complexes et aboutit ainsi à améliorer la productivité du travail. Or, malgré cette amélioration de la qualité des appariements, la participation au marché du travail diminue. <P>This article aims at understanding the interactions between public policies, such as unemployment benefit systems, and firms’ technological choices. For this purpose, we use a matching model in which workers are vertically differentiated and where the nature of jobs is endogenous. We show that an improvement in unemployment benefits leads to an increase in productivity by making agents more selective and jobs more complex. However, the impact on labour market participation is negative. |
| Keywords: | Appariement, complexité, allocations chômage, productivité et participation, Job Complexity, unemployment benefits, productivity, participation. |
| Date: | 2011–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cir:cirwor:2011s-03&r=eff |
| By: | Balsmeier, Benjamin; Czarnitzki, Dirk |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the relationship of ownership concentration and firm performance in the context of different institutional environments in 28 Central and Eastern European transition economies. Using the BEEPS data for the period from 2002 to 2009 we find an inverted u-shaped relation of ownership concentration and firm performance for those firms that operate in non-EU-member countries as well as those firms that are situated in less developed legal systems according to Freedom House ratings. We interpret these findings as evidence for a classic agency problem in the lower part of the ownership concentration distribution that is dominated by a 'private benefits of control' problem with rising ownership concentration. -- |
| Keywords: | corporate governance,firm growth,transition economies,ownership concentration |
| JEL: | G32 L25 O16 P31 |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:10096&r=eff |
| By: | Yuri S. D. Soares (Interamerican Development Bank, Washington, DC); Maria Michaela Sviatschi (Interamerican Development Bank, Washington, DC) |
| Abstract: | Over the last decade, there has been growing awareness regarding the importance of transparent and effective courts to achieve economic development. However, many Latin American countries find that their judicial system have important deficiencies in terms of access and efficiency. This paper studies the effect of court modernization on caseload clearance rates in Costa Rica. The analysis exploits the fact that the modernization occurred at different points in time. This observed variation in the allocation of the program across time and space provides a potential instrument to identify the causal effect of the modernization on courts efficiency. We find that the program is associated with an increase of 5 percent in clearance rates and with a reduction of 75 dollars per case disposed. The results are robust to alternative specifications. |
| Keywords: | Public Policy Evaluation, Justice, Court Efficiency, Difference in Differences, Propensity Score Matching, Costa Rica |
| JEL: | O1 C1 |
| Date: | 2010–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:ovewps:0410&r=eff |
| By: | Jan P. A. M. Jacobs; Simon van Norden |
| Abstract: | La croissance de la productivité est examinée par les macro-économistes car elle joue des rôles clés dans la compréhension de l’épargne dans le secteur privé, les sources des chocs macroéconomiques, l’évolution de la compétitivité internationale et la solvabilité des régimes de retraite publics. Toutefois, les estimations des taux de croissance de la productivité anticipées et conjoncturelles souffrent de deux problèmes potentiels : (i) les estimations des tendances récentes sont imprécises, et (ii) les données récemment publiées subissent souvent d’importantes révisions. Cette étude met en évidence la (non-) fiabilité de plusieurs mesures de croissance de la productivité agrégée aux États-Unis en examinant la mesure dans laquelle elles sont révisées au fil du temps. Nous examinons également dans quelle mesure ces révisions contribuent aux erreurs dans les prévisions de croissance de la productivité des États-Unis. Nous constatons que les révisions de données provoquent généralement des changements appréciables des estimations des taux de croissance de la productivité publiés à travers une gamme de différentes mesures de la productivité. D'importantes révisions surviennent souvent des années après la première publication des données, ce qui contribue significativement à l'incertitude générale à laquelle nos décideurs politiques doivent faire face. Cela souligne le besoin de moyens pour réduire l'incertitude à laquelle sont confrontés les décideurs politiques et les politiques robustes à l'incertitude sur les conditions économiques actuelles. <P>La croissance de la productivité est examinée par les macro-économistes car elle joue des rôles clés dans la compréhension de l’épargne dans le secteur privé, les sources des chocs macroéconomiques, l’évolution de la compétitivité internationale et la solvabilité des régimes de retraite publics. Toutefois, les estimations des taux de croissance de la productivité anticipées et conjoncturelles souffrent de deux problèmes potentiels : (i) les estimations des tendances récentes sont imprécises, et (ii) les données récemment publiées subissent souvent d’importantes révisions. Cette étude met en évidence la (non-) fiabilité de plusieurs mesures de croissance de la productivité agrégée aux États-Unis en examinant la mesure dans laquelle elles sont révisées au fil du temps. Nous examinons également dans quelle mesure ces révisions contribuent aux erreurs dans les prévisions de croissance de la productivité des États-Unis. Nous constatons que les révisions de données provoquent généralement des changements appréciables des estimations des taux de croissance de la productivité publiés à travers une gamme de différentes mesures de la productivité. D'importantes révisions surviennent souvent des années après la première publication des données, ce qui contribue significativement à l'incertitude générale à laquelle nos décideurs politiques doivent faire face. Cela souligne le besoin de moyens pour réduire l'incertitude à laquelle sont confrontés les décideurs politiques et les politiques robustes à l'incertitude sur les conditions économiques actuelles. |
| Keywords: | Productivité, analyses en temps réel, révisions de données, projections Greenbook projections , Productivité, analyses en temps réel, révisions de données, projections Greenbook projections |
| JEL: | C22 J24 O47 |
| Date: | 2010–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cir:cirwor:2010s-46&r=eff |