本文探討多樣化經濟(economy of scope)之成本特性, 及其在實證之運用。廠商同時 生產多種產品, 不但可達成策略上的目的( 即水平合并或垂直合并 ), 還可能比分開 由多家廠商生產來得更有效率, 而這就是多樣化經濟之定義。因此, 確認廠商是否具 多樣化經濟特性, 不但有助於經營決策, 同時也提供政策施行之依據。但是, 該如何 自廠商得具體營業數據里判斷其是否具多樣化經濟呢? 幸運的是多樣化經濟還有另一 定義, 即成本具劣可加性。而兩兩產品間的互補性是其成立的充分條件, 至於其間如 何關連, 及是本文的重點之一。 其次, 由前面所得知的成本劣可加性抑或互補性, 可介translog成本函數加以測試。 本文的第二重點, 即是運用此一理論架構, 探究旅行業之經營模式是否真正符合經濟 效益。一般而言, 旅行業的產出可分為四大類: 來華觀光業務、出國旅游業務( 包括 出國觀光、商務及探親 )、國民旅游以及其它業務( 包括代辦出入國手續、客票代售 與總代理 ), 那么, 何種組合最有利呢? 再者, 政府於民國七十七年元月一日開放旅 行業執造, 根據前述的模型, 我們可就理論上分析政策是否正確。以上就是本論文之 提要。

本文探討人力資本及金融發展對經濟成長的影響，設定使用translog生產函數，以世界73個國家作為研究對象，樣本期間為1980~2000年共計21年，建立平衡縱橫資料，採用最大概似法估計各項係數，分析要素投入與經濟成長間的關係，及經濟體系中成長狀況是否符合「收斂假說」。最後，利用估出之係數，計算各類相關生產力指標。 主要的實證結果為，(1)除了實質資本外，人力資本與代表金融發展之代理變數實質貨幣餘額，皆對經濟成長具顯著性的影響；(2)經濟體系呈現發散的情形，結果支持內生成長理論；(3)資本、貨幣與人力資本之產量彈性平均值皆為正值，其中以資本的產量彈性最高；(4)經濟體系有發生技術進步的現象，且逐漸接近其生產邊界；(5)總要素生產力平均每年成長3.86%。

本文將設定一 Translog 多產品成本函數模型，以估計台灣旅行業之規模 經濟 (Economies of Scale) 及多樣化經濟 (Economies of Scope)程度 。在 Translog 多產品成本函數模型中，係以廠商所經營之四項業務，包 括來華觀光、出國旅遊、國民旅遊及代辦業務等，當作四種不同的產品， 而要素投入則為勞動與資本租賃。實證結果顯示，台灣旅行業普遍存在規 模經濟的現象。此結果可能導致：第一，所謂``靠行''的形成；第二，規 模較小的廠商可能根據本身的競爭優勢與經營特色而採取市場區隔化策略 ，以服務某特定之顧客群；第三，現有旅行業廠商之間的合併，或是來自 產業外的廠商藉購併進入旅行業市場，以從事多角化經營。另外，就產品 生產效率而言，我們以多樣化經濟存在與否認為，來華觀光與出國觀光之 間、來華觀光與國民旅遊之間，以及出國觀光與國民旅遊之間，因其業務 關聯性不大，而無法發揮資源共用共享的效果，因此不適合聯合生產。而 出國觀光與代辦業務之間，因業務關聯性大，因此若能聯合生產，則必然 能夠產生綜效。至於來華觀光與代辦業務之間，以及國民旅遊與代辦業務 之間，雖無明顯之證據顯示其具有聯合生產之優勢，但若存在閒置產能， 或是因某種業務之專業性不高，致使人力資源之轉換成本不大時，亦不排 除聯合生產之可能。

The Lunsemfwa river catchment is of paramount importance to the Zambian economy, particularly with regards to energy, agricultural and water for domestic, as well as wildlife. Water shortages during dry spells in the area present a huge problem for the various stakeholders in the basin. As the impact of climate variability increases in the basin, water resources managers in the basin are increasing challenged to efficiently allocate decreasing reserves of water resources against increasing levels of demand. This paper attempts to highlight the value of water resources to the earlier mentioned sectors; hydropower, agriculture and households, in order to inform allocation decisions in the Lunsemfwa catchment area of Zambia. The paper uses the SDDP method to investigate the average cost of electricity production, coupled with market electricity prices to ascertain the value of a unit of electricity given reservoir outflow levels. The PF method was used to evaluate the marginal value of water is agriculture, while the value of water for domestic consumers was evaluated using the Contingent Valuation method, particularly the willingness to pay, which essentially uses market prices to represent the consumers’ willingness to pay. A value of US$93/MWh is attached to hydropower produced here, while the marginal value of water in agriculture is estimated to be US$0.068/m3. The willingness to pay for connection to piped water is approximately US$34.13, while the monthly value is US$6.9. The Gross Financial Value (GFV) generated from hydropower, agriculture and domestic water supply is US$24,174,000, US$ 262,083,045.91 and $7,140,000.00 respectively.

No description available.

金控銀行和獨立銀行在傳統在做績效評估時，可能都只考慮相同的技術水準，如此可能無法正確來衡量不同群體的的差異，而忽略其潛在的效率改善指標。因此，本文將先採用隨機邊界模型(SFA)，估出兩體系的隨機邊界模型，接著，再運用Rao (2006)所提出的共同邊界模型(metafrontier)，來進行兩個體系的銀行效率評估。 本研究運用了民國91年到民國97年期間，13家金控銀行與24家獨立銀行的資料為樣本，去分析此兩個群體的效率比較，可得以下結論： 1.在金控銀行與獨立銀行的個別隨機邊界中，兩個群體在於技術效率的表現上差異不大。 2.金控銀行的技術效率變動有越來越小的趨勢；而獨立銀行術效率沒有明顯的縮小的趨勢。 3.獨立銀行的技術缺口比TGR有顯著的大於金控銀行的TGR。 4.在共同邊界的技術效率中，獨立銀行的技術效率顯著的大於金控銀行 / Most of traditional banking performance evaluation analyses assume both financial holding banks and independent banks share the same level of technology, thus it may not able to identify the managerial efficiency difference of different groups correctly . In this research, a SFA model (Battese and Coelli, 1995) is used first to estimate the technologies and inefficiency factors for both systems. Then a deterministic linear programming metafrontier (Rao, 2006) is adopted to evaluate the technology gap ratio between two bank systems. We collect data of 13 financial holding banks and 24 independentbanks from 2001~2008. After analyzing two systems and making comparison, the main conclusions are as follows: 1.Two bank systems have a minor difference in SFA. 2.The variance on technical efficiency becomes smaller with time in financial holding banks, but not in independent banks. 3.Independentbanks’ TGR is significantly larger than financial holding banks’. 4.In metafrontier, technical efficiency of independent banks is significantly larger than financial holding Bbnks.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:31:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Paulo Dutra Costantin.pdf: 1161497 bytes, checksum: 80c40c8fcef9308bff7d9389b7a7a3f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-11-09 / Instituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie / The current work aims to provide an inquiry into the causes of productivity increase observed in the Brazilian agricultural sector from the 1970s till the early years of the 2000s. Its working hypothesis is that gains in productivity are explained by factors like increased rural credit, research (technology), tractors, fertilizers and pesticides. More specifically, it analyses and estimates the impact of each of the foregoing variables on the trajectory of agriculture productivity increase in the period under study. In order to accomplish these tasks, we built up a database that gathered the relevant information for subsequent parametric (as well as non-parametric) estimation of the above specified explanatory variables. The first stage of the research consists of developing a conceptual analysis of the term productivity that fits well with neoclassical microeconomic theory and allows for a systematic explanation based on items like production function, cost function and technical progress. The second stage scrutinizes the properties of parametric and non-parametric research methods underlying the overall study. The third part specifies the selected techniques in tune with the available information. They refer to Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Cobb-Douglas Production Function, Translog Production Function and Model of Error Correction Vector. The DEA model suggests that there has been an improvement of technical efficiency as well as room for technological progress throughout the last three decades. Based on the Cobb Douglas model, we found out that the three main factors explaining productivity gains in the sector are harvest area, credit and investment. The Translog production function suggests neutrality of technical progress relative of factor employment over time and a positive effect on production. Additionally, it suggests that reduction of cultivated area,rural credit, pesticide and increase of employment of limestone (calcario)contributes to technical progress. Finally, the model of vector error correction identified that rural credit and R&D yield positive effects on agricultural productivity. / Esta tese constata que a agricultura brasileira apresentou ganhos de produtividade ao longo das décadas de 1970, 1980, 1990 e nos primeiros anos da década de 2000 em decorrência da utilização de fatores como crédito agrícola, pesquisa, maior número de tratores, fertilizantes, corretivos e defensivos agrícolas. Desse modo, procura-se analisar e mensurar a influência dessas variáveis sobre a produtividade agrícola. Para tanto, foi elaborado um banco de dados contendo as informações que serviram de base para a realização de estimativas paramétricas e não-paramétricas para buscar as evidências do impacto desses fatores sobre o aumento da produtividade agrícola. A primeira etapa do trabalho consistiu em definir o conceito de produtividade, em conformidade com a teoria microeconômica neoclássica, para instrumentalizar a explicação este fenômeno, a partir dos conceitos de função de produção, função custo e progresso técnico. A segunda etapa consistiu na avaliação das propriedades dos métodos paramétricos e não paramétricos a serem utilizados. A etapa seguinte implicou a definição das técnicas a serem empregadas, em função da disponibilidade de informações. Assim, foram selecionadas as seguintes técnicas: o Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a Função de Produção Cobb-Douglas, a Função de Produção Translog e o Modelo de Vetor de Correção de Erros. O modelo DEA indicou a existência, ao longo de um período de trinta anos, de melhora tanto da eficiência técnica quanto do progresso tecnológico. O modelo de Cobb-Douglas identificou como principais fatores que contribuíram para o aumento da produtividade neste período a área colhida e os créditos de custeio e investimento. A função de produção Translog identificou que o progresso técnico permaneceu neutro, no tempo, em relação ao emprego de fatores, tendo apresentado efeito positivo sobre a produção. Verificou, ainda, que as reduções da área colhida, do crédito agrícola e do uso de defensivos, assim como o aumento da quantidade empregada de calcário, contribuíram positivamente para o progresso técnico. Por fim, o Modelo de Vetor de Correção de Erros identificou nas variáveis crédito agrícola e pesquisa e desenvolvimento efeitos positivos para o aumento da produtividade agrícola.

This doctoral thesis consists of three essays. In the first essay I investigate the presence of productivity convergence in eight regional pulp and paper industries of U.S. and Canada over the period of 1971-2005. Expectation of productivity convergence in the pulp and paper industries of Canadian provinces and of the states of its southern neighbour is high since they are trading partners with fairly high level of exchanges in both pulp and paper products. Moreover, they share a common production technology that changed very little over the last century. I supplement the North-American regional data with national data for two Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden, which provides a scope to compare the productivity performances of four leading players in global pulp and paper industry. I find evidence in favour of the catch-up hypothesis among the regional pulp and paper industries of U.S. and Canada in my sample. The growth performance is at the advantage of Canadian provinces relative to their U.S. counterparts. However, it is not good enough to surpass the growth rates of this industry in the two Nordic countries. It is well-known that econometric productivity estimation using flexible functional forms often encounter violations of curvature conditions. However, the productivity literature does not provide any guidance on the selection of appropriate functional forms once they satisfy the theoretical regularity conditions. The second chapter of my thesis provides an empirical evidence that imposing local curvature conditions on the flexible functional forms affect total factor productivity (TFP) estimates in addition to the elasticity estimates. Moreover, I use this as a criterion for evaluating the performances of three widely used locally flexible cost functional forms - the translog (TL), the Generalized Leontief (GL), and the Normalized Quadratic (NQ) - in providing TFP estimates. Results suggest that the NQ model performs better than the other two functional forms in providing TFP estimates. The third essay capitalizes on newly available high frequency energy consumption data from commercial buildings in the District of Columbia (DC) to provide novel insights on the realized energy use impacts of energy efficiency standards in commercial buildings. Combining these data with hourly weather data and information on tenancy contract structure I evaluate the impacts of energy standards, contractual structure of utility bill payments, and energy star labeling on account level electricity consumption. Using this unique panel dataset, the analysis takes advantage of detailed building-level characteristics and the heterogeneity in the building age distribution, resulting in buildings constructed before and after mandatory energy standards came into effect. Estimation results suggest that in commercial buildings constructed under a code, electricity consumption is lower by about 0.48 kWh per cooling degree hour. When tenants pay for their own utilities, consumption is lower by 0.82 kWh per cooling degree hour. The Energy Star effect is a 0.31 kWh reduction per cooling degree hour. Finally, peak savings for all three variables of interest occur at 2pm in the summer months, whereas peak summer marginal prices at DC's local electric utility occur at 5pm.