Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves : 41-46).

This is the first paper to measure the efficiency of the Japan Professional Football League clubs both the first and the second divisions. In Chapter 1, a non-parametric method Data Envelopment Development (DEA) is used and the data covers six seasons from 2005 to 2010. The input variables are payroll, cost besides payroll, and total assets. The output variables are attendance, revenue, and points awarded. I use different output combinations in order to check the sensitivity of the efficiency of the clubs after the original composition. This is also the first research to include more than one division of the Professional Football League and hence, the promotion and relegation impact on the efficiency can be analyzed using unique data such as Tokyo Verdy 1969. Tokyo Verdy 1969 operated inefficiently in the second division because it spent so much on inputs hoping for promotion. It was efficient when in the first division. The results indicate that athletic rank in the league is not correlated with the efficiency scores. The efficient clubs in the second division are all ranked at the bottom in the league and this is because they have limited resource inputs, no expectation to promote, and because the expansion policy of the league precludes relegation. Chapter 2 is an extension of Chapter 1. In this chapter I check the exogenous factors impacting the efficiency scores but not involved in the DEA analysis as the input variables. I aim to estimate the relationship between the input-oriented DEA efficiency scores under the constant returns to scale assumption and use an exogenous variable ordinary least square (OLS) model to check the relationship between the efficiency scores and exogenous variables. I regress the DEA efficiency scores on all of the exogenous variables collected from various resources during the sample period. Chapter 3 estimates the productivity and efficiencies of the football clubs in Japan Professional Football League. This chapter is an extension of the first chapter. In this chapter I check the dynamic change of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) based on the calculation of the Malmquist Index, which consists of efficiency change and technical change between two time periods. Additionally, the production frontier used in this chapter was built by the non-parametric input-oriented CRS DEA approach as applied in the first chapter. Based on the results of the Malmquist Index, we find if the change in the TFP growth as increasing, declining or remaining the same.

Electric end-use efficiency is attracting more and more attentions, but it remains unclear what factors are driving state policy innovations to improve energy efficiency. Controversy also exists over the effectiveness of energy efficiency programs. Several critical problems are facing the policymakers: what factors drive the states taking distinct strategies in policy innovation? Have state policies being able to improve energy efficiency in the past? And, will state policies remain relevant to future efficiency improvements? This dissertation tries to answer these important questions and assumes that policy innovation is relevant to energy efficiency. It first explores the factors that influence the adoption of energy efficiency policies using Internal Determinants models. Results suggest that internal state factors affect policy innovation, including state socioeconomic factors, state fiscal capacity, ideology, and constituent pressure. Policy innovations are found to be correlated with each other. This dissertation also evaluates the impact of policy innovation on energy efficiency by decomposing electricity productivity into activity, structure, and efficiency effects. The findings suggest that financial incentives and building codes have significant impacts on state electricity productivity. Other regulations tend to have mixed effects. In addition, an estimation of the achievable potential of energy efficiency suggests that policies will cost-effectively drive significant electricity savings in the future. Overall, this dissertation offers an in-depth diagnosis of the relationship between policy innovation and energy efficiency. It provides a rigorous statistical analysis covering the most important energy efficiency policies. It represents the first attempt to evaluate policy impact by decomposing electricity productivity. However, the statistical models and energy models are subject to limitations and future research is needed to improve the models.

Capital projects use work packaging to divide their projects' scope into manageable portions of work for planning and execution, all to achieve improved productivity and increased predictability. However, currently, no common industry standard for work packaging is widely and uniformly implemented within the North American capital projects industry. As documented by CII RT 272 Phase I (2009-2011), companies have been implementing a number of varied work packaging practices at different stages of the project lifecycle with emphasis on the construction phase. Due to the varied implementation, there is currently little evidence of the benefits of extending work packaging to the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and the Detailed Engineering (DE) phases. To provide the best current evidence, this thesis describes new findings on Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) as an execution practice, with special emphasis on design activities. This research combines data collection methods such as interviews, observations and document review, as well as surveys. The reader will understand the current industry status on Advanced Work Packaging in terms of levels of implementation as well as evidence of benefits and implementation challenges across the project lifecycle. Documented benefits include productivity improvements on the order of 25% in the field, with corresponding reductions of 10% of total installed cost. Other significant benefits include improved safety, improved productivity, less rework, significant reduction in RFIs and increased stakeholder alignment. Documented AWP implementation challenges include lack of process formulization, persons’ resistance to change and lack of buy-in, stakeholders’ conflict of interest and working culture, incompatibility with some contractual scenarios as well as traditional change management practices. / text

One of the major challenges in fracturing low permeability/tight/unconventional gas formations is the loss of frac water and well productivity due to fluid entrapment in the matrix or fracture. Field results have indicated that only 15-30% of the frac fluid is recovered at the surface after flow back is initiated. Past studies have suggested that this water is trapped in the rock matrix near the fracture face and remains trapped due to the high capillary pressure in the matrix. Significant efforts have been made in the past to understand the impact of liquid blocking in hydraulically fractured conventional gas wells. Numerous remediation measures such as huff and puff gas cycling, alcohol or surfactant based chemical treatments have been proposed to reduce fracture face damage. However, when considering hydraulic fractures in unconventional reservoirs horizontal wells, the fluid may also be trapped within the fracture itself and may impact the cleanup as well as productivity. This study shows that under typical gas flow rates in tight / shale gas formations, liquid loading within the fractures is likely to occur. Most of the previous simulation studies consider a 2D reservoir model and ignore gravity, considering the high vertical anisotropy (or extremely low vertical permeability) in these tight reservoirs matrix. However, this study presents the results of 3D simulations of liquid loading in hydraulic fractures in horizontal wells, including gravity and capillary pressure effects. Both CMG IMEX and GEM have been used to study this phenomenon in dry and wet gas cases. The impact of drawdown, fracture and reservoir properties on liquid loading and well productivity is presented. Results show that low drawdown, low matrix permeability or low initial gas rates aggravate the liquid loading problem inside the fracture and thereby impact the cleanup and gas productivity during initial production. A clear understanding of the phenomena could help in selection of optimal production facilities and well profile. / text

Time to degree is a key factor in institutional productivity and managing the costs of college for students and families. While there is a robust body of empirical and theoretical work addressing baccalaureate degree completion and persistence, much less is known about the factors that affect time to degree. Most importantly, the institutional factors associated with time to degree have been largely unexamined, with a primary focus on the characteristics of students who delay graduation. As a result, it is unclear if students or institutions should be the target of policy interventions. This dissertation is comprised of three quantitative studies that examine supply- and demand-side factors that contribute to timely—or not so timely—completion using statewide longitudinal student-level data from Texas. The first study uses a discrete-time hazard model to analyze a rich set of institutional and student factors that influence the choice between on-time graduation, late graduation, dropout, and ongoing enrollment. The second explores the impact of student transfer on time to degree and one possible mechanism for delay using propensity score matching analysis. The third examines excess credit accumulation, specifically how the number of credits an institution requires for graduation affects student course-taking behavior using fixed effects analysis. Results suggest time to degree is a complex phenomenon and both student and institutional factors are significantly associated with time to degree. Student transfer and credit requirements are associated with excess credit accumulation and longer times to degree. Supply side policy strategies targeting institutional resources, transfer, and graduation credits are promising, although there is evidence that strategies aimed at improving efficiency can be in tension with strategies that improve equity in higher education and degree completion. / text

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

We present gross, net and productive capital stock estimates for 20 industries of the Austrian manufacturing sector based on the perpetual inventory method for the period 1969-1994. The estimation of the net capital stocks and the volume index of capital services follows an integrated method derived from the neoclassical theory of investment. Based on the estimates we calculate capital intensity and capital productivity measures for the 20 industries and provide estimates of capital productivity developments. We find that capital productivity decreased only for 5 out of the 20 industries. The other industries showed in part marked increases in both capital and labor productivity. (author's abstract) / Series: Working Papers Series "Growth and Employment in Europe: Sustainability and Competitiveness"

Reliable engineering productivity measurement is a critical element of predictable project performance and continuous improvement. Despite the fact that engineering costs have risen to levels approaching 20 percent of total project cost on some industrial projects, engineering productivity is less well understood and has received less study than construction productivity. Furthermore, engineering productivity is a critical determinant of the final cost and schedule performance of a project (Chang et al. 2001). For these reasons, metrics for assessing productivity to drive improvement are essential, especially considering trends toward offshore engineering. Applicable industry standard engineering productivity measurements must first be established and then applied to present day work processes before significant improvement and predictability of performance can be established (CII 2001). Over the years, a number of different approaches for engineering productivity measurement have been proposed. These approaches are discussed and the development of the CII Benchmarking and Metrics approach, a direct measurement approach, is presented for this research. This research: (1) identifies critical issues for the implementation of engineering productivity measurement; (2) develops an Engineering Productivity Measurement System (EPMS) based on real project data; and, finally (3) recommends a framework for future studies. / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts in Transport Policy and Planning