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This study examines whether capital account liberalization is beneficial for inducing foreign investment and positively affects allocative efficiency and economic performance in Korea. Using panel data on Korean industries and firms from 1991 to 2019, we confirm that capital account liberalization is positively associated with foreign investment. This effect is more pronounced for industries with high external financing dependence. Additionally, we conduct a firm-level analysis and find that capital account liberalization improves capital allocative efficiency, indicating that it helps firms with high growth opportunities to make more investment. Furthermore, changes in allocative efficiency attributable to capital account liberalization positively affect firms' future financial performance. Overall, our study highlights the importance of capital account liberalization in attracting foreign capital, improving allocative efficiency, and enhancing the economic performance of firms in a transition economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the economic efficiency of soybean production under contract and noncontract farming systems in the Northern region of Ghana. Using survey data from 374 soybean farmers, comprised of 200 contract farmers and 174 non-contract farmers, a stochastic frontier analysis and fractional regression models were employed to estimate technical, allocative, and economic efficiencies. The results reveal that contract farmers had a mean technical efficiency of 0.92, allocative efficiency of 0.869, and economic efficiency of 0.943, while non-contract farmers had mean technical efficiency of 0.973, allocative efficiency of 0.734, and economic efficiency of 0.866. Positive determinants of efficiency included education, farming experience, access to extension services, and participation in soybean contract farming. Off-farm activities and crop diversification negatively impacted efficiency. Contract farmers exhibited increasing returns to scale, while decreasing returns to scale prevailed among non-contract farmers. Factors influencing soybean output and production costs were also analyzed. The study highlights opportunities for enhancing soybean productivity and reducing production costs through improved resource allocation, adoption of training and extension services, and promoting contract farming arrangements that provide access to inputs, credit and technical support.

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study analyzes the economic efficiency of soybean production under contract and non-contract farming systems in the Northern region of Ghana. Using survey data from 374 soybean farmers, comprised of 200 contract farmers and 174 non-contract farmers, a stochastic frontier analysis and fractional regression models were employed to estimate technical, allocative, and economic efficiencies. The results reveal that contract farmers had a mean technical efficiency of 0.92, allocative efficiency of 0.869, and economic efficiency of 0.943, while non-contract farmers had mean technical efficiency of 0.973, allocative efficiency of 0.734, and economic efficiency of 0.866. Positive determinants of efficiency included education, farming experience, access to extension services, and participation in soybean contract farming. Off-farm activities and crop diversification negatively impacted efficiency. Contract farmers exhibited increasing returns to scale, while decreasing returns to scale prevailed among non-contract farmers. Factors influencing soybean output and production costs were also analyzed. The study highlights opportunities for enhancing soybean productivity and reducing production costs through improved resource allocation, adoption of training and extension services, and promoting contract farming arrangements that provide access to inputs, credit and technical support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies data envelopment analysis (DEA) to gauge technical efficiency and allocative efficiency in China's beef cattle-fattening industry using survey data. The Tobit model considers the salient determinants that drive these efficiencies. The results indicate that (1) large-scale farms exhibit robust TE and pure technical efficiencies (PTE), whereas scale efficiencies (SE) diverge significantly between large and medium-sized operations. The cost efficiency (CE) of smaller farms lags behind their larger counterparts, with the latter displaying greater revenue efficiencies (RE) and profit efficiency (PE). (2) The influence of identical factors on the efficiency of beef cattle fattening production can vary, sometimes antithetically, across different scales. Local policy interventions must be differentiated according to farm type and size. (3) The unique context of China's national conditions and the status quo of livestock farming render the dual implementation of environmental regulations and technological subsidies less viable for Chinese beef cattle farms. These entities should prioritize production over technological innovation and advancement. Policymakers should adopt strategies such as targeted skill/technological training for farm managers at particular scales of operation. This could represent a critical trajectory to augment the efficiency of beef cattle production and increase beef yield in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of smallholder farmers into emerging value chains for fine‐grain and aromatic 'premium quality rice' (PQR) could prove to be crucial to improving rural livelihoods in Bangladesh, though efforts could be constrained by farmers' differing levels of agronomic knowledge. Based on a pre‐analysis plan, we analyse farmers' ability to efficiently allocate production enhancing inputs in PQR cultivation based on a survey of 1420 farmers in key PQR producing areas. Farmers received a hypothetical budget to allocate to six different inputs advised for efficient production of PQR, mimicking familiar production decisions made seasonally on their own farms. Our results suggest that even without budget or input access constraints farmers tend to inefficiently allocate inputs in PQR in this hypothetical setting. In particular, they tend to overspend on seeds, fertiliser and pesticides. Farmers with better access to agricultural information, such as through PQR specific extension services, conversely reach substantially higher efficiency scores and decided to spend significantly less on fertiliser. Without future adjustments such as more targeted extension services, implied higher production costs will likely lower the profitability of PQR cultivation for smallholder farmers, thereby limiting potential income gains. Besides these economic concerns, excessive input use is associated with environmental externalities. Improved efficiency is therefore desirable from both an economic and environmental standpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Coase Theorem posits that frictionless markets efficiently allocate scarce resources as long as property rights are fully specified. Our empirical study investigates how the initial allocation of labor-related property rights influences the allocative efficiency in labor markets for skilled workers within a highly competitive environment--professional basketball. Specifically, we compare two regimes: one where employers can trade workers to other employers without the worker's consent, and another where workers are free agents, able to negotiate and move freely without their employer's consent. Methods: We utilize the NBA as a "laboratory" to conduct our analysis, constructing a unique panel dataset that includes 3,132 player-season observations spanning 17 regular seasons from 2003/04 to 2019/20. To address our research question, we employ linear panel regression models to analyze the data. Results and discussion: The findings reveal a decline in productivity among workers who transition to new employers as free agents, a phenomenon not observed among non-free agents. This observation suggests that allocative efficiency might be higher when workers are traded without their consent compared to when they exercise their autonomy as free agents. These findings highlight the significant impact that the initial distribution of labor-related property rights has on labor market efficiency, potentially challenging the assumptions of the Coase Theorem. However, the lack of a statistically significant difference in productivity changes between free agents and non-free agents moving to new employers prevents us from definitively rejecting the predictions of the Coase Theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of agricultural input is significant for farm management. It would relate to productivity and efficiency. The problem is that the paddy farmers still needed to determine the appropriate agricultural input use level to achieve efficiency. This study aims to assess the efficiency of paddy farming in Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia. This study evaluated the efficiency of paddy farming with three types: technical efficiency, allocative efficiency, and economic efficiency. A survey was conducted with 40 paddy farmers to obtain data on paddy production and agricultural input use such as seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and labor. Data envelopment analysis with an input approach was employed to analyze the data. The scores of technical efficiency, allocative efficiency, and economic efficiency were 0.935, 0.711, and 0.668, respectively. This study indicated that paddy farming in Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia, was technically efficient. However, it was allocative and economically inefficient. The unachieved cost minimization was the driving factor of the allocative inefficiency. Furthermore, this study also found that the condition of paddy farming increased the return to scale (IRS). This condition implied that the paddy farmers could escalate the paddy production and achieve efficiency by improving agricultural input use. Moreover, eco-friendly agricultural input is encouraged to minimize costs to improve allocative efficiency and support sustainable agriculture. Also, the government should take some actions and policies to improve the efficiency of paddy farming in Deli Serdang.

AbstractThis paper investigated the technical and allocative efficiency of commercial banks in Ethiopia. The analysis was based on unbalanced panel data of 19 banks over the period of 1990-2022. The study has applied shadow pricing approach to estimate and decompose the overall cost inefficiency into technical and allocative components. Findings reveal that publicly owned commercial bank is technically more efficient than privately owned commercial banks. Evidence also found that, on average, small and recently established privately owned banks are technically more efficient than other large private owned banks in Ethiopia. All banks are found allocative inefficiency due to over-utilization of loanable funds and physical capital relative to labor input. The overall result also shows that greater cost saving in public owned commercial bank in Ethiopia could be achieved by optimizing input use, while such cost advantage in private owned banks could be attained by improving managerial efficiency.

Transferring the using right of the dual-use defense technology in China is that the military licensors license the dual-use defense technology to two or more civilian manufacturers which are usually the military licensor's shareholding manufacturers. We study a military research institute's discriminatory licensing pricing strategies when the civilian licensees are asymmetric with different allocative efficiencies under a military shareholding contract. We show that, (ⅰ) the discriminatory licensing pricing strategy can increase the overall profits of the military research institute and the civilian manufacturers by realizing the civilian-military integration; (ⅱ) the military licensor will charge a higher royalty to the efficient civilian manufacturer when the military licensor holds a significantly higher shareholding equity to the inefficient manufacturer than the efficient civilian manufacturer, or when the military licensor holds a slightly higher shareholding equity to the inefficient manufacturer than the efficient civilian manufacturer and the market competition is fierce, which decreases the social allocative efficiency, otherwise, the military licensor will charge a lower royalty to the efficient civilian manufacturer, which improves the social allocative efficiency. Moreover, we show that the military licensor's shareholding equities have a more significant impact on the discriminatory licensing pricing strategy and the social allocative efficiency than the market competition intensity; (ⅲ) the military shareholding contract provides a rational explanation for the sustainability of the discriminatory licensing pricing contract, and the military research institute can reduce the licensing pricing gap by adjusting the shareholding equity ratio to the efficient manufacturer to avoid violating the 'Anti-monopoly' Laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThe Coase Theorem posits that frictionless markets efficiently allocate scarce resources as long as property rights are fully specified. Our empirical study investigates how the initial allocation of labor-related property rights influences the allocative efficiency in labor markets for skilled workers within a highly competitive environment—professional basketball. Specifically, we compare two regimes: one where employers can trade workers to other employers without the worker's consent, and another where workers are free agents, able to negotiate and move freely without their employer's consent.MethodsWe utilize the NBA as a “laboratory” to conduct our analysis, constructing a unique panel dataset that includes 3,132 player-season observations spanning 17 regular seasons from 2003/04 to 2019/20. To address our research question, we employ linear panel regression models to analyze the data.Results and discussionThe findings reveal a decline in productivity among workers who transition to new employers as free agents, a phenomenon not observed among non-free agents. This observation suggests that allocative efficiency might be higher when workers are traded without their consent compared to when they exercise their autonomy as free agents. These findings highlight the significant impact that the initial distribution of labor-related property rights has on labor market efficiency, potentially challenging the assumptions of the Coase Theorem. However, the lack of a statistically significant difference in productivity changes between free agents and non-free agents moving to new employers prevents us from definitively rejecting the predictions of the Coase Theorem.

This study evaluated factors influencing the allocative efficiency of the small-scale tomato (Lycopersicum species) production in Kaduna State, Nigeria: implications for food security and resource management. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 120 small-scale tomato farmers. The data from primary sources was collected with the help of a well-structured and well-designed questionnaire. This data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result indicates that the mean age of the small-scale tomato resource farmers is 46 years old; the mean household size of the respondents is 7 persons, while the mean resource farm size is 1.17 ha. The minimum and the maximum allocative efficiency scores of the tomato farmers are 0.30 and 0.93 respectively. The results of the profitability analysis indicate that the tomato production is profitable with a gross margin and a net farm income of N550, 960 per ha and N497, 190 respectively. The gross margin and operating ratios are 0.69 and 0.28 respectively. The resource inputs and socio-economic factors influencing the allocative efficiency of tomato production are the following: age, farm size, household size, gender, marital status, level of education, access to extension services, and membership in a cooperative organization. The study recommends that farmers should be provided with the following resource inputs: improved seeds, chemicals, fertilizer inputs, credit facilities and extension services in order to reduce resource wastages, increase efficiency and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the allocative efficiency of South East Nigeria's upland rice producing system using stochastic analysis. The study's precise goals were to ascertain the elasticity of the upland rice production system in the study area, assess the costs and returns associated with it, and determine the allocative efficiency of the system. Purposive and multi-stage random sampling techniques were used to select one hundred and twenty (120) respondents for the study. Objectives (i) and (iii) were analysed using allocative efficiency model, while objective (ii) was realized using cost and returns analysis. The allocative efficiency analysis results showed that educational level, labour, seed (planting material), fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides and capital had positive coefficients while farm size had a negative coefficient. Upland rice production system had a return per hectare of 26.5% indicating that the venture is operating at the increasing returns to scale. However, there is need for government and Non-Government Organization (NGO) to aid farmers in procuring irrigation facilities to guide against poor rainfall distribution, which often affect their crop yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We highlight the importance of undertaking value assessments for health system inputs if allocative efficiency is to be achieve with health sector resources, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. However, methodological challenges complicated the application of current economic evaluation techniques to health system input investments. We undertake a review of the literature to examine how assessments of investments in health system inputs have been considered to date, highlighting several studies that have suggested ways to address the methodological issues. Additionally, we surveyed how empirical economic evaluations of health system inputs have approached these issues. Finally, we highlight the steps required to move toward a comprehensive standardized framework for undertaking economic evaluations to make value assessments for investments in health systems. Although the methodological challenges have been illustrated, a comprehensive framework for value assessments of health system inputs, guiding the evidence required, does not exist. The applied literature of economic evaluations of health system inputs has largely ignored the issues, likely resulting in inaccurate assessments of cost-effectiveness. A majority of health sector budgets are spent on health system inputs, facilitating the provision of healthcare interventions. Although economic evaluation methods are a key component in priority setting for healthcare interventions, such methods are less commonly applied to decision making for investments in health system inputs. Given the growing agenda for investments in health systems, a framework will be increasingly required to guide governments and development partners in prioritizing investments in scarce health sector budgets. • A majority of health system budgets are spent on health system inputs. • The application of economic evaluation methods to health system inputs is complicated by several methodological challenges. • The development of a comprehensive framework for the application of economic evaluation to health system inputs is the key to achieving allocative efficiency in the health system. • This article highlights the challenges, proposals to date, and key steps that are required in the development of a framework enabling full value assessments of health system inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What determines the distribution of establishments in terms of size and life-cycle growth? How are those determinants related to aggregate productivity? We provide novel answers by developing a framework that uses price and quantity information on establishments' outputs and inputs to jointly estimate the demand and production parameters, and subsequently, establishments' quality-adjusted productivity, deriving both micro-level and aggregate implications. We find that the dominant source of variation in establishment size is variation in quality/product appeal but that variation in technical efficiency plays an important supporting role. Multiple factors dampen dispersion in establishment size including dispersion in input (quality-adjusted) prices, markups, and residual wedges. Relatively moderate dampening factors induce large aggregate allocative efficiency losses relative to their absence. We show that joint estimation of the parameters of the demand and production function crucially affects inferences on the determinants of the size distribution of firms and their implications for aggregate productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to find out how profitable olive farms are in the Bashiqa district of Nineveh province, which is known as the best place in Iraq to grow olives. The technical and allocative parts for the sample farms during the 2021 growing season were calculated using the data envelope analysis (DEA) method. This was done by looking at the inputs and outputs and assuming a change (VRS) and constant volume returns (CRS) for all farms in the study sample. Also, finding out how much waste there is in the use of productive resources and estimating the volumetric efficiency of farms were all done by sending a questionnaire to 170 fruitful farms at random. The results showed that the questionnaire was very useful for getting information about these things. It is made up of 25% of the people in the study. When we looked at economic efficiency and its parts, one of the most important things we found was that the sample farms’ average technical efficiency was 0.949 and their allocative efficiency was 0.787. This means that there is some waste in the way resources are used and costs are allocated. It was 0.832 for economic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to (1) estimate the effect of inputs use on production with the stochastic frontier production function model approach; (2) assess the potential for increasing productivity through the study of technical, allocative and economic efficiency of palm plantations; (3) determine the optimal inputs use in order to increase productivity of palm plantations so that technical efficiency, allocative efficiency and economic efficiency are beneficial for farmers. Methodology / approach. This study was conducted in Jambi province of Indonesia by taking samples from Muaro Jambi and Tebo districts. For this study, we randomly selected a sample of 120 farmers. Data were obtained through interviews with respondents in 2022. The analytical method was used to estimate technical, allocative and economic efficiency with the stochastic frontier approach. Result. The research results show that farmers are not yet efficient, both technically, allocatively and economically. The average technical efficiency of oil palm farmers is 68.7 %, allocative efficiency is 61.2 %, economic efficiency is 46.3 %. A quantitative assessment of the impact on the productivity of palm plantations of land area, the number of trees per hectare, labor, varieties and different types of fertilisers was carried out. The productivity scale of oil palm plantations is in the second area, namely decreasing return to scale. Opportunities to increase the productivity of oil palm plantations are very large. It indicates that in order to optimally increase the productivity of oil palm plantations, it is necessary to innovate oil palm plantations in an adaptive manner by allocating optimal production inputs as a result of research. Assistance is needed in procuring production facilities so that farmers can buy production inputs in the right amount, time and price. Originality / scientific novelty. This research is the first study to describe the effect of production inputs, especially single fertilisers, on the estimation of the actual production function and frontier production function using the Cobb-Douglas production function model. This research also explains the determinants and impacts of the number of trees and uses a dummy variable for superior seeds in the module used. Practical value / implications. The productivity function, the results of the evaluation of technical, allocative and economic efficiency of production in smallholder oil palm plantations in rural areas can be used by farmers. The government should intervene to optimise village economic institutions, such as village unit cooperatives, in order to provide fertilisers and herbicides in the right quantities, times and prices according to farmers’ needs.

Given constrained healthcare budgets and many competing demands, public health decision-making requires comparing the expected cost and health outcomes of alternative strategies and associated adoption and financing actions. Opportunity cost (comparing outcomes from the best alternative use of budgets or actions in decision making) and more recently net benefit criteria (relative valuing of effects at a threshold value less costs) have been key concepts and metrics applied toward making such decisions. In an ideal world, opportunity cost and net benefit criteria should be mutually supportive and consistent. However, that requires a threshold value to align net benefit with opportunity cost assessment. This perspective piece shows that using the health shadow price as the ICER threshold aligns net benefit and opportunity cost criteria for joint adoption and financing actions that arise when reimbursing any new strategy or technology under a constrained budget. For an investment strategy with ICER at the health shadow price Bc = 1/(1/n + 1/d-1/m), net benefit of reimbursing (adopting and financing) that strategy given an incremental cost-effectiveness ration (ICER) of actual displacement, d, in financing, is shown to be equivalent to that of the best alternative actions, the most cost-effective expansion of existing programs (ICER = n) funded by the contraction of the least cost-effective programs (ICER = m). Net benefit is correspondingly positive or negative if it is below or above this threshold. Implications are discussed for creating pathways to optimal public health decision-making with appropriate incentives for efficient displacement as well as for adoption actions and related research.

Abstract This study applied a stochastic frontier production model to analyze the technical (TE), allocative (AE), and economic (EE) efficiencies of intensive shrimp farming households, and to identify socioeconomic and shrimp farm‐specific factors (farm size, labor, feed, seed, chemicals/medicine) that influence the TE, AE, and EE of shrimp production in the Ca Mau, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu, and Tra Vinh provinces of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The AE was calculated based on TE and EE. The stochastic frontier production and cost function model were used to evaluate the EE and TE at the shrimp farming household level. The results showed that the mean TE, AE, and EE of shrimp farming systems were 75%, 68.5%, and 61.4%, respectively. Age, gender, education, experience, cooperatives, and technical training significantly impacted the efficiency of shrimp production. The results suggest that shrimp farmers can improve shrimp productivity and EE by decreasing feed cost (FEE) and medicine/chemical cost (MED) of farm inputs. The study showed that shrimp farmers who participated in training activities, cooperatives, or management boards of aquaculture associations were more technically efficient than other farmers. The findings of this study provide essential information about the TE, AE, and EE of shrimp production, which can help local policy makers and shrimp farmers in the region to make better decisions on how to improve the EE and sustainability of shrimp production in the future. There is a need for recommendations on how to improve policies, technical guidance, and training courses on feed management and feeding practices, water quality, and disease management, to help shrimp farmers in the coastal provinces of the Mekong Delta to improve their shrimp production efficiencies in the future.

This study applies data envelopment analysis (DEA) to gauge technical efficiency and allocative efficiency in China’s beef cattle-fattening industry using survey data. The Tobit model considers the salient determinants that drive these efficiencies. The results indicate that (1) large-scale farms exhibit robust TE and pure technical efficiencies (PTE), whereas scale efficiencies (SE) diverge significantly between large and medium-sized operations. The cost efficiency (CE) of smaller farms lags behind their larger counterparts, with the latter displaying greater revenue efficiencies (RE) and profit efficiency (PE). (2) The influence of identical factors on the efficiency of beef cattle fattening production can vary, sometimes antithetically, across different scales. Local policy interventions must be differentiated according to farm type and size. (3) The unique context of China’s national conditions and the status quo of livestock farming render the dual implementation of environmental regulations and technological subsidies less viable for Chinese beef cattle farms. These entities should prioritize production over technological innovation and advancement. Policymakers should adopt strategies such as targeted skill/technological training for farm managers at particular scales of operation. This could represent a critical trajectory to augment the efficiency of beef cattle production and increase beef yield in China.

The effective allocation of educational resources has significant practical value and importance in ensuring the fairness of education. The study examines the efficiency of educational resource allocation for 30 schools in City Z from 2020 to 2023 using the DEA model. Reasonable data are screened out based on the DEA model, and then the MLP model is used to construct a model of educational resource allocation efficiency, and the sample data are comprehensively evaluated, so as to screen out the optimal program. Then, according to the results of the MLP model, we determine the importance of each input parameter to obtain the reference basis for adjusting each investment factor to improve the efficiency of educational resources. The method for improving the dynamic allocation efficiency of educational resources is summarized at the end. The allocation efficiency of educational resources in the sample schools is above the medium level, and the comprehensive technical efficiency is 0.61~0.67, which fails to maximize the use of educational resources. The MLP model has a good predictive effect on output variables, and the teaching area (0.319), paper books (0.281), and fixed investment (0.269) are the most important input factors. It is recommended that the DEA-MLP model be used to optimize and optimize the resource management system, improve the scientific evaluation and supervision system, and enhance the management capacity of teachers, so as to further promote the efficiency of the dynamic allocation of educational resources.

• Examining impact of internet on allocative efficiency of factors of production. • Study of Chinese manufacturing industry 1998 to 2013 for 29 provinces. • IV based on historical data of landline phones against potential endogeneity. • Internet improves capital and labour allocative efficiency. • Heterogeneous effects in different industries and stronger in low-tech industries. Using data from the Annual Survey of Industrial Firms conducted from 1998 to 2013 in China, this study examines whether the expansion of the Internet improves the allocative efficiency of production factors in manufacturing industry. Allocative efficiency is measured by the deviation of the actual output from the hypothetical efficient output level. We construct an instrumental variable based on historical data to address potential endogeneity. The results highlight that the Internet improves capital and labour allocative efficiency and has heterogeneous effects in different industries. The effect is larger in low-technology industries. As a technology augmenting production factor, the Internet significantly improves the allocative efficiency of capital (labour) in the industries that use capital (labour) intensively. The mechanism analysis reveals that the Internet improves the allocative efficiency of firms by reducing their overhead expenses and raising the exit rate of inefficient firms from the market. This study extends the research on the effect of Internet and explores the causal relationship between the Internet and the allocative efficiency within industries, to highlight the importance of digital technology in economic growth, especially in the context of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing attention to corporate sustainability has favoured the emergence of paradigms aimed at understanding the interaction between the economic and the environmental sustainability dimensions. While a win‐win paradigm initially arose basically aimed at emphasizing the potential synergies between these two objectives, an alternative vision based on a logic of trade‐off has subsequently emerged, foreseeing that improvement in one perspective can often be harmful to the other. Focusing on the EU energy production industry, this study adopts a data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach with the aim to assess whether mutual impact there exists between the economic and the environmental sides reflecting a win‐win or a trade‐off relationship. Furthermore, as prioritizing sustainability indicators has been recognized in the ongoing debate as a useful way to build effective sustainability practices, our assessment of the mutual impact accommodates the possibility that the resulting evidence may change when priority is placed, alternatively, to the economic or the environmental sustainability concern. The results show how the environmental goal enters in a trade‐off relationship with the economic one when priority is placed on the environmental dimension. This casts doubts on the feasibility of a spontaneous path towards the strengthening of renewable sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Patients in residential aged care facilities (RACF) are frequently admitted to hospital since the RACF often lack adequate medical resources. Different economic agents, whose missions and funding may conflict, provide care for RACF residents: residential facility, primary care physicians, and hospital. In this article, I estimate the economic impact of employing a mobile hospital team (MHT) in RACF, which modifies the relationship between these three agents by providing care directly in RACF. Method: A national, patient level database on RACF from 2014 to 2017 is used to calculate RACF outcome indicators. I analyse the difference between RACFs, that use MHT for the first time during the period (treatment group), and those that did not use MHT at all in the same period using a difference in difference (DID) model. Results: The MHT had a significant impact on health care quality in treated RACFs and reduced the number of patients transferred to hospital and the number of emergency department visits, and increased palliative care utilisation at the end-of-life, without increasing total hospital expenditure. Conclusion: MHT appear improve care quality in RACFs by filling the gap in care needs including better end of life care, without increasing health expenditure. Given the high number of hospital transfers especially towards the end of life, securing the right level and mix of social and medical resources in RACFs is essential. Transferring some competencies of MHT teams to residential facilities may improve the quality of life of residents while improving allocative efficiency of public resources. Highlights: Mobile hospital teams improve care quality and end of life care in residential care facilities. They help to reduce hospital admissions and to develop palliative care. This intervention does not increase the costs for public payers. Integrating these treatments in residential care funding could improve system-wide efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied a stochastic frontier production model to analyze the technical (TE), allocative (AE), and economic (EE) efficiencies of intensive shrimp farming households, and to identify socioeconomic and shrimp farm‐specific factors (farm size, labor, feed, seed, chemicals/medicine) that influence the TE, AE, and EE of shrimp production in the Ca Mau, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu, and Tra Vinh provinces of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The AE was calculated based on TE and EE. The stochastic frontier production and cost function model were used to evaluate the EE and TE at the shrimp farming household level. The results showed that the mean TE, AE, and EE of shrimp farming systems were 75%, 68.5%, and 61.4%, respectively. Age, gender, education, experience, cooperatives, and technical training significantly impacted the efficiency of shrimp production. The results suggest that shrimp farmers can improve shrimp productivity and EE by decreasing feed cost (FEE) and medicine/chemical cost (MED) of farm inputs. The study showed that shrimp farmers who participated in training activities, cooperatives, or management boards of aquaculture associations were more technically efficient than other farmers. The findings of this study provide essential information about the TE, AE, and EE of shrimp production, which can help local policy makers and shrimp farmers in the region to make better decisions on how to improve the EE and sustainability of shrimp production in the future. There is a need for recommendations on how to improve policies, technical guidance, and training courses on feed management and feeding practices, water quality, and disease management, to help shrimp farmers in the coastal provinces of the Mekong Delta to improve their shrimp production efficiencies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Overuse of imaging results in cost increases, with little to no benefit to patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate imaging tests and radiology equipment over a ten-year period in 16 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Methods. Twelve countries were included in a time-trend analysis based on OECD indicators on diagnostic imaging (computer tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], and positron emission tomography [PET]). These annual indicators included the number of exams per 1000 population, the number of devices per million population, and the number of exams per device. Average annual percent change was used to measure country-specific trends. Results. Most countries saw a rise in the exam-to-scanner ratio for CT, MRI, and PET, demonstrating a faster increase in exam volume than device volume. Italy exhibited an increase in CT, MRI, and PET equipment units during the same period, but not in exams, most likely due to a reduction in medical procedures during the pandemic. Only in Luxemburg, CT and PET examinations increased despite a reduction in scanners. Conclusions. Considering the expected increasing demand for diagnostics due to the evolving needs of the population, proper governance and resource allocation are necessary requirements for cost-efficient health systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of the labour market regulations on Greek tourism industry performance. The tourism industry, the steam engine of the Greek economy, always drives to enhance efforts to reach further savings in operating costs. However, the labour regulations that influence the tourism sector's ability to adjust costs have not been thoroughly investigated. We present a novel methodology that permits the evaluation of the effect of labour market regulations on technical and allocative efficiency in one step. The empirical results demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between labour regulations and efficiency. Labour market liberalization is associated with improvements in allocative efficiency but may have opposite effects on technical efficiency. Policymakers should pay attention to these complicated interactions when planning reforms on labour market. JEL codes : D24, D61, J30, J80, Z30 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Modern Economic Science is the property of Modern Economic Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We introduce two desirable properties concerning the allocative efficiency term in the decomposition of economic efficiency. Since Farrell, economic efficiency, defined in terms of the cost, revenue, profitability, or profit functions, is decomposed into a technical efficiency measure and allocative efficiency. Resorting to duality theory, allocative efficiency is calculated as a residual. In this framework, we show that this residual is numerically inconsistent for several economic efficiency decompositions: those based on the Russell Efficiency Measures, the Slack-Based Measure and the Weighted Additive Measures. It should be expected that a technical inefficient firm, if projected to the optimal economic benchmark, e.g., that maximizing profit, should be allocative efficient, yet we show that the above decompositions may signal that it is allocative inefficient. Our first property, called 'essential,' demands that economic efficiency decompositions satisfy the above criterion. We also extend this property by requiring that the allocative efficiency of a technically inefficient firm, evaluated at the projected benchmark on the production frontier, coincides with the allocative efficiency of the benchmark itself. Regarding this extension of the property, we show that, besides the measures mentioned above, the Directional Distance Function and the Hölder Distance Function fail in general to comply with it. However, we also prove that, thanks to the flexibility of these two approaches in choosing a common directional vector for all the assessed firms or a specific Hölder norm, these measures may satisfy the extended essential property. We conclude that unless both properties are fulfilled, the (residual) allocative component of many previously published decompositions cannot be correctly interpreted as price inefficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates whether the devolution reform of forestland to household management improves allocative efficiency and household welfare through participation in forestland rental markets. Using a household panel dataset from three Chinese provinces, we find positive effects of the emerging forestland rental markets: with the reform, forestland was transferred to forestland-constrained and labour-rich households and households with higher levels of productivity in forestry. Participation in forestland rental markets increases household per-capita income and decreases the likelihood of income falling below the poverty line. We do not find any support for forestland captured by land-richer, wealthier, larger or powerful households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focuses on analyzing economic efficiency, technical efficiency (TE), allocative efficiency (AE) and profit (CE) in household lotus root cultivation in Soc Trang province, Vietnam. Along with that, Stata software is applied to estimate production efficiency. Research results show that lotus growing households have an average yield of 8.29 tons/ha; average profit reached 49,357,143 VND/ha; the average revenue/cost ratio is 174%; profit/cost ratio is 73% and profit/sales ratio is 42%. This is a quite encouraging result, showing that compared to other crops, lotus root has higher economic efficiency. In addition, the article also analyzes the limitations and causes of the limitations affecting the production efficiency of lotus growers in the province such as the ineffective use of fertilizers and pesticides, causing waste of time. fee. Farmers have not been trained in technical processes, so they have not applied technical learning to production to increase productivity and reduce costs. Harvesting is still quite manual, which is labor intensive and reduces the quality of tubers after harvest. From there, provide solutions as well as recommendations to local authorities and lotus growing households to increase productivity and reduce costs in order to improve the efficiency of lotus root production of lotus growers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper improves the estimation of firm‐level total factor productivity (TFP) by considering energy use and including small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises using data from the Chinese National Tax Survey Database (2008–2011). It analyzes the production efficiency of Chinese manufacturing firms using the improved TFP data and finds that (i) the TFP data frequently used in previous studies overestimated firms' real production efficiency; (ii) the TFP of manufacturing firms decreased from 2008 to 2011 due to declines in both technical efficiency and allocation efficiency; (iii) the lower capacity utilization of production factors led to lower technical efficiency; and (iv) allocation efficiency decreased more in provinces and industries with higher shares of state‐owned enterprises. The findings have policy implications for enhancing growth potential in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficiency of the use of inputs in the farming field in the effort to reach an optimal profit in the farming field and environment continuity in agriculture. The correct inputs placement will increase the efficiency and productivity in the rice farming field. This research aims to analyze the impact of the use of seeds, urea, phonska, sp36, pesticides, and labor on the productivity of rice farming and the efficiency level in the use of production factors in the rice farming field in Desa Srikaton, Buay Madang Timur District, East OKU Regency. The quantitative method is used in this research. The data are collected by using questionnaire. There are 60 participants which are determined by cluster sampling technique. Primary and secondary data are used as supporting data. The data are analyzed by using regression technique, using Cobb-Douglas production function model, and allocative efficiency analysis. The result shows that urea, phonska, pesticides, and labor had a positive impact on rice production, while seeds and sp36 had no effect on rice production. In Desa Srikaton rice farming field, the production inputs such as seeds, urea, sp36, pesticide, and labor have not efficient yet, while production inputs such as phonska fertilizer are not efficient.

The aimed of research was to make a comparison of the economic efficiency of wheat crop producers in the desert areas of Karbala governorate for adopters of pivot irrigation technology and those who do not adopt by measuring the economic efficiency and its components (technical and allocative) using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Through the quantities and prices of resources and estimation of the surplus and deficit quantities of the resources used to actually produce the wheat crop and the quantities achieved for efficiency and by focusing on the irrigation water resource and based on field data for a random sample. The sample size for wheat producers in the pivot irrigation system was (100) farmers out of (571) farmers in Ain Al-Tamr district according to the agricultural plan of the Karbala Agriculture directorate with a sample of wheat crop producers in the tourist irrigation system (100) farmers Out of (178) farmers in Al-Hur district according to the agricultural plan of the Karbala agriculture directorate through direct interviews with farmers, By analyzing the data envelopment of the research sample, it was found that the farms under the pivot irrigation system achieved full technical efficiency and the stability of the return to scale by 22% of the total sample, while the farms under the pivot irrigation system achieved a percentage of 0.5% This indicates the importance of the pivot sprinkler irrigation technique in reducing the resources used to achieve complete technical efficiency, and the most important of these resources is the irrigation water resource. The average allocative efficiency was (0.82) and economic efficiency (0.72) in the center pivot irrigation system, Due to the good exploitation of the resources used in production, these farms can become more efficient if the support of modern technologies in agricultural production is increased, which reduces production costs and raises the level of allocative and economic efficiency, By estimating the size of the economic resources and the amount of surplus or deficit of resources to produce the wheat crop for the research sample, It was found that there are surplus quantities of productive resources used in the production of the wheat crop (cultivated areas, seeds, dab fertilizer, urea fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation water, mechanized work) under the tourist irrigation system compared to the farms operating under the pivot irrigation system.

Conventional economic theory indicates that the free market contributes to allocative efficiency. However, specific energy markets present network industry characteristics which distance them from perfect competition. These markets, therefore, need effective regulation. The liberalizing reforms which took place in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and emerging countries from the 1990s onwards have reduced the share of state ownership in the energy sector, but not its functions of regulation, coordination and planning. It is also worth noting the expansion of the government's agenda due to the energy transition that has unequivocally imposed itself in the 21st century. This article uses the Slacks-Based Measure of the Data Envelopment Analysis (SBM-DEA) methodology to investigate the relationship between market liberalization and sustainability in a low-carbon energy transition context. Taking the cases of the natural gas and electricity markets, we verify whether liberalization contributes to the progress of the energy transition, driven by the emergency need to tackle climate change. The results show that the most advanced markets, in their processes of opening up, tend to be positively associated with a more vigorous energy transition. European nations, such as the United Kingdom and Norway, have experienced a relatively more advanced market liberalization leading to an efficient path toward energy transition. Chile, Canada and Colombia also have efficient scores regarding their energy transitions. For low performing countries, such as Brazil, the study suggests some calls for action that should be pursued to improve their energy market indicators, resulting in a stronger energy transition towards renewables, more competitive energy prices and a larger participation of natural gas in the energy mix, which will contribute to decreasing its external dependency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is an agricultural corporation more efficient than a traditional family farm? This paper attempts to answer this question by examining the technical and allocative efficiency of family farms and agricultural corporations. To do so, it applies the stochastic production frontier method in panel data built on the family farms and agricultural corporations in the Japanese rice sector and focuses on comparing the technical and allocative efficiency of the two production forms at the same scale of operation. Results reveal that family farms have a significant advantage over agricultural corporations in technical efficiency at each level of scale of operation. In both production forms, as the scale of operation increases, the technical efficiency correspondingly rises. However, the disparity in technical efficiency diminishes between the two production forms as their land size increases. In contrast, the allocative efficiency of different factors differs between family farms and agricultural corporations at different scales of land size. Overall, family farms show superiority in the allocative efficiency of labour, and agricultural corporations exhibit superiority in the allocative efficiency of agricultural capital. Last, decomposition of total productivity progress (TFP) reveals that family farms have positive TFP change which is mainly attributable to a positive and large allocative component, while agricultural corporations undergo negative TFP change due to its negative and large allocative component. Moreover, the results intimate that technical progress and technical efficiency improvement are faster in agricultural corporations than in family farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government control distorts energy prices which leads to loss of optimal factor combination and, as a result, affects efficiency. Previous researches on energy price distortions did not pay attention to the allocative efficiency specifically. In this paper, we empirically estimate the impact of energy carriers' price distortion on allocative efficiency in 28 Iranian provinces during 2002–2015 using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). Results indicate that energy carriers' price distortions affect allocative efficiency negatively. However, allocative efficiency increased in 2011 due to the energy price reform of 2010; it showed a downward trend in the following years which means that energy price reform was effective only in the short-term. The energy price distortion trend and inefficiency changes are similar in all regions; nonetheless, there are differences in the measures caused by differences in energy consumption, the existence of energy-intensive industries, and technical barriers. Furthermore, among the 28 provinces which are classified to 5 regions, region 2 has the lowest and region 3 has the biggest price distortion during the same period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the analysis of the economic efficiency of Slovenian coastal hotel companies in the period between 2015 and 2018. We applied non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis to estimate economic efficiency and the panel regression analysis to explain the association between economic efficiency, economic growth, and the hotel location. The results showed that most coastal hotel companies were economically inefficient associated with decreasing returns to scale. As a key source of inefficiency we identified inappropriate allocation of inputs. Given the high concentration of hotels in the municipality of Piran, the hypothesis on higher efficiencies in this location area has been rejected. Most coastal municipalities were negatively related to the economic efficiency of the hotel companies. We also rejected the hypothesis that economic growth affected the economic efficiency of the Slovenian coastal hotel companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]