Advances in Efficiency and Productivity Analysis

The volume examines the state-of-the-art of productivity and efficiency analysis. It brings together a selection of the best papers from the 10th North American Productivity Workshop. By analyzing world-wide perspectives on challenges that local economies and institutions may face when changes in productivity are observed, readers can quickly assess the impact of productivity measurement, productivity growth, dynamics of productivity change, measures of labor productivity, measures of technical efficiency in different sectors, frontier analysis, measures of performance, industry instability and spillover effects.

The contributions in this volume focus on the theory and application of economics, econometrics, statistics, management science and operational research related to problems in the areas of productivity and efficiency measurement. Popular techniques and methodologies including stochastic frontier analysis and data envelopment analysis are represented. Chapters also cover broader issues related to measuring, understanding, incentivizing and improving the productivity and performance of firms, public services, and industries.

Christopher F. Parmeter is an associate professor at the University of Miami. His research focuses on applied econometrics across a broad array of fields in economics including economic growth, microfinance, international trade, environmental economics and health economics. Professor Parmeter has served as associate editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Empirical Economics, Journal of African Business and Journal of Productivity Analysis.

Robin C. Sickles is the Reginald Henry Hargrove Professor of Economics, a Joint Professor at the Department of Statistics at Rice, and an Adjunct Professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is also a Research Associate at the Ovideo (Spain) Efficiency Group and a Member of Executive Committee for the International Finance and Banking Society. Professor Sickles is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Productivity Analysis. His research interests center around applied economics and empirical measurement of productivity.