This article analyzes the efficiency of Comunitat Valenciana (Spain) local governments and their main explanatory variables. The analysis is performed in two stages. Firstly, efficiency is measured via (nonparametric) activity analysis techniques. The measurement techniques also enable the...

In this paper we explore in depth the effect of process innovations on total factor productivity growth for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), taking into account the potential endogeneity problem that may be caused by self selection into these activities. First, we analyse whether the ex-ante...

The aim of this paper is to analyse the role of human capital in the productivity gains of the countries of the OECD in the period 1965-90, breaking down the productivity gains into technicalchange and gains in efficiency. For this purpose we use both a stochastic frontier production function...

This study analyzes the links between efficiency and the decentralization of competencies among Spanish local governments for years 1995 and 2000. The aim is pursued by considering a two-stage activity analysis model in which the performance of eachmunicipality is first evaluated against other...

Over the last few years, there has been a devolutionary tendency in many developed and developingcountries. In this article we propose a methodology to decompose whether the benefits in terms ofefficiency derived from transfers of powers from higher to municipal levels of government...

A fundamental question about the analysis of financial information is the potential manipulations that could be introduced by insiders in the information that is revealed to investors. In this context, this article is focused on the analysis of abnormal accruals as a potential instrument to...