This paper analyses productivity growth and the nature of techni- cal change in a sample of Portuguese hydroelectric generating plants over the period 2001 to 2004. In a ¯rst step, we employ the Luen- berger productivity indicator to estimate and decompose productivity change. The results paint...

How to significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions has become one of the largest challenges faced by modern society. The standard recipe prescribed by most economists is to put a price on carbon, either through a tax or through emissions trading. Such measures can reduce emissions...

This contribution points out a minor problem in the specifcation of technology when computing the Luenberger productivity indicator that has been hitherto ignored in the literature. The solution of this problem increases the likelihood that the directional distance functions underlying this...

This paper analyses the nature of technical change in the French labour market. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is adopted to investigate productivity change in a sample of higher education leavers over the period 1999 and 2004. In a first step, the Luenberger Productivity Indicator (LPI) is...

The aim of this paper is to show the situation of the main European co-operative banking groups (or systems) through the analysis of particular aspects of their structure and the activities and services they offer, in order to compare these groups with the Spanish case to check if the different...

The Luenberger productivity indicator is employed to estimate and decompose productivity change in a sample of cooperative banks operating in 10 EU member states. An average annualised productivity growth of 2.59% is reported between 1996 and 2003, though there is heterogeneity in growth rates...

Aufgrund der starken regionalen Verankerung kann bei den Sparkassen ein besonderes Interesse an den Folgen des demographischen Wandels und speziell von Alterung und Abwanderung vermutet werden. Dabei sind die Sparkassen nicht nur über das Regionalprinzip eng mit einer bestimmten Region...

Aim of the paper is assessing, from 2001 to 2005, the impact of some changes affecting the Italian payment system on reserves demand and revenues of those banks directly participating in the new BI-REL, the Italian RTGS system. The results of the analysis carried out on 105 banks directly...

The European banking industry is undergoing significant structural changes and cost-cutting programs, also as a result of the financial crisis. Yet, the institutional features that affect banks’ ability to adjust costs and in particular personnel expenses, which comprise a significant part of...

Firms face a continuous process of technological and environmental changes that implies making managerial decisions in a dynamic context. However, costs and other constraints prevent firms from making instant adjustments towards optimal conditions and may cause inefficiency to be persistent in...