In this paper we introduce a state-space approach to the econometric modelling of cross-sectional specific trends (temporal variation in individual heterogeneity) and time varying slopes in the context of panel data regressions. We show that our state-space panel stochastic frontier model nests...

Despite its economic development, the average length of trials in Italy is one of the highest in the world. In this paper we analyze the efficiency of the Italian courts of justice for the period 2003 to 2008. Results show that technical efficiency (lack of best practice adoption) is almost 40%...

In this paper an encompassing empirical strategy is presented which is able to decompose an indicator of industrial structural inefficiency into its sources components. The main purpose of the analysis is to bring a number of ideas floating in the efficiency literature together in the same...

The endogenous approach to regional development policy has become central over the last decade. By employing the conditional frontier approach, this paper investigates the relative contribution to labour productivity growth of: (1) capital accumulation, (2) exogenous technical change and...

The estimated parameters of output distance functions frequently violate the monotonicity, quasi-convexity and convexity constraints implied by economic theory, leading to estimated elasticities and shadow prices that are incorrectly signed, and ultimately to perverse conclusions concerning the...

The second edition of An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis is designed to be a general introduction for those who wish to study efficiency and productivity analysis. The book provides an accessible, well-written introduction to the four principal methods involved: econometric...

This paper employs a nonparametric approach to investigate the sources of growth in labor productivity for 77 countries and to decompose it in the following three components: (1) total factor productivity; (2) capital deepening; and (3) technological capabilities accumulation (a proxy of the...

A primal index of productivity change is introduced which decomposes exactly in three components: technical change, technical efficiency change and average scale economies (radial scale change). The proposed index is invariant to movement along indifference surfaces and it collapses to the...