We use the simulation model ofCbalfallt and Gallant (IUS5) to investigate the fit of a Fourier flexible form to a cost function when interest is t.o estimate elasticities of substitution. The data is subject to errors in variables and the estimation method is seemingly unrelated regressions. \IVe use two approximating Fourier functional forms * Hesearch supported by C:-IPq ** Banco do Brasil, C...

this study analyses the concept of cost functions for semi-automated straddle carrier (sc), rubber tyred gantry (rtg) and automated rail mounted gantry (rmg) container yard operating cranes. it develops a generic cost based model for a pair-wise comparison, analysis and evaluation of economic efficiency and effectiveness of container yard equipment to be used for decision-making by terminal pla...

This paper examines the cost structure particularly cost elasticities, returns to scale, marginal cost of production, technological progress, demand for factor of production, and factor substitution in publicly owned State Transport Undertakings (STUs) in India. To examine these issues, a translog cost function is estimated jointly with factor share equations subject to required coefficient res...

This paper examines the cost efficiency in the nursing home industry, an issue of concern to Swiss policy makers because of the explosive growth of national expenditure on elderly care and the aging of the population. A stochastic cost frontier model with a translog function has been applied to a balanced panel data of 1780 observations from 356 nursing homes operating over five years (1998-200...

The paper reports about a case study in algebraic specification. It describes TransLog, a transformation tool for pure Prolog programs. TransLog supports the interactive transformation of (a part of) a program. Six transformation steps are supported: unfolding, folding, goal definition, argument permutation (an instance of goal replacement), goal switching and definition elimination. As much as...

This paper explores the role of unobserved managerial ability in production and its relationship with technical efficiency. Previous analyses of managerial ability have been based on strong assumptions about its role in production or on the use of proxies. We avoid these limitations by introducing managerial ability as an unobserved random variable in a translog production function. The resulti...

In this paper, we formulate a behavioral model under uncertainty to estimate the total factor productivity in the Taiwan banking industry. In particular, the paper provides a model based on the safety-first rule under uncertainty to measure the risk premium in banking operations that are subject to loan default and other investment risks. Using panel data of forty banks in 1981-1996, a translog...