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In this paper we demonstrate that the measures of scale and scope economies may be elusive if failing to consider quality variation among universities and endogeneity of congestion in students' learning and living facility utilization. Empirical results show that the private and highly congested universities have consistently underestimated the cost of congestion, which results in an upward bias in estimating the economies of scale and scope. Taking into account the quality of outputs in enrollments and the congestion factor, we find that the private and the more congested universities have much less scale and scope economies than the public and the less congested institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use data collected from a consumer survey of face-to-face interviews to determine consumer demand for genetically modified (GM) tofu attributes in Taiwan. Conjoint analysis using logit models reveals that, on average, brand is the most important attribute in terms of influence on consumers’ preferences, followed by price, with GM content having the least influence. However, the analysis also reveals three distinct market segments for tofu. Apart from the largest segment (which reflects the average lack of concern about GM food), the remaining two segments are split according to their preference or antipathy towards GM tofu. This result suggests that GM labelling is helpful to Taiwanese tofu consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a conceptual framework based on the random utility model in order to estimate a consumer's WTP for hypothetical safer seafood (HACCP) in Taiwan. Grouper, milkfish, and oyster were surveyed as the subjects. The average WTP for grouper, milkfish, and oyster with HACCP are about 53.15% (NT$45 per kg), 52% (NT$19 per kg), and 46% (NT$25 per kg) price increments, respectively, over the average price without HACCP (NT$84 per kg, $NT36 per kg, and $NT54 per kg). A high WTP value may imply a strong demand for health and good market potential for safer seafood in Taipei, Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a switching regression model is developed to analyze farmers' choice behavior and cost efficiency in field plowing arrangement in Taiwan. We find that the decision on the choice of plowing arrangement is determined by a cost comparison between self-plowing and hired-service, and other non-cost considerations, such as the availability of family labor and machinery, education level, non-farm income, age, and regional effects. Across a spectrum of farmer characteristics, empirical results indicate a potentially substantial cost-savings by hiring service for field plowing than by self-plowing. Self-plowing farmers also subject to a significant level of cost inefficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the proposed semiparametric smooth coefficient model for studying general regression relationship with varying coefficients. Estimation of the smooth coefficient function; Establishment of asymptotic distribution of semiparametric estimator; Decrease of the labor elasticity of output.

A limited information estimator for the multivariate ordinal probit model is developed. The main advantage of the estimator is that even for high dimensional models, the estimation procedure requires the evaluation of bivariate normal integrals only. The proposed estimator also avoids the potential problem of encountering local maxima in the estimation process, which is looming using maximum likelihood. The performance of the limited information estimator is shown by Monte Carlo experiments to be excellent and it is comparable to that of the maximum likelihood estimator. Finally, an application of the limited information multivariate ordinal probit to model the consumption level of cigarette, alcohol and betel nut is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development is argued to exist in weak and strong versions. Although the use of a property rights and contractual approach has been well understood in the case of weak sustainable development, the approach has been virtually ignored in the strong version. This paper formulates a property rights and contractual approach for the strong version of sustainable development. By reference to an analytical model and examples from Hong Kong and Taiwan, a Schumpeterian process and the institution of resource entitlements are shown to be the necessary ingredients to promote the strong version of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes the average derivative estimation of Stoker (1986) and the pesudolikelihood estimation of Fan, Li, and Weersink (1996) to estimate a semiparametric stochastic frontier regression, y = g(x)+∊, where the function g (.) is unknown and s is a composite error in a standard setting. The proposed semiparametric method of estimation is applied to data on farmers' credit unions in Taiwan. Empirical results show that the banking services of the fanners' credit unions is subject to economies of scale, but high degree of cost inefficiency in operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of articles on productivity analysis. Efficiency and productivity in production, consumption and government spending; Econometric approach to modeling and estimating efficiency; Consumption efficiency of a product in price/quality space.