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This research employs econometric analysis on a cross section of American electricity companies in order to study the cost implications associated with unbundling the operations of integrated companies into vertically and/or horizontally separated companies. Focusing on the representative sample average firm, we find that complete horizontal and vertical disintegration resulting in the creation of separate nuclear, conventional, and hydro electric generation companies as well as a separate firm distributing power to final consumers, results in a statistically significant 13.5 percent increase in costs. Maintaining a horizontally integrated generator producing nuclear, conventional, and hydro electric generation while imposing vertical separation by creating a stand alone distribution company, results in a lower but still substantial and statistically significant cost penalty amounting to an 8.1 % increase in costs relative to a fully integrated structure. As these results imply that a vertically separated but horizontally integrated generation firm would need to reduce the costs of generation by 11% just to recoup the cost increases associated with vertical separation, even the costs associated with just vertical unbundling are quite substantial. Our paper is also the first academic paper we are aware of that systematically considers the impact of generation mix on vertical, horizontal, and overall scope economies. As a result, we are able to demonstrate that the estimated cost of unbundling in the electricity sector is substantially influenced by generation mix. Thus, for example, we find evidence of strong vertical integration economies between nuclear and conventional generation, but little evidence for vertical integration benefits between hydro generation and the distribution of power. In contrast, we find strong evidence suggesting the presence of substantial horizontal integration economies associated with the joint production of hydro generation with nuclear and/or conventional fossil fuel generation. These results are significant because they indicate that the cost of unbundling the electricity sector will differ substantially in different systems, meaning that a blanket regulatory policy with regard to the appropriateness of vertical and horizontal unbundling is likely to be inappropriate.

This paper develops a new measure of total factor productivity growth in agricultural production which incorporates environmental effects. The new measure is called the Total Factor Nutrient-Orientated Productivity (TFNP) Index, and incorporates a materials balance condition. TFNP measures changes in nutrient-orientated efficiency and can be decomposed into efficiency change (EC), technological change (TC) and nutrient-orientated technological change (NTC) components. An empirical analysis, involving country-level data from OECD countries during 1990-2003, is provided using DEA methods. Estimates of mean technical and nutrient-orientated efficiency are 0.798 and 0.526, respectively. Estimated mean TFNP growth is 1.5% per year, with nutrient-orientated technological progress contributing 0.8%.

In this paper we use data on five social inclusion indicators (poverty, inequality, unemployment, education and health) to assess the performance of 15 European welfare states (EU15) over a ten-year period from 1995 to 2004. Aggregate measures of performance are obtained using index number methods similar to those employed in the construction of the widely used Human Development Index (HDI). These are compared with alternative measures derived from data envelopment analysis (DEA) methods. The influence of methodology choice and the assumptions made in scaling indicators upon the results obtained is illustrated and discussed. We also analyse the evolution of performance over time, finding evidence of some convergence in performance and no sign of social dumping.

In this paper we use data on five social inclusion indicators (poverty, inequality, unemployment, education and health) to assess the performance of 15 European welfare states (EU15) over a ten-year period from 1995 to 2004. Aggregate measures of performance are obtained using index number methods similar to those employed in the construction of the widely used Human Development Index (HDI). These are compared with alternative measures derived from data envelopment analysis (DEA) methods. The influence of methodology choice and the assumptions made in scaling indicators upon the results obtained is illustrated and discussed. We also analyse the evolution of performance over time, finding evidence of some convergence in performance and no sign of social dumping.

In this paper we analyse the effects of microfinance programs upon household welfare in Vietnam. Our analytical framework builds upon the rural household models of Singh et al. (1986) and Rosenzweig (1990). Data on 470 households across 25 villages was collected using a quasiexperiment survey approach to overcome self-selection bias. In our econometric analysis the welfare effects of microfinance are proxied using measures of household income and consumption. The empirical results indicate that participation in microfinance has a positive effect upon household welfare, with the size of the effect increasing at a decreasing rate as a household spends more time in the microfinance program.

Have the 1992 and 2000 CAP reforms had any discernable effect upon agricultural productivity? In this study we derive detailed information on the total factor productivity (TFP) growth of arable farms in Belgium over a 16-year period from 1987 to 2002. Calculations are based on a carefully constructed high-quality detailed farm-level data set containing 1728 observations, involving over 100 farms in most years. Three output variables (cereals, other crops, other outputs) and four input variables (land, labour, capital and other inputs) are constructed, using multilateral Fisher index numbers where crop aggregation is required. The TFP measures are calculated using a Malmquist TFP index relative to a series of data envelopment analysis (DEA) frontiers. Annual average TFP change of 1.0% per year is estimated for this industry. This rate does not compare well with rates of over 2% that are commonly reported in studies involving other developed countries. The pattern of TFP growth over the period indicates that the two CAP reforms (in 1992 and 2000) have had no discernable effect upon TFP trends. An inspection of shadow shares (derived from the DEA frontiers) indicates that substantial distortions remain in this industry, especially with regards to the excess use of labour and constrained use of land, relative to other inputs. Finally, tabulation of results by region and farm size shows fairly uniform TFP change across regions, but poor performance in small farms, where TFP actually levels actually fell over this period.