O Desempenho da Produtividade da Indústria de Transformação Brasileira - 1996-2002: Uma Abordagem Utilizando o Índice de Produtividade de Malmquist.

The paper has objective to present productivity performance of brazilian industrial sector using Malmquist TPF index and its components (efficiency change and technical change)between 1996 and 2002. The productivity index used is Malmquist index, that follow Färe et alli (1994) methodology, and is calculated by two methods: stochastic frontier analysis (SFA)and data envelopment analysis (DEA). In both methods, the Brazilian industry obtained gains efficiency, technical frontier regress and there was decline in TPF of industry pulled by technical frontier regress. Otherwise, the division of full period into two samples, prior and posterior to the change in the exchange-rate regime, did not contribute to explain observed changes in Malmquist index and its components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]