Explore the vast range of titles available.

This research applies the stochastic frontier analysis benchmarking method to measure the performance of the water sector in Portugal. It estimates a multiproduct translog cost function in order to study the efficiency of the water and sewerage services, using an unbalanced panel comprising 68 Portuguese water utilities for the biennium 2004–2005. The sample is formed by concessionaire companies, municipal companies and semi-autonomous utilities which represent approximately 61% of the Portuguese population, around 6.4 million inhabitants. The water utilities studied have a satisfactory level of efficiency (89% on average). The study points to the assumption that private utilities are, on average, more efficient than public utilities and that there are benefits if the companies specialize in providing a single activity. It also leads to the conclusion that there are increasing economies of scale and decreasing economies of scope associated with the Portuguese water sector.

Pooling diversified and specialized firm data to analyze multiproduct cost technologies raises two issues in applied research: (1) a functional form must be specified that accommodates zero outputs, and (2) assumptions must be made regarding the structure of the multiproduct technology when some outputs are not produced. This article introduces a methodology to estimate the translog multiproduct cost function in the presence of zero outputs. The method adds flexibility to allow for and test competing structural assumptions. The added flexibility can improve measurement of the global properties of multiproduct cost structures. An application to a cross section of U.S. railway firms demonstrates this key advantage.

This paper examines the pricing strategy of water services relative to marginal cost and second-best pricing rules, which is a principal concern of utility commissions. The water utility is viewed as a multiproduct firm providing residential and nonresidential services, and a translog multiproduct cost function is estimated for a cross section of U.S. water utilities. Marginal costs are estimated and combined with demand elasticities to simulate second-best prices for water services. Results show that while the existing price structure is quite different from the one suggested by marginal costs, it does not depart substantially from the second-best optimum.

依據民國七十八年臺灣同時經營出國旅遊與代辦業務的旅行社普查資料，透過對TMCF與要素份額方程式所組成的近似無關聯立模型進行估計，本文發現，整體而言，該業務組合旅行社具有產品別與射線規模經濟，然出國旅遊與代辦業務間卻顯著地不具有弱成本互補性。但當以出國旅遊人次區分大、中、小型旅行社後，本文進一步發現，中小型旅行社的出國旅遊與代辦業務間具有弱成本互補性及多樣化經濟，而大型旅行社則不具弱成本互補性。因此，為降低平均成本，本文建議，中小型旅行社可朝多樣化經營發展，而大型旅行社可考慮專業化

Retail fertilizer plants produce a number of products and services. To analyze the relationship between cost and output for these multiproduct firms, a short-run, translog cost function is estimated using pooled data. Measures of economies of scope and scale are calculated. Results indicate plants can lower average cost by increasing output and by diversifying into anhydrous ammonia. Furthermore, preliminary evidence indicates that firms in the sample are overinvested in plant and equipment.