Estimating economies of scale and scope with flexible technology
Fecha
2016Versión
Acceso abierto / Sarbide irekia
Tipo
Artículo / Artikulua
Versión
Versión aceptada / Onetsi den bertsioa
Impacto
|
10.1007/s11123-016-0467-1
Resumen
Economies of scope are typically modelled and estimated using a cost function that is common to all firms in an industry irrespective of their type, e.g. whether they specialize in a single output or produce multiple outputs. Instead, we estimate a flexible technology model that allows for type-specific technologies and show how it can be estimated using linear parametric forms including the tran ...
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Economies of scope are typically modelled and estimated using a cost function that is common to all firms in an industry irrespective of their type, e.g. whether they specialize in a single output or produce multiple outputs. Instead, we estimate a flexible technology model that allows for type-specific technologies and show how it can be estimated using linear parametric forms including the translog. A common technology remains a special case of our model and is testable econometrically. Our sample, of publicly owned US electric utilities, does not support a common technology for integrated and specialized firms. Our empirical results therefore suggest that assuming a common technology might bias estimates of economies of scale and scope. Thus, how we model the production technology clearly influences the policy conclusions we draw from its characteristics. [--]
Materias
Economies of scale and scope,
Flexible technology,
Electric utilities,
Vertical integration,
Translog cost function
Editor
Springer
Publicado en
Journal of Productivity Analysis, 2016, 45, 173-186
Departamento
Universidad Pública de Navarra. Departamento de Gestión de Empresas /
Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa. Enpresen Kudeaketa Saila
Versión del editor
Entidades Financiadoras
Pablo Arocena and David Saal acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project ECO2010-21242-C03-03).