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Elasticities of substitution and complementarity

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  • David Stern

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Abstract

This paper develops a classification scheme of the many different definitions of elasticities of substitution and complementarity in the production case based on duality, gross and net substitution, elasticity type, and four different basic concepts of substitution and complementarity is developed. The classic Berndt-Wood dataset is used to show how the various elasticities differ. This variation is considerable and shows that the correct elasticity should be used for the intended purpose – there is no one true elasticity of substitution. The paper also reintroduces and clarifies Pigou’s contributions to the debate on the elasticity of substitution after seventy years of obscurity in which they have not been cited.

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11123-010-0203-1
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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Springer in its journal Journal of Productivity Analysis.

Volume (Year): 36 (2011)
Issue (Month): 1 (August)
Pages: 79-89

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Handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:36:y:2011:i:1:p:79-89

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Web page: http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=100296

Related research

Keywords: Microeconomics; History of economic thought; Production; Substitution; Elasticity; B21; D12; D24;

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References

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  1. Hongil Lim & C. Richard Shumway, 1997. "Technical Change and Model Specification: U.S. Agricultural Production," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 79(2), pages 543-554.
  2. Subhash C. Sharma, 2002. "The Morishima Elasticity of Substitution for the Variable Profit Function and the Demand for Imports in the United States," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 43(1), pages 115-135, February.
  3. George C. Davis & C. Richard Shumway, 1996. "To Tell the Truth about Interpreting the Morishima Elasticity of Substitution," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 44(2), pages 173-182, 07.
  4. Blackorby, Charles & Russell, R Robert, 1989. "Will the Real Elasticity of Substitution Please Stand Up? (A Comparison of the Allen/Uzawa and Morishima Elasticities)," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(4), pages 882-88, September.
  5. Berndt, Ernst R & Wood, David O, 1975. "Technology, Prices, and the Derived Demand for Energy," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 57(3), pages 259-68, August.
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  8. Lau, Lawrence J., 1978. "Applications of Profit Functions," Histoy of Economic Thought Chapters, in: Fuss, Melvyn & McFadden, Daniel (ed.), Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications, volume 1, chapter 3 McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought.
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  12. Blackorby, Charles & Russell, R Robert, 1981. "The Morishima Elasticity of Substitution; Symmetry, Constancy, Separability, and Its Relationship to the Hicks and Allen Elasticities," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 147-58, January.
  13. Hicks, John, 1970. "Elasticity of Substitution Again: Substitutes and Complements," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(3), pages 289-96, November.
  14. Olivier Grandville, 1997. "Curvature and the elasticity of substitution: Straightening it out," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 23-34, February.
  15. Peter Broer, 2004. "The Elasticities of Complementarity and Substitution," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-101/1, Tinbergen Institute.
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  17. Stern, David I., 2008. "Derivation of the Hicks Elasticity of Substitution from the Input Distance Function," MPRA Paper 12414, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  18. Kim, H Youn, 2000. "The Antonelli versus Hicks Elasticity of Complementary and Inverse Input Demand Systems," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 245-61, June.
  19. Samuelson, Paul A, 1974. "Complementarity-An Essay on the 40th Anniversary of the Hicks-Allen Revolution in Demand Theory," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 1255-89, December.
  20. Blackorby, Charles & Primont, Daniel & Russell, R. Robert, 2007. "The Morishima Gross Elasticity of Substitution," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 787, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
  21. Sato, Ryuzo & Koizumi, Tetsunori, 1973. "On the Elasticities of Substitution and Complementarity," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 25(1), pages 44-56, March.
  22. Paolo Bertoletti, 2005. "Elasticities of Substitution and Complementarity: A Synthesis," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 183-196, October.
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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. A. Ruijs & M. Kortelainen & A. Wossink & C.J.E. Schulp & R. Alkemade & Paul Madden, 2012. "Opportunity cost estimation of ecosystem services," The School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 1222, Economics, The University of Manchester.
  2. Stern, David I., 2009. "Interfuel Substitution: A Meta-Analysis," Research Reports 94882, Australian National University, Environmental Economics Research Hub.
  3. Sauer, Johannes & Walsh, John & Zilberman, David, 2012. "Behavioural Change through Agri-Environmental Policies ? – A Distance Function based Matching Approach," 86th Annual Conference, April 16-18, 2012, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 134783, Agricultural Economics Society.
  4. Sauer, Johannes & Davidova, Sophia & Gorton, Matthew, 2012. "Land Fragmentation and Market Integration - Heterogeneous Technologies in Kosovo," 52nd Annual Conference, Stuttgart, Germany, September 26-28, 2012 137385, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
  5. Blackorby, Charles & Primont, Daniel & Russell, R. Robert, 2007. "The Morishima Gross Elasticity of Substitution," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 787, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
  6. Eric Heyer & Florian Pelgrin & Arnaud Sylvain, 2004. "Translog ou Cobb-Douglas? Le rôle des durées d'utilisation des facteurs," Working Papers 04-19, Bank of Canada.
  7. Marin, Giovanni & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2009. "The dynamics of delinking in industrial emissions: The role of productivity, trade and R&D," MPRA Paper 17536, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  8. Marin, Giovanni & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2009. "Emissions Trends, Labour Productivity Dynamics and Time-Related Events - Sector Heterogeneous Analyses of Decoupling/Recoupling on a 1990-2006 NAMEA," MPRA Paper 17903, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  9. Sauer, Johannes & Davidova, Sophia & Gorton, Matthew, 2012. "Land fragmentation, market integration and farm efficiency: empirical evidence from Kosovo," 86th Annual Conference, April 16-18, 2012, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 134968, Agricultural Economics Society.
  10. Sauer, Johannes & Davidova, Sophia & Gorton, Matthew, 2012. "Heterogeneous Technologies as an Answer to Market and Price Risk: The Case of Kosovo," 123rd Seminar, February 23-24, 2012, Dublin, Ireland 122509, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
  11. Cai, Ximing & Ringler, Claudia & You, Jiing-Yun, 2008. "Substitution between water and other agricultural inputs: Implications for water conservation in a River Basin context," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 38-50, May.
  12. Sauer, Johannes & Walsh, John & Zilberman, David, 2012. "Producer Behaviour and Agri-Environmental Policies: A Directional Distance based Matching Approach," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124877, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
  13. Alberto Behar, 2008. "Does training benefit those who do not get any? Elasticities of complementarity and factor price in South Africa," Working Papers 73, Economic Research Southern Africa.

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