This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Measuring Productivity of Research in Economics. A Cross-Country Study Using DEA

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Martin G. Kocher () (University of Innsbruck)
Mikulas Luptacik () (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics & B.A.)
Matthias Sutter () (University of Innsbruck)

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

Using a sample of 21 OECD-countries we measure productivity in top-edge economic research by using data envelopment analysis (DEA). DEA is a tool for evaluating relative efficiency and is widely used when there are multiple inputs and outputs and one lacks a specific functional form of a production function. The publications in 10 economics journals with the highest average impact factor over the time period 1980-1998 are taken as research output. Inputs are measured by R&D expenditures, number of universities with economics departments and (as uncontrolled variable) total population. Under constant returns-to-scale the USA are in dominant position with remarkable distance to other countries. Under variable returns-to-scale the efficiency frontier is created by the USA with most productive scale size (MPSS), and by Ireland and New Zealand, which are technical efficient but scale inefficient. All countries - except the USA - display increasing returns-to-scale, which shows that they have a possibility to improve their efficiency by scaling up their research activities.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help file. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/inst/vw1/papers/wu-wp77.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by Vienna University of Economics and B.A., Department of Economics in its series Department of Economics Working Papers with number wuwp077.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Aug 2001
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwwuw:wuwp077

Note: PDF Document
Contact details of provider:
Postal: Augasse 2-6, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Web page: http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/portal/institute/departments/vwl

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Gerlinde Fellner).

Related research
Keywords: research in economics productivity analysis cross-country study data envelopment analysis (DEA)

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods and Programming - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Capital and Total Factor Productivity; Capacity

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Hodgson, Geoffrey M & Rothman, Harry, 1999. "The Editors and Authors of Economics Journals: A Case of Institutional Oligopoly?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(453), pages F165-86, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Stigler, George J & Stigler, Stephen M & Friedland, Claire, 1995. "The Journals of Economics," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(2), pages 331-59, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Reiner Eichenberger & Bruno S. Frey, . "Europe's Eminent Economists: A Quantitative Analysis," IEW - Working Papers iewwp057, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW. [Downloadable!]
  4. Burton, M P & Phimister, Euan, 1995. "Core Journals: A Reappraisal of the Diamond List," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 105(429), pages 361-73, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Kocher, Martin G & Sutter, Matthias, 2001. "The Institutional Concentration of Authors in Top Journals of Economics during the Last Two Decades," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 111(472), pages F405-21, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Kirman, Alan & Dahl, Mogens, 1994. "Economic research in Europe," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 505-522, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Jerry G. Thursby, 2000. "What Do We Say about Ourselves and What Does It Mean? Yet Another Look at Economics Department Research," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(2), pages 383-404, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Seiford, Lawrence M. & Thrall, Robert M., 1990. "Recent developments in DEA : The mathematical programming approach to frontier analysis," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1-2), pages 7-38. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Dusansky, Richard & Vernon, Clayton J, 1998. "Rankings of U.S. Economics Departments," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(1), pages 157-70, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Reiner Eichenberger & Ursina Meier & Rolf Arpagaus, 2000. "Ökonomen, Publikationen und Zitationen: Ein europäischer Vergleich," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 1(2), pages 143-160, 05. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Kalaitzidakis, Pantelis & Mamuneas, Theofanis P. & Stengos, Thanasis, 1999. "European economics: An analysis based on publications in the core journals," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(4-6), pages 1150-1168, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Othman Joumady & Catherine Ris, 2005. "Performance in European higher education: A non-parametric production frontier approach," Education Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 189-205, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Pasquale Commendatore & Ingrid Kubin & Carmelo Petraglia, 2007. "Footloose capital and productive public services," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp111, Vienna University of Economics and B.A., Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  3. Engelbert Stockhammer & Paul Ramskogler, 2007. "Uncertainty and exploitation in history," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp104, Vienna University of Economics and B.A., Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. Laurens Cherchye & Piet Vanden Abeele, 2002. "On Research Efficiency: A Micro-Analysis of Dutch University Research in Economics and Business Management," Public Economics Working Paper Series ces0206, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centrum voor Economische Studiën, Working Group Public Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Özlem Onaran, 2007. "International financial markets and fragility in the Eastern Europe: "can it happen" here?," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp108, Vienna University of Economics and B.A., Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  6. Aleksandra Riedl & Silvia Rocha-Akis, 2007. "Testing the tax competition theory: How elastic are national tax bases in western Europe?," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp112, Vienna University of Economics and B.A., Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  7. Annemarie Steidl & Engelbert Stockhammer, 2007. "Coming and leaving. Internal mobility in late Imperial Austria," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp107, Vienna University of Economics and B.A., Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  8. James B. Davies & Martin G. Kocher & Matthias Sutter, 2007. "Economics Research in Canada: A Long-Run Assessment of Journal Publications," UWO Department of Economics Working Papers 20072, University of Western Ontario, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? You can use convenient plug-ins to search directly IDEAS from your browser.

This page was last updated on 2008-8-4.


This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.