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Uniform Service, Uniform Productivity? Regional Efficiency of the Imperial German Postal, Telegraph, and Telephone Service

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  • Florian Ploeckl

Abstract

Using the regional productivity of the Reichspost, the postal service of the German Empire, I investigate whether a public monopolist operates with uniform regional productivity. Using DEA efficiency scores we derive the relative productivity of the post, telegraph and telephone sectors from 1891 to 1908. Results show a fairly stable system with substantial raw productivity differences between postal districts and that the expansion of the service offset technological productivity increases for the mail service.
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  • Florian Ploeckl, 2016. "Uniform Service, Uniform Productivity? Regional Efficiency of the Imperial German Postal, Telegraph, and Telephone Service," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(2), pages 221-243, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ozechr:v:56:y:2016:i:2:p:221-243
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    1. Florian Ploeckl, 2012. "Market Access and Information Technology Adoption: Historical Evidence from the Telephone in Bavaria," Economics Series Working Papers 620, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    2. Florian Ploeckl, 2012. "Market access and information technology adoption: historical lessons from the introduction of the telephone in Bavaria," Working Papers 12009, Economic History Society.
    3. E. Grifell-Tatjé & C. Lovell, 2008. "Productivity at the post: its drivers and its distribution," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 133-158, April.
    4. Perelman, Sergio & Pestieau, Pierre, 1988. "Technical performance in public enterprises : A comparative study of railways and postal services," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2-3), pages 432-441, March.
    5. Tim Coelli & Antonio Estache & Sergio Perelman & Lourdes Trujillo, 2003. "A Primer on Efficiency Measurement for Utilities and Transport Regulators," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15149, December.
    6. Sergio Perelman & Pierre Pestieau, 1994. "A Comparative Performance Study of Postal Services: A Productive Efficiency Approach," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 33, pages 187-202.
    7. Florian Ploeckl, 2016. "Uniform Service, Uniform Productivity? Regional Efficiency of the Imperial German Postal, Telegraph, and Telephone Service," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(2), pages 221-243, July.
    8. repec:adr:anecst:y:1994:i:33:p:11 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. PERELMAN, Sergio & PESTIEAU, Pierre, 1988. "Technical performance in public enterprises," LIDAM Reprints CORE 797, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    10. Michael DOBLE, 1995. "Measuring And Improving Technical Efficiency In Uk Post Office Counters Using Data Envelopment Analysis," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(1), pages 31-64, March.
    11. Tim Coelli & Denis Lawrence (ed.), 2006. "Performance Measurement and Regulation of Network Utilities," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3801.
    12. Lam, Pun-Lee & Shiu, Alice, 2008. "Productivity analysis of the telecommunications sector in China," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 559-571, September.
    13. Florian Ploeckl, 2015. "The Zollverein and the Sequence of a Customs Union," School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers 2015-02, University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy.
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    1. Florian Ploeckl, 2016. "Uniform Service, Uniform Productivity? Regional Efficiency of the Imperial German Postal, Telegraph, and Telephone Service," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(2), pages 221-243, July.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L32 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Public Enterprises; Public-Private Enterprises
    • L87 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Postal and Delivery Services
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • N74 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: 1913-

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