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Total Factor Productivity Growth and Technical Change in the Water and Sewerage Industry

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  • John K. Ashton

Abstract

The characteristics of total factor productivity growth and technical change in the water and sewerage industry of England and Wales are ‘examined within this article. Total factor productivity growth, technical change and the components of technical change are quantified using a time trend model. A translog specification of productive technology is employecl. Very low levels of technical change, the components of technical change and total factor productivity growth are observed over the sample period. Substantial economies of scale are recorded. Three major implications may be drawn from the study findings. Initially, the high levels of investment have yet to .substantially influence the productive technology of the water and sewerage firrns. Secondly, strong empirical evidence of the natural monopoly conditions in the water industry provided. Finally, it may be stated that privatisation does not appear to have raised the level of technical change or productivity growth since 1989.

Suggested Citation

  • John K. Ashton, 2000. "Total Factor Productivity Growth and Technical Change in the Water and Sewerage Industry," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 121-130, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:servic:v:20:y:2000:i:4:p:121-130
    DOI: 10.1080/02642060000000050
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    1. Baumol, William J, 1982. "Contestable Markets: An Uprising in the Theory of Industry Structure," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(1), pages 1-15, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Carvalho, Pedro & Marques, Rui Cunha & Berg, Sanford, 2012. "A meta-regression analysis of benchmarking studies on water utilities market structure," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 40-49.
    2. Bottasso, Anna & Conti, Maurizio, 2003. "Cost Inefficiency in the English and Welsh Water Industry: An Heteroskedastic Stochastic Cost Frontier Approach," Economics Discussion Papers 8872, University of Essex, Department of Economics.
    3. Subal Kumbhakar & Alan Horncastle, 2010. "Improving the econometric precision of regulatory models," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 144-166, October.
    4. M C A S Portela & E Thanassoulis & A Horncastle & T Maugg, 2011. "Productivity change in the water industry in England and Wales: application of the meta-Malmquist index," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(12), pages 2173-2188, December.
    5. Suho Bae & Moon-gi Jeong & Seong-gin Moon, 2015. "Effects of institutional arrangements in local water supply services in Korea," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 94(4), pages 849-868, November.
    6. Abbott, Malcolm & Cohen, Bruce, 2009. "Productivity and efficiency in the water industry," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(3-4), pages 233-244, September.
    7. Marta Suárez-Varela & María los Ángeles García-Valiñas & Francisco González-Gómez & Andrés J Picazo-Tadeo, 2017. "Ownership and Performance in Water Services Revisited: Does Private Management Really Outperform Public?," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(8), pages 2355-2373, June.
    8. Malcolm Abbott & Bruce Cohen, 2010. "Industry Structure Issues in the Water and Wastewater Sectors in Australia," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 29(1), pages 48-63, March.
    9. Bel, Germà & Warner, Mildred, 2008. "Does privatization of solid waste and water services reduce costs? A review of empirical studies," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 52(12), pages 1337-1348.
    10. Miguel A. García-Rubio & Francisco González-Gómez & Jorge Guardiola, 2009. "Performance and ownership in the governance of urban water," FEG Working Paper Series 09/03, Faculty of Economics and Business (University of Granada).

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