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The Calibration of CES Production Functions

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  • Jonathan R. W. Temple

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Abstract

This note addresses some issues that arise when using 'normalized' CES production functions, an approach that has become popular in the literature. The results of Klump and de La Grandville (2000) provide a simple way to calibrate the parameters of the CES production function when the necessary data are available. But some of the other applications of normalized CES production functions appear problematic, especially when used to argue that productivity is increasing in the elasticity of substitution.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan R. W. Temple, 2008. "The Calibration of CES Production Functions," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 08/606, Department of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    • Handle: RePEc:bri:uobdis:08/606
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    1. de la Grandville,Olivier, 2009. "Economic Growth," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521725200, December.
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    7. Laitner, John, 1995. "Quantitative Evaluations of Efficient Tax Policies for Lucas' Supply Side Models," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 47(3), pages 471-492, July.
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    25. Rainer Klump & Peter McAdam & Alpo Willman, 2012. "The Normalized Ces Production Function: Theory And Empirics," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 769-799, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Stiassny, Alfred & Uhl, Christina, 2014. "Does Elderly Employment have an Impact on Youth Employment? A General Equilibrium Approach," Department of Economics Working Paper Series 4246, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    2. Alfred Stiassny & Christina Uhl, 2014. "Does Elderly Employment have an Impact on Youth Employment? A General Equilibrium Approach," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp178, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    3. Jens J. Krüger, 2017. "Revisiting the world technology frontier: a directional distance function approach," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 67-95, March.
    4. Paul E. Brockway & Harry Saunders & Matthew K. Heun & Timothy J. Foxon & Julia K. Steinberger & John R. Barrett & Steve Sorrell, 2017. "Energy Rebound as a Potential Threat to a Low-Carbon Future: Findings from a New Exergy-Based National-Level Rebound Approach," Energies, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24, January.
    5. Paul E. Brockway & Matthew K. Heun & João Santos & John R. Barrett, 2017. "Energy-Extended CES Aggregate Production: Current Aspects of Their Specification and Econometric Estimation," Energies, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 10(2), pages 1-23, February.
    6. repec:bri:cmpowp:13/319 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Cantore, C. & Levine, P., 2012. "Getting normalization right: Dealing with ‘dimensional constants’ in macroeconomics," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 1931-1949.
    8. Miguel A León-Ledesma & Peter McAdam & Alpo Willman, 2012. "Non-Balanced Growth and Production Technology Estimation," Studies in Economics 1204, School of Economics, University of Kent.
    9. Alvarez-Cuadrado, Francisco & Long, Ngo Van & Poschke, Markus, 2018. "Capital-labor substitution, structural change and the labor income share," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 206-231.
    10. De Lucia, Caterina & Bartlett, Mark, 2014. "Implementing a biofuel economy in the EU: Lessons from the SUSTOIL project and future perspectives for next generation biofuels," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 22-30.
    11. Daan Steenkamp, 2018. "Factor Substitution and Productivity in New Zealand," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 94(304), pages 64-79, March.
    12. Gervas Huxley & Mike Peacey, 2014. "A Simple Model of Learning Styles," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 14/322, Department of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    13. Frieling, Julius & Madlener, Reinhard, 2017. "The Turning Tide: How Energy has Driven the Transformation of the British Economy Since the Industrial Revolution," FCN Working Papers 7/2017, E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN).
    14. Jürgen Antony, 2010. "A class of changing elasticity of substitution production functions," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 100(2), pages 165-183, June.
    15. Antony, Jürgen, 2014. "Technical change and the elasticity of factor substitution," Beiträge der Hochschule Pforzheim 147, Pforzheim University.
    16. repec:bri:cmpowp:13/322 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Gervas Huxley & Mike Peacey, 2014. "An Economic Model of Learning Styles," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 14/319, Department of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    CES production functions; elasticity of substitution; normalization;

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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