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Nonparametric Tests of Tail Behavior in Stochastic Frontier Models

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Abstract

This article studies tail behavior for the error components in the stochastic frontier model, where one component has bounded support on one side, and the other has unbounded support on both sides. Under weak assumptions on the error components, we derive nonparametric tests that the unbounded component distribution has thin tails and that the component tails are equivalent. The tests are useful diagnostic tools for stochastic frontier analysis and kernel deconvolution density estimation. A simulation study and an application to a stochastic cost frontier for 6,100 US banks from 1998 to 2005 are provided. The new tests reject the normal or Laplace distributional assumptions, which are commonly imposed in the existing literature.

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  • William C. Horrace & Yulong Wang, 2020. "Nonparametric Tests of Tail Behavior in Stochastic Frontier Models," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 230, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    • Handle: RePEc:max:cprwps:230
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    Cited by:

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    2. Tsionas, Mike G. & Patel, Pankaj C., 2023. "Accounting for intra-industry technological heterogeneity in the measurement of operations efficiency," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    3. Jun Cai & William C. Horrace & Christopher F. Parmeter, 2024. "Penalized sieve estimation of zero‐inefficiency stochastic frontiers," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(1), pages 41-65, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hypothesis Testing; Production; Inefficiency; Deconvolution; Extreme Value Theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C12 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Hypothesis Testing: General
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity

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