IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ate/journl/ajbev8i3-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of the Human Capital Effects on the Manufacturing Industries’ Technical Efficiency in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Salem Gheit

Abstract

This study seeks to establish substantive empirical evidence on the role of college and non-college labour in productivity through technical efficiency in the manufacturing sector in the U.S. economy. This investigation fits a CobbDouglas stochastic frontier function with inefficiency effects to a set of panel data for 15 manufacturing industries over the period from 1998 to 2019. The contribution of this paper lies in the application of the stochastic frontier analysis following the approach of Caudill et al. (1995) by estimating and testing stochastic frontier production functions, assuming the presence of heteroscedasticity in the one-sided error term (inefficiency), which provides robust estimates of the technical efficiency measures. This paper also contributes to the literature in the sense that it follows the Hadri (1999) approach and its extension for panel data, Hadri et al. (2003), assuming the existence of heteroscedasticity in both error terms (the one-sided inefficiency term and the two-sided symmetric random noise). The rationale for the double heteroscedasticity estimation is that it results in more accurate measures of the effects of the technical efficiency determinants. Therefore, it adds another layer of confidence in the economic analysis of the impact of human capital components on the manufacturing sector efficiency and by extension, its productivity. The stochastic frontier results show the effects of highly educated workers and low educated workers – proxied by college and non-college labour – on technical inefficiency. This is where the maximum likelihood estimates suggest that the increase in the percentage of the hours worked by college workers tends to contribute positively to technological efficiency in the U.S. manufacturing industries. While on the minus side, it can be noted that the rise in the share of the hours worked by non-college persons seems to have negative impact on efficiency in these industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Salem Gheit, 2022. "A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of the Human Capital Effects on the Manufacturing Industries’ Technical Efficiency in the United States," Athens Journal of Business & Economics, Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), vol. 8(3), pages 215-238, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ate:journl:ajbev8i3-2
    DOI: 10.30958/ajbe.8-3-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.athensjournals.gr/business/2022-8-3-2-Gheit.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.30958/ajbe.8-3-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eric Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2012. "Do better schools lead to more growth? Cognitive skills, economic outcomes, and causation," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 267-321, December.
    2. Arazmuradov, Annageldy & Martini, Gianmaria & Scotti, Davide, 2014. "Determinants of total factor productivity in former Soviet Union economies: A stochastic frontier approach," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 115-135.
    3. Kumbhakar, Subal C. & Tsionas, Mike G., 2020. "On the estimation of technical and allocative efficiency in a panel stochastic production frontier system model: Some new formulations and generalizations," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 287(2), pages 762-775.
    4. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 1994. "Endogenous Innovation in the Theory of Growth," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 8(1), pages 23-44, Winter.
    5. Burgess, Simon, 2016. "Human Capital and Education: The State of the Art in the Economics of Education," IZA Discussion Papers 9885, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Mikael Lindahl & Alan B. Krueger, 2001. "Education for Growth: Why and for Whom?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(4), pages 1101-1136, December.
    7. K. Hadri & C. Guermat & J. Whittaker, 2003. "Estimating Farm Efficiency in the Presence of Double Heteroscedasticity Using Panel Data," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(2), pages 255-268, November.
    8. Ogundari, Kolawole & Awokuse, Titus, 2018. "Human capital contribution to economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does health status matter more than education?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 131-140.
    9. Andrea Bassanini & Stefano Scarpetta, 2001. "Does Human Capital Matter for Growth in OECD Countries?: Evidence from Pooled Mean-Group Estimates," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 282, OECD Publishing.
    10. Jondrow, James & Knox Lovell, C. A. & Materov, Ivan S. & Schmidt, Peter, 1982. "On the estimation of technical inefficiency in the stochastic frontier production function model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 19(2-3), pages 233-238, August.
    11. Petrakis, P. E. & Stamatakis, D., 2002. "Growth and educational levels: a comparative analysis," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 513-521, October.
    12. Caudill, Steven B & Ford, Jon M & Gropper, Daniel M, 1995. "Frontier Estimation and Firm-Specific Inefficiency Measures in the Presence of Heteroscedasticity," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 13(1), pages 105-111, January.
    13. Bartel, Ann P & Lichtenberg, Frank R, 1987. "The Comparative Advantage of Educated Workers in Implementing New Technology," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 69(1), pages 1-11, February.
    14. Lara Lebedinski & Vincent Vandenberghe, 2014. "Assessing education’s contribution to productivity using firm-level evidence," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(8), pages 1116-1139, October.
    15. Rusty Tchernis, 2010. "Measuring Human Capital And Its Effects On Wage Growth," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 362-387, April.
    16. Abi Adams, 2018. "Technology and the labour market: the assessment," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 34(3), pages 349-361.
    17. Battese, George E. & Corra, Greg S., 1977. "Estimation Of A Production Frontier Model: With Application To The Pastoral Zone Of Eastern Australia," Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 21(3), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Nawazish Mirza & Jamila Abaidi Hasnaoui & Bushra Naqvi & Syed Kumail Abbas Rizvi, 2020. "The impact of human capital efficiency on Latin American mutual funds during Covid-19 outbreak," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 156(1), pages 1-7, December.
    19. Ang, James B. & Madsen, Jakob B. & Rabiul Islam, Md., 2011. "The effects of human capital composition on technological convergence," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 465-476, September.
    20. Kumbhakar, Subal C., 1990. "Production frontiers, panel data, and time-varying technical inefficiency," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1-2), pages 201-211.
    21. Daron Acemoglu & Philippe Aghion & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2006. "Distance to Frontier, Selection, and Economic Growth," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 4(1), pages 37-74, March.
    22. Fried, Harold O. & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Shelton S. (ed.), 1993. "The Measurement of Productive Efficiency: Techniques and Applications," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195072181.
    23. Hadri, Kaddour & Guermat, Cherif & Whittaker, Julie, 2003. "Estimating Farm Efficiency in the Presence of Double Heteroscedasticity Using Panel Data," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 6(2), pages 1-14, November.
    24. Battese, George E. & Coelli, Tim J., 1988. "Prediction of firm-level technical efficiencies with a generalized frontier production function and panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 387-399, July.
    25. Jérôme Vandenbussche & Philippe Aghion & Costas Meghir, 2006. "Growth, distance to frontier and composition of human capital," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 97-127, June.
    26. Peter J. Klenow & Mark Bils, 2000. "Does Schooling Cause Growth?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1160-1183, December.
    27. Richard Kneller & Philip Andrew Stevens, 2006. "Frontier Technology and Absorptive Capacity: Evidence from OECD Manufacturing Industries," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 68(1), pages 1-21, February.
    28. Robert J. Barro, 2013. "Education and Economic Growth," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 14(2), pages 301-328, November.
    29. Joaquin Maudos & Jose Manuel Pastor & Lorenzo Serrano, 2003. "Human capital in OECD countries: Technical change, efficiency and productivity," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4), pages 419-435.
    30. Greene, William H., 1990. "A Gamma-distributed stochastic frontier model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1-2), pages 141-163.
    31. Caudill, Steven B. & Ford, Jon M., 1993. "Biases in frontier estimation due to heteroscedasticity," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 17-20.
    32. George E. Battese & Greg S. Corra, 1977. "Estimation Of A Production Frontier Model: With Application To The Pastoral Zone Of Eastern Australia," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 21(3), pages 169-179, December.
    33. Joaquin Maudos & Jose Manuel Pastor & Lorenzo Serrano, 2000. "Convergence in OECD countries: technical change, efficiency and productivity," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(6), pages 757-765.
    34. Fonseca, Tiago & de Faria, Pedro & Lima, Francisco, 2019. "Human capital and innovation: the importance of the optimal organizational task structure," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 616-627.
    35. Wallace E. Huffman, 2020. "Human Capital and Adoption of Innovations: Policy Implications," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 92-99, March.
    36. Cornwell, Christopher & Schmidt, Peter & Sickles, Robin C., 1990. "Production frontiers with cross-sectional and time-series variation in efficiency levels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1-2), pages 185-200.
    37. M. Diaz & Rosario Sanchez, 2008. "Firm size and productivity in Spain: a stochastic frontier analysis," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 315-323, March.
    38. Timothy J. Coelli & D.S. Prasada Rao & Christopher J. O’Donnell & George E. Battese, 2005. "An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-0-387-25895-9, January.
    39. Battese, G E & Coelli, T J, 1995. "A Model for Technical Inefficiency Effects in a Stochastic Frontier Production Function for Panel Data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 325-332.
    40. Ngoc Phu Tran & Duc Hong Vo, 2020. "Human capital efficiency and firm performance across sectors in an emerging market," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 1738832-173, January.
    41. Welch, F, 1970. "Education in Production," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(1), pages 35-59, Jan.-Feb..
    42. Luminita Maria Gogan, 2014. "Human capital: the need to be evaluated," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 7(1), pages 52-60, June.
    43. Meeusen, Wim & van den Broeck, Julien, 1977. "Efficiency Estimation from Cobb-Douglas Production Functions with Composed Error," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 18(2), pages 435-444, June.
    44. Aigner, Dennis & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Peter, 1977. "Formulation and estimation of stochastic frontier production function models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 21-37, July.
    45. Paul Schreyer, 2001. "The OECD Productivity Manual: A Guide to the Measurement of Industry-Level and Aggregate Productivity," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 2, pages 37-51, Spring.
    46. Hadri, Kaddour, 1999. "Estimation of a Doubly Heteroscedastic Stochastic Frontier Cost Function," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 17(3), pages 359-363, July.
    47. Hanushek, Eric A., 2013. "Economic growth in developing countries: The role of human capital," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 204-212.
    48. Sophia P. Dimelis & Sotiris K. Papaioannou, 2014. "Human capital effects on technical inefficiency: a stochastic frontier analysis across industries of the Greek economy," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(6), pages 797-812, September.
    49. Alain Van Hiel & Jasper Van Assche & David De Cremer & Emma Onraet & Dries Bostyn & Tessa Haesevoets & Arne Roets, 2018. "Can education change the world? Education amplifies differences in liberalization values and innovation between developed and developing countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-8, June.
    50. Fare, Rolf & Grosskopf, Shawna & Norris, Mary, 1997. "Productivity Growth, Technical Progress, and Efficiency Change in Industrialized Countries: Reply," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(5), pages 1040-1043, December.
    51. White, Halbert, 1982. "Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Misspecified Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(1), pages 1-25, January.
    52. Paul Hansen & Stephen Knowles, 1998. "Human capital and returns to scale," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 25(2), pages 118-123, May.
    53. Barro, Robert J. & Lee, Jong-Wha, 1994. "Sources of economic growth," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 1-46, June.
    54. Muhammad Ali & Abiodun Egbetokun & Manzoor Hussain Memon, 2018. "Human Capital, Social Capabilities and Economic Growth," Economies, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-18, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ali M. Oumer & Amin Mugera & Michael Burton & Atakelty Hailu, 2022. "Technical efficiency and firm heterogeneity in stochastic frontier models: application to smallholder maize farms in Ethiopia," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 213-241, April.
    2. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Christopher F. Parmeter & Valentin Zelenyuk, 2022. "Stochastic Frontier Analysis: Foundations and Advances I," Springer Books, in: Subhash C. Ray & Robert G. Chambers & Subal C. Kumbhakar (ed.), Handbook of Production Economics, chapter 8, pages 331-370, Springer.
    3. Satya Paul & Sriram Shankar, 2020. "Estimating efficiency effects in a panel data stochastic frontier model," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 163-180, April.
    4. Tim J. Coelli, 1995. "Recent Developments In Frontier Modelling And Efficiency Measurement," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 39(3), pages 219-245, December.
    5. Saldias, Rodrigo & von Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan, 2012. "Access to credit and the determinants of technical inefficiency among specialized small farmers in Chile," DARE Discussion Papers 1211, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
    6. Massimo Del Gatto & Adriana Di Liberto & Carmelo Petraglia, 2011. "Measuring Productivity," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(5), pages 952-1008, December.
    7. Paul, Satya & Shankar, Sriram, 2018. "Modelling Efficiency Effects in a True Fixed Effects Stochastic Frontier," MPRA Paper 87437, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Bernhard Brümmer & Jens‐Peter Loy, 2000. "The Technical Efficiency Impact of Farm Credit Programmes: A Case Study of Northern Germany," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 405-418, September.
    9. Roberto Colombi & Gianmaria Martini & Giorgio Vittadini, 2017. "Determinants of transient and persistent hospital efficiency: The case of Italy," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(S2), pages 5-22, September.
    10. Subal Kumbhakar & Gudbrand Lien & J. Hardaker, 2014. "Technical efficiency in competing panel data models: a study of Norwegian grain farming," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 321-337, April.
    11. Massimiliano Piacenza, 2002. "Regulatory Constraints and Cost Efficiency of the Italian Public Transit Systems: An Exploratory Stochastic Frontier Model," CERIS Working Paper 200202, CNR-IRCrES Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth - Torino (TO) ITALY - former Institute for Economic Research on Firms and Growth - Moncalieri (TO) ITALY.
    12. Martín Rossi, 2015. "The Econometrics Approach to the Measurement of Efficiency: A Survey," Working Papers 117, Universidad de San Andres, Departamento de Economia, revised Feb 2015.
    13. Vanesa D’Elia & Gustavo Ferro, 2019. "Empirical Efficiency Measurement in Higher Education: An Overview," CEMA Working Papers: Serie Documentos de Trabajo. 708, Universidad del CEMA.
    14. repec:aer:wpaper:324 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Getu Hailu & B. James Deaton, 2016. "Agglomeration Effects in Ontario’s Dairy Farming," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 98(4), pages 1055-1073.
    16. Federico Belotti & Silvio Daidone & Giuseppe Ilardi & Vincenzo Atella, 2013. "Stochastic frontier analysis using Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 13(4), pages 718-758, December.
    17. Sabrina Auci & Donatella Vignani, 2020. "Climate variability and agriculture in Italy: a stochastic frontier analysis at the regional level," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 37(2), pages 381-409, July.
    18. Fabio Pieri & Enrico Zaninotto, 2010. "The Impact of Vertical Integration and Outsourcing on Firm Efficiency: Evidence from the Italian Machine Tool Industry," DISA Working Papers 1001, Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Italy, revised 11 Mar 2010.
    19. Young Hoon Lee, 2009. "Frontier Models and their Application to the Sports Industry," Working Papers 0903, Nam Duck-Woo Economic Research Institute, Sogang University (Former Research Institute for Market Economy), revised 2009.
    20. Maira Caño- Guiral, 1995. "Competitividad y eficiencia técnica. Un modelo de datos panel para la industria láctea uruguaya," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0795, Department of Economics - dECON.
    21. Luis Murillo-Zamorano & Carmelo Petraglia, 2011. "Technical efficiency in primary health care: does quality matter?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 12(2), pages 115-125, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ate:journl:ajbev8i3-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Afrodete Papanikou (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.athensjournals.gr .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.