IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecoedu/v28y2009i1p107-113.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Higher education institutions' costs and efficiency: Taking the decomposition a further step

Author

Listed:
  • Johnes, Geraint
  • Johnes, Jill

Abstract

A multiproduct cost function is estimated for English higher education institutions using a panel of data from recent years. The panel approach allows estimation by means of a random parameter stochastic frontier model which provides considerable new insights in that it allows the impact on costs of inter-institutional differences in the cost function itself to be distinguished from inter-institutional differences in efficiency. The approach used here therefore resembles in some respects the non-parametric methods of efficiency evaluation. We report also on measures of average incremental cost of provision and on returns to scale and scope.

Suggested Citation

  • Johnes, Geraint & Johnes, Jill, 2009. "Higher education institutions' costs and efficiency: Taking the decomposition a further step," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 107-113, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:28:y:2009:i:1:p:107-113
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272-7757(08)00054-X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Izadi, Hooshang & Johnes, Geraint & Oskrochi, Reza & Crouchley, Robert, 2002. "Stochastic frontier estimation of a CES cost function: the case of higher education in Britain," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 63-71, February.
    2. Efthymios G. Tsionas, 2002. "Stochastic frontier models with random coefficients," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(2), pages 127-147.
    3. 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.
    4. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    5. Cooper, Samuel T. & Cohn, Elchanan, 1997. "Estimation of a frontier production function for the South Carolina educational process," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 313-327, June.
    6. Cohn, Elchanan & Rhine, Sherrie L W & Santos, Maria C, 1989. "Institutions of Higher Education as Multi-product Firms: Economies of Scale and Scope," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 71(2), pages 284-290, May.
    7. Johnes, Geraint, 1997. "Costs and Industrial Structure in Contemporary British Higher Education," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 107(442), pages 727-737, May.
    8. Glass, J C & McKillop, Donal G & Hyndman, N, 1995. "Efficiency in the Provision of University Teaching and Research: An Empirical Analysis of UK Universities," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(1), pages 61-72, Jan.-Marc.
    9. Philip Stevens, 2001. "The determinants of economic efficiency in English and Welsh universities," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 185, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    10. Steven B. Caudill, 2003. "Estimating a mixture of stochastic frontier regression models via the em algorithm: A multiproduct cost function application," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 581-598, July.
    11. Geraint Johnes, 2004. "A Fourth Desideratum: The CES Cost Function and the Sustainable Configuration of Multiproduct Firms," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 329-332, October.
    12. 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.
    13. Geraint Johnes, 1996. "Multi-product cost functions and the funding of tuition in UK universities," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(9), pages 557-561.
    14. 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.
    15. Greene, William, 2005. "Reconsidering heterogeneity in panel data estimators of the stochastic frontier model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 126(2), pages 269-303, June.
    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. repec:lan:wpaper:1120 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. T Agasisti & G Johnes, 2009. "Cost Structure, Efficiency and Heterogeneity in US Higher Education: An Empirical Analysis," Working Papers 599308, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    3. repec:lan:wpaper:1057 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:lan:wpaper:4487 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:lan:wpaper:4792 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. repec:lan:wpaper:4358 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. repec:lan:wpaper:1058 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. repec:lan:wpaper:1044 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. repec:lan:wpaper:1121 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Geraint Johnes & Ana S. Camanho & Maria S. Portela, 2008. "Assessing Efficiency Of Portuguese Universities Through Parametric And Non-Parametric Methods," Portuguese Journal of Management Studies, ISEG, Universidade de Lisboa, vol. 0(1), pages 39-66.
    11. Geraint Johnes & Manuel Salas-Velasco, 2007. "The Determinants Of Costs And Efficiencies Where Producers Are Heterogeneous: The Case Of Spanish Universities," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 4(15), pages 1-9.
    12. repec:lan:wpaper:1043 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. E Thanassoulis & G Johnes & J Johnes, 2005. "An analysis of costs in institutions of higher education in England," Working Papers 566942, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    14. Gralka, Sabine, 2018. "Stochastic frontier analysis in higher education: A systematic review," CEPIE Working Papers 05/18, Technische Universität Dresden, Center of Public and International Economics (CEPIE).
    15. Geraint Johnes & Astrid Schwarzenberger, 2011. "Differences in cost structure and the evaluation of efficiency: the case of German universities," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(5), pages 487-499, January.
    16. G. Johnes, 1997. "Costs in UK Higher Education: A System-Wide Perspective," CERT Discussion Papers 9707, Centre for Economic Reform and Transformation, Heriot Watt University.
    17. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:4:y:2007:i:15:p:1-9 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Kristof De Witte & Laura López-Torres, 2017. "Efficiency in education: a review of literature and a way forward," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(4), pages 339-363, April.
    19. Agasisti, Tommaso & Barra, Cristian & Zotti, Roberto, 2016. "Evaluating the efficiency of Italian public universities (2008–2011) in presence of (unobserved) heterogeneity," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 47-58.
    20. Antti Saastamoinen, 2015. "Heteroscedasticity Or Production Risk? A Synthetic View," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 459-478, July.
    21. Laureti, Tiziana & Secondi, Luca & Biggeri, Luigi, 2014. "Measuring the efficiency of teaching activities in Italian universities: An information theoretic approach," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 147-164.
    22. Li, Hong-Zhou & Kopsakangas-Savolainen, Maria & Xiao, Xing-Zhi & Tian, Zhen-Zhen & Yang, Xiao-Yuan & Wang, Jian-Lin, 2016. "Cost efficiency of electric grid utilities in China: A comparison of estimates from SFA–MLE, SFA–Bayes and StoNED–CNLS," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 272-283.
    23. Izadi, Hooshang & Johnes, Geraint & Oskrochi, Reza & Crouchley, Robert, 2002. "Stochastic frontier estimation of a CES cost function: the case of higher education in Britain," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 63-71, February.
    24. Barros, Carlos Pestana & Williams, Jonathan, 2013. "The random parameters stochastic frontier cost function and the effectiveness of public policy: Evidence from bank restructuring in Mexico," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 98-108.
    25. Sabine Gralka, 2018. "Persistent inefficiency in the higher education sector: evidence from Germany," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(4), pages 373-392, July.
    26. Farsi, Mehdi & Filippini, Massimo, 2009. "An analysis of cost efficiency in Swiss multi-utilities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 306-315, March.
    27. Sickles, Robin C. & Song, Wonho & Zelenyuk, Valentin, 2018. "Econometric Analysis of Productivity: Theory and Implementation in R," Working Papers 18-008, Rice University, Department of Economics.
    28. William Horrace & Seth Richards-Shubik & Ian Wright, 2015. "Expected efficiency ranks from parametric stochastic frontier models," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 829-848, March.
    29. Orea, Luis, 2019. "The Econometric Measurement of Firms’ Efficiency," Efficiency Series Papers 2019/02, University of Oviedo, Department of Economics, Oviedo Efficiency Group (OEG).
    30. Liang-Cheng Zhang & Andrew C. Worthington, 2018. "Explaining Estimated Economies of Scale and Scope in Higher Education: A Meta-Regression Analysis," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 59(2), pages 156-173, March.

    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:eee:ecoedu:v:28:y:2009:i:1:p:107-113. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/econedurev .

    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.