IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jproda/v41y2014i2p201-212.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Australia’s mining productivity decline: implications for MFP measurement

Author

Listed:
  • Simon Zheng
  • Harry Bloch

Abstract

This paper investigates the mining sector’s poor productivity performance as measured by the growth accounting formula for multifactor productivity (MFP) index during the recent mining boom in Australia. We provide an alternative measure of productivity growth by estimating a translog variable cost function, with parameters that separate productivity growth due to technical change from that due to the effects of returns to scale, capacity utilisation and natural resource inputs. The results show that the average MFP growth in Australian mining based on the dual cost-function measure of technical change is 2 % over the sample period 1974–1975 to 2007–2008, rather than −0.2 % from the published index. The difference arises because declining natural resource inputs, the effects of capacity utilisation and returns to scale have all reduced the ‘true’ MFP growth. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Zheng & Harry Bloch, 2014. "Australia’s mining productivity decline: implications for MFP measurement," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 201-212, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:41:y:2014:i:2:p:201-212
    DOI: 10.1007/s11123-012-0329-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11123-012-0329-4
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11123-012-0329-4?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
    ---><---

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

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diewert, W. Erwin & Fox, Kevin J., 2008. "On the estimation of returns to scale, technical progress and monopolistic markups," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 145(1-2), pages 174-193, July.
    2. Hulten, Charles R., 1986. "Productivity change, capacity utilization, and the sources of efficiency growth," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1-2), pages 31-50.
    3. Pierre Lasserre & Pierre Ouellette, 1988. "On Measuring and Comparing Total Factor Productivities in Extractive and Non-extractive Sectors," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 21(4), pages 826-834, November.
    4. Harold Hotelling, 1931. "The Economics of Exhaustible Resources," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(2), pages 137-137.
    5. Morrison, Catherine J & Schwartz, Amy Ellen, 1996. "State Infrastructure and Productive Performance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(5), pages 1095-1111, December.
    6. Rodriguez, Xose Anton & Arias, Carlos, 2008. "The effects of resource depletion on coal mining productivity," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 397-408, March.
    7. Vernon Topp & Leo Soames & Dean Parham & Harry Bloch, 2008. "Productivity in the Mining Industry: Measurement and Interpretation," Staff Working Papers 0807, Productivity Commission, Government of Australia.
    8. Berndt, Ernst R. & Fuss, Melvyn A., 1986. "Productivity measurement with adjustments for variations in capacity utilization and other forms of temporary equilibrium," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1-2), pages 7-29.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hosseinzadeh, Ahmad & Smyth, Russell & Valadkhani, Abbas & Le, Viet, 2016. "Analyzing the efficiency performance of major Australian mining companies using bootstrap data envelopment analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 26-35.
    2. Ahmad Hosseinzadeh & Russell Smyth & Abbas Valadkhani & Amir Moradi, 2018. "What determines the efficiency of Australian mining companies?," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 62(1), pages 121-138, January.
    3. C. Lovell & J. Lovell, 2013. "Productivity decline in Australian coal mining," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 443-455, December.
    4. Dai, Xiaoyong & Cheng, Liwei, 2016. "Market distortions and aggregate productivity: Evidence from Chinese energy enterprises," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 304-313.
    5. Rodríguez, Xosé A. & Loureiro, Maria L. & Arias, Carlos, 2021. "Measuring productivity in the extractive industries. Evidence from Spanish fluorite mining," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    6. Klayme, Tania & Gokmenoglu, Korhan K. & Rustamov, Bezhan, 2023. "Economic policy uncertainty, COVID-19 and corporate investment: Evidence from the gold mining industry," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    7. John E. Tilton, 2013. "Cyclical and Secular Determinants of Productivity in the Copper, Aluminum, Iron Ore, and Coal Industries," Working Papers 2013-11, Colorado School of Mines, Division of Economics and Business.
    8. Villena, Marcelo & Greve, Fernando, 2018. "On resource depletion and productivity: The case of the Chilean copper industry," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 553-562.
    9. Vernon Topp & Tony Kulys, 2014. "On Productivity: The Influence of Natural Resource Inputs," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 27, pages 64-78, Fall.
    10. Claudia De La Huerta & Emiliano Luttini, 2017. "The Implications of Exhaustible Resources and Sectoral Composition for Growth Accounting: An Application to Chile," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 807, Central Bank of Chile.

    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. Villena, Marcelo & Greve, Fernando, 2018. "On resource depletion and productivity: The case of the Chilean copper industry," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 553-562.
    2. Sam Mitra, 2019. "Depletion, technology, and productivity growth in the metallic minerals industry," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 32(1), pages 19-37, April.
    3. John E. Tilton, 2013. "Cyclical and Secular Determinants of Productivity in the Copper, Aluminum, Iron Ore, and Coal Industries," Working Papers 2013-11, Colorado School of Mines, Division of Economics and Business.
    4. Savagar, Anthony & Dixon, Huw, 2020. "Firm entry, excess capacity and endogenous productivity," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    5. Boisso, Dale & Grosskopf, Shawna & Hayes, Kathy, 2000. "Productivity and efficiency in the US: effects of business cycles and public capital," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 663-681, December.
    6. Hansen, James & Gross, Isaac, 2018. "Commodity price volatility with endogenous natural resources," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 157-180.
    7. Jürgen Bitzer & Erkan Gören & Sanne Hiller, 2014. "International Knowledge Spillovers: The Benefits from Employing Immigrants," Working Paper Series in Economics 323, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics.
    8. Susanto Basu & John Fernald, 2001. "Why Is Productivity Procyclical? Why Do We Care?," NBER Chapters, in: New Developments in Productivity Analysis, pages 225-302, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Marcel P. Timmer & Ilya B. Voskoboynikov, 2014. "Is Mining Fuelling Long-Run Growth in Russia? Industry Productivity Growth Trends Since 1995," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 60(S2), pages 398-422, November.
    10. Barkai, Simcha, 2016. "Declining Labor and Capital Shares," Working Papers 257, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    11. Jürgen Bitzer & Erkan Gören, 2016. "Measuring capital services by energy use: an empirical comparative study," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(53), pages 5152-5167, November.
    12. Bert M. Balk, 2010. "An Assumption‐Free Framework For Measuring Productivity Change," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 56(s1), pages 224-256, June.
    13. Charles R. Hulten, 2000. "Total Factor Productivity: A Short Biography," NBER Working Papers 7471, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Tybout, James R., 1991. "Researching the trade - productivity link : new directions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 638, The World Bank.
    15. James Kirkley & Catherine Morrison Paul & Dale Squires, 2002. "Capacity and Capacity Utilization in Common-pool Resource Industries," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 22(1), pages 71-97, June.
    16. Arnab Deb, 2013. "Economic Reforms, Capacity Utilization, and Productivity Growth in Indian Manufacturing," Alumni working papers 2013-05, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.
    17. Dorfman, Jeffrey H. & Foster, Kenneth A., 1991. "Estimating Productivity Changes With Flexible Coeficients," Western Journal of Agricultural Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 16(2), pages 1-11, December.
    18. E. Abdul Azeez, 2002. "Economic reforms and industrial performance: An analysis of capacity utilisation in Indian manufacturing," Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum Working Papers 334, Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum, India.
    19. Janice Eberly & Jonathan Haskel & Paul Mizen, 2021. ""Potential Capital", Working from Home and Economic Resilience," Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE) Discussion Papers ESCoE DP-2021-15, Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE).
    20. David Byrne & Carol Corrado, 2020. "Accounting for Innovations in Consumer Digital Services: IT Still Matters," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring and Accounting for Innovation in the Twenty-First Century, pages 471-517, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity; Mining; Measurement; C32; L72; O40;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • L72 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction - - - Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Other Nonrenewable Resources
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:kap:jproda:v:41:y:2014:i:2:p:201-212. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.