Estimation of Technical Efficiency Using Flexible Functional Form and Panel Data

Abstract

This article presents an econometric model capable of accommodating a nonradial measure of input-specific technical inefficiency and suggests an estimation technique that reduces dependency on distributional assumptions on inefficiency. It also makes use of the demand system derived from a flexible cost function and imposes concavity restrictions as required by economic theory. Panel data on 12 Finnish foundry plants are used to estimate technical efficiency of labor and energy for each of these plants.