• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.63-76
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• 2009

On the basis of a Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA), this paper analyses revenue efficiencies for the same sample of Korean and Japanese railways in the papers which analyze cost efficiencies using a generalized translog functional form. The paper also compares the results of revenue efficiencies with cost efficiencies and evaluates the effects of managerial autonomy and privatization on the firm-specific efficiencies. The results show that the average estimate of revenue inefficiency is 7.02% when the term of inefficiency is assumed to be distributed as a half-normal and 6.98% as a exponential for the total sample. Also, standardized inefficiencies in revenues (7.5%) are greater than those in costs (2.1%). JR East and JR West are found to be most efficient on the revenue side and on the cost side respectively while JNR and JR Kyushu are worst efficient on the both sides. Finally, the correlations between efficiencies in revenues and costs also between efficiencies and privatization are positively correlated. The results suggest that the most independent companies, with increased managerial autonomy via privatization, are the most efficient in both revenues and costs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.141-157
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• 2007

This paper evaluates the effects of privatization and deregulation on the firm-specific efficiency and total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the Korean and Japanese railways. Using a stochastic frontier approach and a generalized translog functional form, the paper specifies the equation system consisting of a multiproduct variable cost function and input share equations which is estimated with Zellner's iterative seemingly unrelated regression and the corrected least squares method. The Korean and Japanese railway firms are assumed to produce three outputs (Shinkansen passenger-kilometers, incumbent railway passenger-kilometers, ton-kilometers of freight) using three input factors (labor, fuel, maintenance and rolling stock). A monetary value of the ways and fixed installations held by the railroad firm is also included as a quasi-fixed input. The empirical results indicate that the average estimate of cost inefficiency is 2.57% for the total sample and on the average, JNR and JR Kyushu are found to be worst efficient while the most efficient railway firm in the sample is JR West. Also the cost efficiency levels of seven JRs have been improved after the reform and privatization of JNR. The findings also indicate that TFP growth of the privately-owned JRs are higher than those of the government-owned KNR and JNR. Three-island JRs and JR Freight have slightly higher TFP growth than Honshu JRs as well. Thus, the results suggest that managerial autonomy and increased competition via deregulation have improved efficiency and TFP growth.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.223-242
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• 1995

본 연구는 1977년 부터 한국에서 적용된 계절 시간대별 차등요금에 대한 반응성을 분석하기 위하여 각 요금적용시간대에 대한 전력소비의 탄력성을 1987년 1월부터 1992년 12월 까지의 자료를 이용하여 초월대수 비용 함수 (Translog Cost Function)을 이용하여 추정 분석하였다. 추정결과 낮 시간대, 저녁시간대, 밤 시간대에 대한 자기가격탄력성은 산업용(을) 고압 A 수용가의 경우 각각 -0.386, 0.351, -0.114이며, 고압 B 수용가는 각각 -0.095, -0.230, -0.192이었다. 일반적으로 대규모 수용가(고압 B)는 소규모 수용가(고압 A)에 비해 계시별 요금제에 대한 반응성이 더 낮은 것으로 나타났다. 한편 교차가격 탄력성 산출결과 상호 시간대간에 전력사용량의 대체성이 존재함을 알 수 있다. 즉, 산업용(을) 고압 A 수용가는 낮시간대와 저녁시간대간에 강한 대체성이 나타났으며, 산업용(을) 고압 B 수용가는 저녁시간대와 밤시간대간에 대체성이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 또한 계시별 요금제 구조의 변화에 따른 수용가의 반응성을 분석하기 위해 표본기간을 1987년 1월 부터 1989년 12월 까지(기간 I)와 1990년 1월 부터 1992년 12월 까지 (기간 II)로 분리하여 탄력성을 추정하였다. 기간 I에서는 계시별 요금제에 대한 수용가의 반응성이 아주 낮았으나, 기간 II에서는 현저하게 높아졌다. 이러한 결과로 보아 기간 II에서 시행된 1991. 6의 요금구조 개편은 수용가의 반응성을 증가시키는데 크게 기여하였으며, 이에 따라 계절 시간대별 차등 요금제가 부하관리를 위한 효율적인 방법임을 알 수 있었다.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.24 no.2 s.88
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• pp.65-78
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• 2006

This paper investigates the cost structure ot the Korea and Japan railroad industry with respect to density, scale and scope economies as well as productivity growth rate using a generalized trans)og multiproduct cost function model. The paper then assumes that the Korea and Japan railway companies pi·educe three outputs (incumbent railway passenger-kilometers. Shinkansen passenger-kilometers, ton-kilometers of freight) using four input factors (labor, fuel, maintenance, rolling stock and capital). The specified cost function includes foul other independent variables: track lengths to reflect network effects, two dummies to reflect nation and ownership effects, and time trend as a proxy for technical change. The simultaneous equation system consisting of a cost function and three input share equations is estimated with the Zellner's iterative seemingly unrelated regression. The unbalanced panel data used in the paper, a total of 154 observations. are collected from the annual records of the Korea National Railroad (KNR) for the yews $1977{\sim}2003$, Japan National Railways (JNR) for the years $1977{\sim}1984$. seven Japan Railways (JR's) for the years $1987{\sim}2003$. The findings show that the Korean and Japanese railways exhibit product-specific and overall economies of density but product-specific diseconomies of scale with respect to incumbent railway passenger-kilometers, Shinkansen-kilometers and ton-kilometers. However, the railways experience mild overall economies of scale which result from economies of scope associated with the joint production of incumbent railway/Shinkansen and feight, freight/incumbent railway and Shinkansen except Shinkansen/incumbent railway and freight. In addition, the economies of density and scale in the KNR, JR east, JR central, and JR west companies at the point of the years $1990{\sim}2003$ average is generally analogous to the above results at the point of sample average. There also appear to be economies of ssope associated with the joint Production of the incumbent railway and Shinkansen in JR central but diseconomies of scope in JR East and JR West. The findings also indicate that the productivity growth rate of the privately-owned JR's is larger than that of the government-owned KNR.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.61-71
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• 2017

This study estimates the cost function through offshore fishery cost data and analyzed the economies of scale of Korea's offshore fishery. For the estimation of the cost function, translog cost function was used, and the analysis implemented the panel analysis of the panel data. Also, annual economies of scale of the offshore fishery and economies of scale of 14 offshore fisheries in 2015 were analyzed using translog cost function coefficient estimation. The analysis result of economies of scale of Korea's offshore fishery showed that with the exception of 2003, economies of scale exist in all periods of time. However, as it almost reaches the minimum efficient scale, it was revealed that further scale expansion will bring inefficiency. Thus, according to the analysis result, Korea's offshore fishery requires a scale reduction policy rather than scale expansion policy, and this seems to coincide with the current government's fishery reconstruction policy and its practice such as the fishing vessel buyback program. The analysis result of economies of scale of each offshore fishery in 2015 showed that economies of scale of each offshore fishery exists with the exception of five trawl fisheries such as large pair-trawl and large otter trawl and large purse seines. This strongly suggests that the five fisheries and Large Purse Seines with non performing economies of scale need urgent scale reduction and should be the first target for the government's fishery reconstruction policy.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-36
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• 2017

This study aimed to analyze influencing factors to increase the wage differential between large enterprise and subcontracted small-medium enterprises by using panel data composed of 19 manufacturing industries for 16 years from 1999 to 2014. According to the results of analysis, in large enterprises the elasticity of substitution between the labor inputs and the subcontracted product supplies from small-medium enterprises was significantly less than 1. So, the increase in wages of workers of large enterprises, whose degree of employment protection was relatively high, seemed to increase the share of wage cost in total cost and was resulted to decrease the cost share of subcontracted product supplies significantly. This was interpreted to be able to exert a negative influence upon the price of subcontracted product supplies and the wages of workers in subcontracted small-medium enterprises, and, therefore, to increase the wage differentials between large enterprises and subcontracted small-medium enterprises. Furthermore, it was also found that the increases in the labor union participation rate at large enterprises and the openness rate of the industry concerned were contributing to make such effects much stronger significantly. In order to mitigate the wage differentials and the polarizing trend in labor market, we can suggest to establish a certain kind of flexible wage system and to introduce co-bargaining practices with the workers of subcontracted small-medium enterprises within large enterprises, and also for the workers of small-medium enterprises, to prepare new social systems to upgrade their human resources and job skills drastically.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.95 no.3
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• pp.268-273
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• 2006

This study analyzed the technological change of Korean sawmill industry affected by change of factor price. An aggregate cost function has been estimated to analyze the technological change in Korean sawmill industry between 1970 and 2003 to the technical bias and scale effect. There was substitution among labour, capital, and material, especially in more elastic relation between labour and capital. In addition, domestic sawmill industry was progressed into structure which is biased to labour saving, and capital and material using because of increase of labour price. Since Korean sawmill industry's technology still exhibits an increasing returns to the scale, the large amount of investment has contributed to productivity growth, and the future productivity growth continually depend on the scale effect for some time.