• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.752-765
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• 2012

We analyze the relation empirically between regional labor market characteristics and job matching efficiency with the adaption of stochastic frontier production function. Our empirical results suggest that, as both the ratio of 50 years-old-job seekers and the level of spatial density increase, job matching efficiencies also rise. In contrast, an increase in the ratio of firms which offer permanent contracts lowers job matching efficiencies. And the job matching efficiency is relatively higher in metropolitan areas. Finally, We find a negative relation between total industrial production and job matching efficiency, which implies that job seekers tend to accept uncongenial jobs in the recessions.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.471-501
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• 2021

We measure Environmental Efficiency (EE) based on CO₂ in four income groups from 1998 to 2018, using the Meta Stochastic Frontier Analysis method by Input Distance Function. Our results showed that economic growth and energy consumption would increase carbon dioxide emissions, and increasing labor and capital input will reduce it. Moreover, we compared Group Environmental Efficiency (GEE), Meta Environmental Efficiency (MEE), and Environmental Gap Ratio (EGR). The results showed that GEEs were be overestimated. Furthermore, the MEE showed a downward trend during this period. The lower-middle-income group had the highest EGR performance. High-income and upper-middle-income groups showed less efficiency in MEE and EGR. To improve environmental efficiency, we must reduce fossil fuels and find more scientific and technological ways to solve existing environmental problems as soon as possible.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.95-107
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• 2020

We analyze the performance of South Korea wholesalers and retailers during the period when COVID-19 emerged and began to spread in South Korea. Specifically, we choose operational efficiency as a proxy variable for reflecting corporate performance and apply stochastic frontier analysis for estimating operational efficiency. Importantly, in order to examine the impact of the COVID-19 period (Q1 to Q2 2020) on operational efficiency, we consider the quarterly fixed effect corresponding to the COVID-19 period. Our findings include: (ⅰ) the average level of operational ffficiency is approximately 0.7138 during the analysis period (Q1 2019 to Q2 2020); (ⅱ) the fixed effect of the COVID-19 period on operational efficiency is not significant; and (ⅲ) operational efficiency is positively correlated with the scale of the company. Moreover, from an academic perspective, we make a contribution by examining the relationship between the operational efficiency as a firm-level variable and the COVID-19 period as a macroeconomic variable.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.20-32
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• 2022

Purpose - This paper intends to make theoretical analysis and empirical test on the factors influencing China's export to South Korea, and draw conclusions about China's export efficiency and trade potential. Based on the conclusions, the reasons for China's trade deficit with South Korea are found, and a solution is put forward for solving the problem of China's trade deficit with South Korea. Design/methodology - Based on the data of 2004-2017 years in China, this paper uses the stochastic frontier gravity model to analyze the influencing factors of China's export to South Korea, as well as the export efficiency of each province and the export potential that can be explored. Findings - First, in terms of the factors affecting China's export trade to South Korea, the GDP of the provinces and cities in China, the FDI of South Korea to the provinces and cities in China, the GDP of South Korea, the population and education level of provinces and cities in China can significantly promote the export scale of Chinese provinces and cities to South Korea. The distance between Chinese provincial capitals and the South Korean capital significantly hinders Chinese exports to South Korea; Second, in terms of export trade efficiency, the trade exchange rate of the economically developed cities along the eastern coast of China and several provinces that are close to South Korea is higher than that of the cities in the central and western regions; Third, economic globalization makes trade more convenient, the average export trade efficiency of China's exports to South Korea showed an upward trend. However, under the influence of the 2008 global financial crisis, the export trade efficiency declined from 2008 to 2009, indicating that the impact of the financial crisis on the trade efficiency cannot be ignored. Originality/value - This paper finds out the influencing factors of China's export to South Korea, analyzes the export efficiency of different provinces and cities, excavates the export potential, and puts forward some suggestions for the balanced development of China and South Korea trade in the next step.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.23-44
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• 2022

Purpose - Recent issues such as vessel enlargement, strengthening of environmental regulations, and port smartization are expected to increase costs and intensify competition in the port industry. In the new normal era, when external growth has reached its limit, the efficient operation of ports is becoming indispensable for achieving sustainable growth. This study aims to identify the determinants of inefficiency by examining the cost structure and efficiency of container terminals in Korea and furthermore propose the political implications to derive the maximization of efficiency. Design/methodology - This study estimates the cost function of container terminal operators and identifies the efficiency of container terminals using stochastic cost frontier (SCF) in the first stage. In the second step, the SCF results are compared with the data envelopment analysis (DEA). Last, this paper proposes efficiency determinants on container terminal operation to establish appropriate strategies. Out of the 29 container terminal operators in South Korea, 13 operators participated in the survey. The translog cost function was estimated utilizing a total of 116 observations collected over the 2007-2017 period. Findings - Empirical analysis shows that economies of scale exist in Korea's container ports, which provides a rationale for the government's policy to establish the global terminal operator by integrating small terminal operators to enhance competitiveness. In addition, as a result of the determinants analysis, container throughput, weight of direct employment costs, and labour cost share have positive effects on improving cost efficiency, while inefficiency increases as the length of quay increases. More specifically, cost efficiency improves as the proportion of direct employment costs to outsourcing service costs increases. Originality/value - This study contributes to analyzing the inefficiency factors of container terminals through efficiency analysis with respect to a cost function. In addition, this study proposes the practical and political implications, such as establishing a long-term manpower pool, the application of the hybrid liner terminal system, and the construction of a statistical data system, to improve the cost inefficiency of terminal operators.

• Korean Management Science Review
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2017

This study empirically analyzes the impact of inventory management performance on the energy efficiency in Korean petrochemical companies. The concept of the distance function is used to define the energy efficiency and the estimation of the distance function is performed using the stochastic frontier analysis. The inventory turnover is selected as the variable indicating the inventory management performance of the company. The main results of this study are as follows. First, the inventory turnover has a positive impact on energy efficiency. Second, during the period over 2011~2015, while the gap in energy efficiency among the companies expanded, the average energy efficiency decreased. Third, the average energy efficiency in upstream process companies was greater than downstream process companies and the gap in energy efficiency among downstream process companies was greater than upstream process companies. Fourth, the average marginal effect of inventory turnover on energy efficiency increased gradually from 2011 to 2015. Finally, the average marginal effect of inventory turnover in downstream process companies was greater than upstream process companies, and the gap in the marginal effect of inventory turnover among downstream process companies was greater than upstream process companies. These results together imply the importance of inventory management in terms of energy efficiency.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.111-121
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• 2020

The study measures the resource use efficiency of diesel based power generation in the Maldives and analyses factors which influence efficiency levels. Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) technique is applied to data on 30 plants over two year period from 2016 to 2017. The study finds that technical efficiency scores varies from 0.44 to 0.98 across power plants. About 33 percent of the plants have scores below the mean technical efficiency score of 0.87. Empirical results indicate ownership and use of solar photovoltaic (PV) have an influence on improving efficiency levels. Privately owned power plants in resort islands obtained higher technical efficiency scores compared to public and community owned power plants. This is a significant finding as the first study that used power plants in tourist sector in a comparative study. Size of the power plants was not found significant, but relatively small installed capacities can also be efficient. This finding is important because in many inhabited islands installed capacities remain oversized compared to the load. The benchmarking exercise offers model power plants that are relatively efficient, for other power plants and policy makers in small islands to learn from.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.75-97
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• 2012

The purpose of the paper is to estimate the functions of the energy input efficiency and the energy intensity efficiency, and measure their energy efficiencies for the reduction of greenhouse gases focusing on OECD countries. The efficiency of the traditional energy intensity was rarely connected with the energy efficiencies of the stochastic frontier function. It seems that the energy efficiency by the function of energy input efficiency sensitively responds to the order of GDP, capital stock, labor, and energy input quantity as explanatory variables. In the future, we need to reduce energy quantities by the optimal mix of inputs, and pursuit low-carbon economic growth through the production of the goods consuming small energy.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.73-83
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• 2018

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between regional financial development and corporate investment efficiency as well as the relationship between firm-level characteristics and corporate investment efficiency. Using a large sample of A-listed companies in China from CSMAR database between 2003 and 2016, this paper explores corporate investment efficiency and its influencing factors in emerging market on the basis of heterogeneous stochastic frontier model. The results show that: (1) the average investment efficiency of Chinese listed companies is 74.5%, and the investment efficiency of large enterprises, state-owned enterprises and enterprises with relatively high financial development level is significantly higher; (2) compared with average corporate investment efficiency in the year 2003, the investment efficiency of different types of enterprises in 2016 is significantly higher, and the gap is gradually widening; (3) enterprise heterogeneity namely firm size, nature of property right, and institutional environment reflected by the level of regional financial development indirectly affects corporate investment efficiency by influencing the financing constraints and uncertainty. The findings suggest that to improve corporate investment efficiency in emerging market, financial market should be accelerated, regional balance should be restored and the differences among regions, industries and differences between public and private sectors should be eliminated.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

Collaborative research and development (R&D) has been encouraged based on the belief that knowledge spill-over is mutually beneficial for partners. Although the benefits are supported by science and technology policy research, the risk of R&D collaboration has not been extensively discussed. Two independent studies suggest that there are risks associated with the overuse of collaborative research frameworks. Two sets of R&D collaboration data were analyzed: between the national bio-technology research program and 1) Data Envelop Analysis (DEA), and 2) between Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). In the case of SFA, output measures were integrated into a single output, with weights extracted from research programme managers' responses to the questionnaire. While the DEA result demonstrated the inefficiency of collaborative research, SFA did not. Unlike previous research highlighting risks associated with disclosing proprietary R&D and potential conflict of interest, our study indicates that the transaction's social cost affects collaborative research efficiency. Therefore, governments promoting R&D collaborations should be carefully managed, and policy makers must reconsider the strict conditions governing compulsory collaborative R&D programs.