Neoclassical Production Function Research Articles

Empirics of Solow growth model in Nepali economy

Economic growth model developed by R. M. Solow explained the steady-state equilibrium in long run based on neoclassical production function with factor substitutions and diminishing returns in context of developed economy. As the nature of Nepali economy is different than developed economy, this paper aims to analyze economic growth of Nepal in the Solow growth model standard. Specifically, it aims to examine the effect of saving rate, labor growth and human capital on economic growth. On basis of steady-state equilibrium equation developed by Solow, regression equation is developed to find the effect of exogenous variables saving rate and labor growth rate on per capita GDP. Further, the model is extended by adding human capital as regressor. Data of 44 years of Nepali economy are used to analyze the model. Since time series of all the variables are stationary at first difference and they contain same stochastic trend, coefficients are estimated by using ordinary least square method. The analysis shows that the Solow model is applicable to Nepali economy as the predicted coefficients are very close to estimated coefficients. However, the estimated coefficients are very less than the predicted coefficients of the extended model. Furthermore, coefficient of labor growth rate is statistically insignificant in the extended model.

Merchandise exports and economic growth: multivariate time series analysis for the United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT This paper examines the validity of the export-led growth (ELG) hypothesis in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the period 1975–2012, using a neoclassical production function augmented with merchandise exports and imports of goods and services. The study applies the Johansen cointegration technique and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) regression to confirm the existence of a long-run relationship between exports and economic growth, while the multivariate Granger causality test is applied to examine the direction of the short-run causality. In addition, the existence of long-run causality is investigated by applying a modified version of the Wald test in an augmented vector autoregressive model. The Johansen test and DOLS results confirm the existence of a long-run relationship between exports and economic growth. In addition, the study provides evidence to support the validity of the ELG hypothesis in the short-run, while no long-run causality is found to exist.

An Aggregate-Level Macro Model for the Indian Economy

We make an empirical attempt to model the Indian economy at an aggregate level with annual data, ranging from 1980 to 2019. Our major theoretical premise mimics the New Keynesian framework, which is based on the microeconomic foundations of Keynesian economics. We propose a whole economic structure in the form of nine equations. Aggregate demand is modeled with the help of four equations, representing consumption, private investment, exports, and imports. Aggregate supply assumes the form of a simple neoclassical production function where labor, capital, and exogenous technical progress are considered as inputs. Further, inflation is assumed to follow a New Keynesian representation whereas the LM curve has its standard form with income and short-term rate of interest as its determinants. Subsequently, a linking equation, expressing long-run interest rates as a function of short-term interest rates and government investment, is proposed to unify monetary policy and fiscal policy to the goods market. Finally, tax is estimated as a function of per capita income. A structural equation model is employed for the empirical analysis and findings support the theoretical expectations. Consumption follows the absolute income hypothesis, and private investment is governed by the accelerator principle. Further, the negative sign of nominal interest rates in the investment function confirms an inverse relation between the former and private capital formation. Exports are found to be influenced by world income, exchange rates, and government capital formation, and import demand is determined by domestic income, the difference between domestic and international inflation, and the lagged exchange rate. From the policy perspective, we suggest the suitability of fiscal and monetary policies for increasing growth in the Indian economy. However, the effectiveness of expansionary fiscal policy is observed to have a larger impact on growth than easy monetary policy. This inference is drawn mainly on the basis of a simulation exercise for the proposed structural equation model.

Endogenous cycles from income diversity, capital ownership, and differential savings

Abstract Endogenous cycles in standard growth models with capital accumulation of the Solow or the OLG type occur only when there is some degree of heterogeneity among consumers, differential savings, income diversity, or market specialization. Otherwise, without income effects or distribution effects long run steady states are mostly asymptotically stable predicting stable balanced growth for many of the commonly accepted growth models under most aggregative concave neoclassical production functions. This paper provides an attempt to exhibit a full richness of bifurcation scenarios for endogenously generated cycles using minimal extensions concerning preferences, technologies, and ownership of capital by extending the models of Kaldor, Pasinetti, and others to allow for ownership of capital among OLG consumers of workers and capitalists. It is shown that, under a sufficiently low but constant elasticity of substitution, the interaction of the nonlinear income distribution with heterogeneous logarithmic intertemporal preferences of consumers causes a variety of local bifurcation scenarios (Neimark–Sacker, fold, period doubling), multi-stability, as well as a rich variety of complex global dynamic features, such as homoclinic tangles, periodicity regions originating from Arnold tongues, closed curve attractors, and complex basins. The paper provides a detailed numerical analysis under a CES production scenario of several global bifurcations arising from heterogeneity which does not exist under the specific ownership restrictions imposed in the original Kaldor/Pasinetti models.

An Econometric Assessment of Entrepreneurship in the Diamond Mining Sector and Its Impact on Economic Growth in Sierra Leone

This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurship in the diamond mining sector and economic growth in Sierra Leone for the period 1970-2013. The neoclassical production function is employed to explore new firm formation in the mining sector as a separate determinant of economic growth. Using recent econometric technique, the study finds a unique co-integrating relationship among real GDP, entrepreneurship, labour and capital. The results suggest that entrepreneurship exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on economic growth, and investment in the diamond mining sector is an important channel through which entrepreneurs fuel economic growth. Policy recommendation calls for entrepreneurship education, improving on the general labour capacity, facilitating access to finance, improving support services and the employment conditions for entrepreneurship. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, diamond sector, economic growth, co-integration, Sierra Leone DOI : 10.7176/RHSS/9-7-05 Publication date : April 30 th 2019

China’s Energy Consumption Rebound Effect Analysis Based on the Perspective of Technological Progress

Energy issues are the focus of global concern, and estimations of the energy rebound effect are very important for energy policy. Existing research has proved the existence of the energy rebound effect. This paper, based on the estimation of China’s capital stock in 1952, establishes three elements of the neoclassical production function to calculate the contribution rate of technological progress on economic growth. It then calculates China’s energy rebound effect over the past 20 years from the perspective of technological progress. The research results show that though China’s energy intensity has been declining from 1994 to 2017, the energy rebound effect each year is obviously different, with an average level of 54.4%. Technological progress leads to the improvement of energy efficiency, which reduces energy consumption, but the rebound effect makes energy savings less effective than expected. This paper proved the Granger causality between energy structure adjustment and the rebound effect. And the increase of coal consumption will enhance the rebound effect. So, upgrading the structure of energy consumption is considered helpful to reduce the energy rebound effect, which can promote energy conservation and emission reduction.

Militarisation, Energy Consumption, CO2 Emissions and Economic Growth in Myanmar

ABSTRACT The cointegration and causal relationships amongst militarisation, energy consumption, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and economic growth in Myanmar are investigated for the period of 1975–2014. Myanmar was governed by a military regime until 2011 with high levels of military expenditure. This study adopted an extended neoclassical production function framework utilising the autoregressive distributed lag approach to investigate the causal relationships. Estimation showed that a 1% increase in military expenditure led to a 0.63% decrease in GDP, whereas a 1% increase in energy consumption increased GDP by 4% in the long run. The bootstrap-corrected causality test located bidirectional causality between energy consumption and CO2 emissions and unidirectional causality running from economic growth to energy consumption. Policy recommendations promoting Myanmar’s economic growth include reducing military spending which would contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions and encourage efficient energy consumption.

Production Function through Automation in a Task-Based Model

The aim of this study is to connect two approaches that examine automation. The first uses a task-based model, while the second uses a variant of the canonical constant-elasticity-of-substitution (CES) production function. We employ a task-based model and derive a neoclassical production function through automation. This derivation depends on only one assumption about the arrangement of tasks. Under a trade-off in the efficiency between capital and labor, we also consider a CES production function and relate the elasticity of substitution to automation.

Mathematical Model: The Long-Term Effects of Defense Expenditure on Economic Growth and the Criticism

This paper aims to form a mathematical model that can explain the influence of national defense budget on the economy through economic growth. The research method is by literature review from the work of economists in making the production function model that can bring defense expenditure into the economic growth model. The model is two-sector economic model, established to look at the effects of defense spending and the economy. The model of Ram based on the neoclassical production function approach. The externality effect of the military and non-military sectors is different, so, they are included in the production function separately.

The productive-unproductive puzzle in Adam Smith: what have we missed?

This paper returns to Adam Smith's much maligned distinction of productive versus unproductive labour to flesh out a dimension of capital productivity that has been missed by the modern theory of production and welfare. The puzzle lies in Smith's use of a binary measurement scale to suggest opposing productivity, and household welfare outcomes obtained with a durable versus non-durable good. A durable good generates a permanent fund of labour savings and service spillovers over time. This dimension of productivity exists separate from, and beyond, any marginal productivity attributed to capital or labour services within the neoclassical production function. And, it forms the basis of improvements in household welfare that Smith described in the Wealth of Nations – in terms of continual net increases in the consumption-production possibility frontier enjoyed by the household, as a result of service spillovers obtained with a durable good over time. In contrast, no such spillovers are obtained with a non-durable good. A preference-bias for non-durable goods, instead, proves to be welfare-reducing – by having households under-invest and/or fail in maintaining the accumulated stock of durable-goods-as-capital. Both lead to a loss of production-consumption possibilities available within the household economy. An exploration of Smith's concern with ‘unproductive labour‘ brings back into focus the broad set of behavioural traits and ethicallegal restraints that underlie economic progress and have been missed by neoclassical theory.

Inter-state analysis of energy efficiency- a stochastic frontier approach to the Indian paper industry

PurposeThis paper aims to measure the state-level energy efficiency in Indian paper industry and simultaneously explain inter-state variation in efficiency by inefficiency effect model. Three variables, labor productivity, capital intensity and structure of paper industry, are included in inefficiency effect model to assess the likely impact on energy efficiency.Design/methodology/approachSub-vector input distance function is derived through neo-classical production function which provides measures to estimate energy efficiency. Assuming a translog production function specification, energy efficiency is estimated by using Battese and Coelli (1995) stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). The authors also estimated four other SFA models, and energy efficiency from all the models is compared for robustness checking.FindingsThe results show the existence of a vast potential to improve energy efficiency. Inefficiency effect model reported a positive impact of structure of the industry and capital intensity on energy efficiency performance, while labor productivity does not have any significant impact on energy efficiency. There exists considerable energy efficiency variation among states. Uttarakhand, Punjab and Orissa are the best performing states while Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Goa have worst energy efficiency performance based on average efficiency. The ranks assigned to states according to inefficiency effects model are found contrary to the simple measure of energy efficiency, i.e. energy intensity. Thus, energy intensity may not always be a good proxy for underlying energy efficiency and need to be compared with a comprehensive possible measure.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which measures energy efficiency of Indian paper industry through stochastic frontier model using region-level data. Instead of relying on traditional energy efficiency indicators (energy-output ratio), total-factor energy efficiency approach is used to conduct the empirical exercise. Deviations from the frontier because of factors beyond the scope of producers are also incorporated into analysis to portray the magnitude of random factors in influencing the efficiency performance.

Causal dynamics between renewable energy consumption and economic growth in South Korea: Empirical analysis and policy implications

This paper examines the causal relationship between renewable energy consumption and economic growth in South Korea using a framework of the conventional neo-classical production function of capital, labor, and renewable energy. We use cointegration technique of the autoregressive distributed lag bounds test and vector error correction mechanism causality tests to determine the econometric relationship, using data for the period 1990–2012; the results support the conservation hypothesis for South Korea. The results of the autoregressive distributed lag bounds test show that renewable energy consumption has a negative effect on economic growth, and the results of a vector error correction mechanism causality tests indicate a unidirectional relationship from economic growth to renewable energy consumption. The empirical results imply that economic growth is a direct driver expanding renewable energy use. In terms of policy implications, it is best for policy makers to focus on overall economic growth rather than expanding renewable energy to drive economic growth.

Illicit activity and money laundering from an economic growth perspective: A model and an application to Colombia

This paper contributes to the economic analysis of illicit activities and money laundering. First, it presents a theoretical model of long-run growth that explicitly considers illicit workers, activities, and income, alongside a licit private sector and a functioning government. Second, it generates estimates of the size of illicit income and provides simulated and econometric estimates of the volume of laundered assets in the Colombian economy. In the model, the licit sector operates in a perfectly competitive environment and produces a good through a standard neoclassical production function. The illicit sector operates in an imperfectly competitive environment and is composed of two different activities: The first activity produces an illicit good that nonetheless is valuable in the market (for example illegal drugs); the second does not add value to the economy but only redistributes wealth (for example robbery, kidnapping, and fraud). The paper provides a series of comparative statics exercises to assess the effects of changes in government efficiency, licit sector productivity, and the demand for illegal drugs. From the model, the analysis derives a set of estimable macroeconometric equations to measure the size of laundered assets in the Colombian economy in the period 1985–2013. The paper assembles a dataset whose key components are estimates of illicit income from drug trafficking and common crime. Illicit incomes increased drastically until 2001, reaching a peak of nearly 12% of gross domestic product and then decreasing to less than 2% by 2013. The decline not only overlaps with a period of high economic growth but also occurs after the implementation of Plan Colombia. The dataset is used to estimate the volume of laundered assets in the economy by applying the Kalman filter for the estimation of unobserved dynamic variables onto the derived macroeconometric equations from the model. The findings show that the volume of laundered assets increased from about 8% of gross domestic product in the mid-1980s to a peak of 14% by 2002, and declined to 8% in 2013.

Three levels of education and the economic growth

ABSTRACTThe aim of this article is to solve the question how the three main stages of education contribute to the labour productivity growth in selected 125 countries in the period 1999–2014. The model is based on the neoclassical production function enhanced with human capital. The authors draw on the Penn World Tables 9.0 and UNESCO databases. The key benefit of this article is that human capital is characterized according to the returns to education from average number of years of formal schooling at the primary, secondary and tertiary level. Based on the panel data analysis, the contributions of capital and of the three levels of education to the growth of labour productivity are estimated. At the same time, the model allows to estimate the contribution of total factor productivity. The results of the analysis show that tertiary education has the strongest impact on labour productivity across the considered economies. At the same time, the breakdown of aggregate human capital by level of education leads to better clarification of the effects of human capital and physical capital on labour productivity. The conclusions also indicate a tendency towards rising returns to scale induced by the secondary and tertiary education.

Human capital and energy in economic growth – Evidence from Chinese provincial data

This paper investigates the cointegration and Granger causal relationship between economic growth and total energy consumption as well as disaggregate energy such as coal, coke, crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and electricity in China for a period of 1995–2014. Different from limited existing provincial studies on China, we use a multivariate framework that considers per capita human capital on top of physical capital in the neoclassical production function and advanced panel econometric methodologies such as CupFM estimators and bootstrapped panel Granger causality tests that allow for cross-sectional dependence and provincial heterogeneity. Our results suggest that human capital exerts 2–3 times the effect of physical capital on the economy and energy also plays a significant role. Furthermore, the rich bootstrap panel Granger causality test results for both the panel and individual provinces provide substantial insights and suggest that it is important to examine the causal effects of both the total energy use and various disaggregate energy consumption before local governments make specific energy and economic policies.

WEALTH INEQUALITY, ORr–g, IN THE ECONOMIC GROWTH MODEL

I investigate a simple continuous-time overlapping generations model with a neoclassical production function. I demonstrate that the degree of wealth inequality is positively related to the difference between the real interest raterand the growth rate of incomeg, and ifgfalls, ther – ggap widens and inequality worsens. I also argue that a wealth tax reduces the wealth inequality. All these results are consistent with the famous predictions advanced by Thomas Piketty inCapital in the Twenty-First Century(2014).

The aggregate production function is NOT neoclassical

Standard postulates concerning the aggregate production function are about marginal productivities and the associated demands for labour and capital. These demands are supposed to be negatively related to the factor prices, namely the wage rate and the interest rate. The theoretical cases in which these neoclassical properties fail to hold are regarded as anomalies. We compute the aggregate values for production, capital and labour and find that the neoclassical postulates do not hold for the detailed dataset that we consider. The obvious implication of this result is that the models and analysis based on the aggregate neoclassical production functions are ill founded, as they are based on something that does not exist.

Об использовании производственных функций для моделирования функционирования региональной экономики

The article presents the results of the construction of the neoclassical CES and the VES production function, describing the functions-conditioning system of regional economic Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area – Yugra. Production functions are an important element of a sufficiently large number of regional development models and make it possible not only in the explicit functional form to describe the behavior of economic region, but also to carry out a quantitative analysis of its effectiveness, is-using collateral settlement and analytical apparatus. Neoclassical production functions such as CES-function is most often used to describe the functioning of various economic systems, including the regional economic system. The use of the neoclassical production functions such as VES - function to solve this problem meets is extremely rare. The production of both types of functions have been presented in the form of a classic two-factor, but given the current trends in this area as the cost factors considered economic system used by the economic indicators that are different from the canonical-ray. To construct production functions used statistical-parameter data describing the socio-economic condition of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area – Yugra, published in the public press-minute.

Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in SAARC Countries

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plays a vital role in economic growth of the countries. The present study analyses the impact of the FDI on economic growth of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation countries by using the pooled data for the period 1990-2014. Neo-classical production function has been used for analysis and getting stock-to-flow estimation, Taylor series approximation has applied. Fixed Effects Model has been used to investigate the impact of FDI, domestic capital, labour and government expenditures on economic growth. It is the evident from the results that both domestic investment and FDI have been a positive effect on economic growth. The study finds that the contribution of domestic private investment is more trustworthy than the contribution of FDI. Consequently, FDI loses its attraction as an engine of growth if the adverse balance of payment consequence of the resulting profit repatriating is also taken into account. The labour has positive and significant association with GDP. The effect of government expenditure is negligible on economic growth. The findings suggest that growth strategy cannot yield the long term benefits if it neglects investments on human capital.

An Analysis of Export of Indian Agriculture Commodities

The present work has attempted to examine the relationship between agricultural export and the effective factors influencing the same relationship in India. The review of literature has provided an overview of growth of agricultural exports across the countries and different methods used to calculate the export supply function of agricultural products. This study is based on the neoclassical trade theory which is evaluated in a neoclassical production function framework, incorporating an additional factor of production (exports) into the production function. The study has attempted to analyze the long run and the short run relationship between agricultural exports as dependent variable and exchange rate, export price index, gross domestic product and domestic production of agricultural product as independent variables based on annual data during 1980- 2010. Also, World Trade Organization as a dummy variable has been taken as a determinant of India’s agricultural exports. The autoregressive distributed lag model and error correction model are used to determine the long run and short run relationship between the variables. Further, paired t-test is used to investigate the impact of WTO on growth of agricultural export in India. Dynamic econometric model is estimated to test for time series properties, unit root test and cointegration (ARDL procedure). The results of cointegration test showed that the variables are cointegrated. The results of long-run estimated coefficients of export supply function showed that exchange rate had a statistically significant and negative impact on agricultural export. The long-run coefficient of domestic production of agricultural product and export price index have positive sign and are significant at 5% level respectively. The long-run coefficients of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and WTO as dummy variable had positive and negative sign respectively but are insignificant. In brief, the coefficient of the ECM is very high at (-) 0.54 implying a fairly high speed of adjustment to the long-run disequilibrium after a shock. The Coefficient of the ECM term suggested that adjustment process was fast and 54% of the previous year’s disequilibrium in equity prices from its equilibrium path will be corrected in the current year. It is also observed that dummy variable is not significant in long run but it is statistically significant in short term. Key words: agricultural exports, production function, Gross Domestic Product, WTO