Total factor productivity change, here defined as output quantity change divided by input quantity change, is the combined result of (technical) efficiency change, technological change, a scale effect, and input and output mix effects. Sometimes allocative efficiency change is supposed to also...

Chapter 1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: Conceptual background: firms’ objectives, decision variables and economic efficiency -- Part I -- Chapter 3: Shephard’s input and output distance functions: cost and revenue efficiency decompositions -- Chapter 4: The generalized distance function (GDF):...

In this paper a number of meaningful and empirically implementable decompositions of the cost variation (in difference and ratio form) are developed. The components distinguished are price level change, technical efficiency change, allocative efficiency change, technological change, scale of...