General Cost Structure Analysis

1 Introduction.- 2 Theoretical Framework.- 2.1 Generalised Firm Program.- 2.2 Previous Approaches.- 2.3 Flexible Cost Model (FCM).- 2.3.1 Primal Characterisation.- 2.3.2 Dual Characterisation: Globally Regular Functional Forms.- 2.3.3 Dual Characterisation: General Case.- 2.4 Comparative Statics.- 3 Empirical Modelling.- 3.1 Empirical Context and Issues.- 3.2 Output and Input Measurement.- 3.3 Dataset.- 3.4 Empirical Specification.- 3.4.1 Parametric Specification.- 3.4.2 Stochastic Specification and Estimation Methodology.- 3.4.3 Dual Characterisation.- 4 Empirical Results.- 4.1 Econometric Results.- 4.1.1 Single Equation Estimation: Core Results.- 4.1.2 Single Equation Estimation: Restrictions and Extensions.- 4.1.3 System Estimation.- 4.1.4 Evidence of Output Measurement Error.- 4.2 Scale Effects.- 4.2.1 Primal Measurement.- 4.2.2 Dual Measurement.- 4.3 Capacity Utilisation Effects.- 4.3.1 Allocative Efficiency Indices.- 4.3.2 Capacity Utilisation Rates.- 4.3.3 Economic Consequences.- 4.4 Impact of Labour Market Rigidities.- 4.5 Sources of International Cost Position Differences.- 5 Conclusion.- 6 Bibliography.- 7 Appendix: Dataset Statistics.