scholarly journals Persistent and transient inefficiency in adult education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleg Badunenko ◽  
Deni Mazrekaj ◽  
Subal C. Kumbhakar ◽  
Kristof De Witte
Keyword(s):  
Structural Change ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Model ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Education Management ◽  
Education Data ◽  
Educational Efficiency ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Time Invariant

AbstractThis paper evaluates the inefficiency of adult education programs. Using an advanced four-component stochastic frontier model on Belgian adult education data, we distinguish between persistent and transient inefficiency of adult education programs. Whereas persistent inefficiency is structural and difficult to tackle because of its time-invariant nature, transient inefficiency can be eliminated somewhat easily without a major structural change. Thus, reduction in different inefficiency components may require different policy measures. Our results indicate that despite the presence of persistent inefficiency, the overall inefficiency is mainly driven by the transient component, and hence, at the control of the adult education management. The findings suggest that social interaction is relevant in adult education as both more sessions and more learners per program increase educational efficiency. Moreover, adult education programs seem to be particularly useful for young less-educated learners.

Cost efficiency and its determinants in the hotel industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1056-1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Arbelo ◽  
Pilar Pérez-Gómez ◽  
Marta Arbelo-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Model ◽  
Hotel Management ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Strategic Resources ◽  
Time Invariant

This study employs a stochastic frontier model to estimate cost efficiency and its determinants in the hotel industry in Spain between 2008 and 2012. Measuring cost efficiency provides useful information on the performance of hotels to management, shareholders and, in general, to all stakeholders. Cost control is an issue managers are particularly concerned about, as it gives a competitive advantage that allows hotels to perform better. The results indicate that the inefficiency in average costs for the sample considered is 32.44% and is time invariant. The results also show that labour productivity, the accumulation of knowledge and location are factors that largely determine the differences in efficiency between hotels. These findings have important implications for public policymakers and hotel management, specifically, policies aimed at improving the skills of hotels’ human resources should be encouraged. Likewise, both location and the accumulation of knowledge are strategic resources that hotel management must include in their competitive strategies to increase efficiency.

Lebenslanges Lernen als Standortfaktor?

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-303
Author(s):  
Uwe Neumann
Keyword(s):  
Structural Change ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Lebenslanges Lernen ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
German Microcensus

Abstract In the process of occupational changes connected to digitisation, lifelong learning continues to gain in importance. Using microdata from the German microcensus for 2011 and 2016 the article finds that in North Rhine-Westphalia participation in adult education is significantly lower than in other Länder. Most importantly, it is less likely for workers in North Rhine-Westphalia to participate than for workers with a similar qualification and age in Southern and Northern Germany. Among the policy measures designed to meet the challenges of ongoing structural change, encouragement of participation in adult education is therefore a likely step.

scholarly journals Estimation of technical efficiency of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) farming in northwest Ethiopia: a stochastic frontier approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abebe Birara Dessie ◽  
Tadie Mirie Abate ◽  
Betelhem Tsedalu Adane ◽  
Tiru Tesfa ◽  
Shegaw Getu
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Nigella Sativa ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Market Price ◽  
Northwest Ethiopia ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Model ◽  
Black Cumin ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Ethiopia is one of the east African countries which produce and exports various spices to other countries. Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) is an important stiff annual flowering plant which mainly grows by producers for its seeds. An increasing demand of black cumin seed and oil in local, national and international market for medicinal, consumption and commercial purpose makes the best alternative crop for small holder farmers in Ethiopia. In spite of its importance, not much has been done to improve its production and productivity in Ethiopia. Therefore, this research was designed to examining efficiency variations and factors influencing technical inefficiency levels of producers on black cumin production in northwest Ethiopia. Primary data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered on 188 black cumin producers selected using systematic random sampling technique. Moreover, various data analysis methods such as descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier model were used for analyzing the data. The empirical result obtained by applying maximum likelihood estimate of stochastic frontier model revealed that seed (p < 0.01) labor (p < 0.05), chemical (p < 0.01) and land (p < 0.05) were significant input variables in determining black cumin production. The mean technical efficiency level of black cumin producer was generally low, about 53.1%. The mean value of actual yield, potential yield and yield gap was 3.131, 5.832 and 2.701 quintals, respectively. Moreover, the result of stochastic frontier model together with the inefficiency parameters revealed that market price of black cumin (p < 0.01) and access of extension service (p < 0.1) were significant variables and positively influenced the efficiency levels of black cumin producers. Whereas age of producers (p < 0.05) and distance to farm plot (p < 0.01) negatively influenced the technical efficiency levels of black cumin producers. Therefore, the study recommends that adoption of latest agricultural technologies; development of institutions, agricultural extension services and infrastructure are advisable to improve the efficiency and commercial value of black cumin production.

scholarly journals How Earmarking Government Revenue Affects Efficiency of Road Construction and Maintenance

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-163
Author(s):  
Ramon Christen ◽  
Nils C. Soguel
Keyword(s):  
Public Choice ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Government Revenue ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Model ◽  
Public Resources ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Per Capita

It is common practice to assign revenue to accomplish specific governmental tasks in general and to provide transport infrastructure in particular. However, neither the literature in public administration nor in public choice has reached a consensus about the effects that earmarking has on efficiency. Building on earlier public choice models, we argue that this mechanism prevents budget debates from occurring and reduces the incentives for ministers to monitor the colleagues whose budgets are financed by earmarked revenues. These latter tend to overuse public resources, thus increasing inefficiency. A stochastic frontier model fed with data from Swiss cantonal ministries of transport from 2000 to 2016 tests this hypothesis. The results reveal a negative effect of earmarking on efficiency. For every 1,000 additional Swiss francs per capita financed out of an earmarked fund, the input requirement increases by 5.4 percent on average.

Migrants and the Labor Market: The Role and Tasks of Adult Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-39
Author(s):  
Tetyana Kloubert ◽  
Chad Hoggan
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Educators ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Integration Process ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Successful Integration

The process of migration to a new country brings with it a host of challenges, and therefore also learning needs. Some countries have systems in place to facilitate the transition of migrants into society, often including adult education programs. Those programs, however, cannot be effective if blithely designed in ignorance of the interrelationship between established systems for facilitating integration and the experiences of migrants during the integration process. Focusing on the transition into the labor market and drawing on the expertise of adult educators who work in these systems in Germany, this article explores several stumbling blocks that make a successful integration for migrants more difficult and describes three strategies to address them: challenging the logic of the labor market, dealing with failure, and acknowledging multiple forms of discrimination. The analysis of Germany can provide insights that are useful in other national contexts.

Adult Courses through Cooperation

1951 ◽  
Vol 134 (5) ◽  
pp. 130-131
Author(s):  
Kenneth C. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Private School ◽  
American Education ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
New Horizons ◽  
Recreation Programs

When taxpayer groups demand that frills be trimmed from the educational petticoat for economy reasons, adult education programs are often exempted from criticism. Adults who have benefited from classes that open new horizons of knowledge or from recreation programs that really recreated the tired mind would be reluctant to dispense with this phase of American education. On these pages, Kenneth Parker, who played a large part in getting public and private school authorities to cooperate for the benefit of the community, describes an unusual adult education venture.

The Dragon Turns around and the Elephant Moves Forward: Inequality in China and India under Globalization

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-261
Author(s):  
K. J. Joseph ◽  
Liyan Zhang ◽  
Kiran Kumar Kakarlapudi
Keyword(s):  
Structural Change ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Wealth Inequality ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Regional Inequality ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
China And India ◽  
Effective Policy ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Employment Generation

This article tends to suggest that the strategy of embracing globalization has been helpful in raising GDP growth in China and India. The higher growth record also coincided with increasing income inequality, wealth inequality and regional inequality. While China seems to have made some success in making a turnaround in inequality, in India inequalities are on the rise. The present study attributes the observed trend to the nature of structural change and the resultant employment generation in terms of both its quantity and its quality. FDI and trade under globalization also worked towards increasing inequalities. The key issue is why globalization as implemented in India failed to generate employment unlike what happened in China. India seems to have been not adequately successful in globalizing at ‘our terms and at our own pace’, whereas China has been able to successfully manage its transition to the global market, which in turn, at least partly, explains the observed differences in the trend in growth and inequality in these two countries. At the same time, while there have been targeted and effective policy measures in China to address inequalities, in India, such policies are yet to show up their results.

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