Total Factor Productivity Growth of Cashew Research in Konkan Region of Maharashtra

The total factor productivity indices of cashew estimated using the Tornqvist index for the period 1998-99 to 2017-18. TFP index was promising. It indicated that the inputs were efficiently allocated in cashew plantation. TFP increased at 3.13 percent per annum. During the same period, the output index grew by 2.18 percent per annum and the input index declined at the rate of 0.92 percent per annum. The improvement in the total factor productivity may be due to non-input factors such as research investment and extension efforts. The results indicated that research investment (0.23), rainfall (0.84), road density (0.56) and rural literacy (1.62) had significantly contributed to TFP growth in cashew

An Evaluation of Input–Output Value for Sustainability in a Chinese Steel Production System Based on Emergy Analysis

: The social investment, natural resource consumption, and pollutant emissions involved in steel production can be evaluated comprehensively using the emergy analysis. We explored the sustainability of the steel production system from four aspects: input index, output index, input–output index, and sustainability index. The results showed that the maximum inputs were the intermediate product/recyclable materials produced within the production line; energy sources were mainly non-renewable and the emergy value of pollutants discharged was rather low. The environmental load rate of the pelletizing and sintering processes were the highest and the proportion of recycled materials for puddling and steel-making were the highest. The emergy investment rate of rolling was the highest; the emergy value of the pollutants discharged in each process was very small, and the emergy yield ratio was highest in the rolling process. Pelletizing, sintering, and steel-making were input consuming processes, but the sustainability index of puddling and rolling processes was sound. The whole process line can be sustainable, considering the useful intermediate and recyclable products.

A Research on the Social Responsibility Efficiency of Chinese Listed Food Companies

On the basis of establishing an input-output index system of listed food companies’ social responsibility, this paper uses the DEA model to assess 22 Chinese listed food companies’ social responsibility efficiency between 2014 and 2016. Results show that the social responsibility efficiency of Chinese listed food companies is generally lower and the average of the 22 companies is only 0.665. The social responsibility management in 81.80% of listed food companies is in a relatively ineffective state. There is a big room for improvement. In addition, the social responsibility efficiencies of listed companies with different sizes are quite different. The social responsibility efficiency of large-sized listed food company is obviously higher than that of the small and medium-sized. The study also shows that the social responsibility efficiencies of most listed food companies are in the stage of increasing returns to scale and more input would be necessary in order to achieve higher efficiency.

Semi-Strong Form of Efficiency of Nigerian Stock Market: An Empirical Test in the Context of Input and Output Index

This paper examines the semi-strong form of efficiency of the Nigerian stock market. Such examination is made in the context of whether information impounded in previous stock prices reflect current prices through the input and output index. Data for the study were from secondary sources and it spans from 2005-2013. The population for this study encompasses all the companies that traded in the period of January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2013. All these companies are ranked according to their capitalization and a random sampling technique was employed to select the companies that have the capitalization values above the average value. The study made use of modified transfer function model to estimate the market index which is represented by the outputindex and the computed selected securities represented by the input index which is tantamount to published information. Findings from the paper show that publicly published information captured by the input index commands significant effect on the stock market represented by the output index hence making the Nigerian stock market to be semi-strong inefficient.

An economic-efficiency analysis of water conservancy investment in Heilongjiang Province based on projection pursuit clustering and DEA models

Water conservancy investment affects economic development. To scientifically analyze its economic efficiency, this paper employs a projection pursuit clustering model based on the real-coded accelerated genetic algorithm to reduce the number of output index systems for each year, and the relative economic efficiency is obtained for 13 cities in Heilongjiang Province during the period 2007–2012 using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model. The spatial distribution regulation is described based on the average efficiency derived for the period 2007–2012. Finally, the output values are optimized for ineffective cities under the optimization principle according to the 2012 values. The results show that the output index system is different for each year. Most cities exhibit comprehensive effectiveness, and the development of water conservancy is generally good. The spatial distribution regulation of economic efficiency tends to be high in the south and low in the north because it is related to local economic development and water policies. To achieve comprehensive effectiveness, the output indices need to be adjusted. This study assists with the promotion of efficient development plans for water conservancy systems and the economic efficiency of water conservancy investment in Heilongjiang Province.