2018 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Empirical studies on efficiency in urban railways in Japan: Evaluation of relative performance and the determinants of persistent and transient efficiency
| Project/Area Number |
18K12770
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Osaka University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
宋 娟貞 大阪大学, 経済学研究科, 助教 (70803203)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
|
| Keywords | Urban railway / SFA / Persistent efficiency / Firm heterogeneity |
|---|
| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In the first year, I mainly collected the data from the sources such as Annual Statistics of Railway and built the dataset for estimation of production and cost function. I also conducted literature review and, in particular, previous literature related to how to deploy SFA in terms of persistent and transient efficiency were mainly reviewed at this stage in order to choose estimation method.
After review and building dataset, the model of production frontier function is implemented to focus on the production procedure of passenger railway service. From this estimation, I found that overall efficiency of urban railway operators is likely to be largely influenced by persistent efficiency which does not easily change over time, in case of production function. In addition, the operators show high transient efficiency which represents short-term strategy of the operator such as resource allocation and managerial mistake show. it may indicate that inefficiency of the urban railway operators results in ownership and firm governance which is hardly modified in short-term. And this result will be presented at EWAPA 2019 in London on June.
However, this estimation results should be calibrated by benchmarking with other SFA methods and I have collaborated to improve statistical method with researchers in University of Leeds (Prof. Andrew Smith and Dr. Phillip Wheat).
|
| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Considering that building data set, review of the literature, and estimation production function were implemented in the first year, it can be said that this research has been progressed favourably.
|
| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In the second year, estimation of cost frontier function will be performed. In particular, I will focus on effect of existence of difference systems (overground, subway, and monorail/AGT) across the operators on the efficiency. To do so, it will be started from distinguish cost structure of each system. I will continually collaborate with researchers in University of Leeds to develop this research as planned. If the estimation method is considered as not feasible or appropriate for the purpose of research, other methods such as true random effect model can be applied at this stage.
|
| Causes of Carryover |
Because the conference (EWEPA 2019) which I present the results of study performed in 2018 will be held on June in 2019, amount to be used next fiscal year was incurred. This grant will be used for application fee for presenting paper at EWEPA 2019.
|
