Abstract

SCHMIDT, Gabriela  and  CAMPION, Paulina. Medición de la eficiencia técnica mediante el método de la frontera estocástica: El caso del sector manufacturero italiano. Estud. Econ. [online]. 2006, vol.23, n.46, pp. 93-126. ISSN 2525-1295.

The purpose of the present work is to identify which are the factors that cause different levels of technical efficiency to exist amongst the manufacturing sector, by means of the stochastic frontier econometric approach. This methodology is applied here to the case study provided by the Italian industrial sector, which has a series of peculiarities compared with those of other European countries. These include a majority of small and medium enterprises, the specialization in mature sectors and the important role played by the so called "industrial districts". Our estimations point out the existence of intersectoral structural diversity -different efficiency frontiers-. They also indicate that technical inefficiency accounts for the main part of the existing efficiency gaps.

Keywords : Technical efficiency; Manufactures; Structural diversity.