U. S. - Western Europe Productivity Workshop, Schenectady, N.Y., June 15-21, 2000

Union College, Schenectady NY

Investigators

Abstract

0003507 Fried This one-year award supports the participation of U.S. graduate students in an international conference and workshop on measuring efficiency and productivity to be held at Union College, Schenectady, New York, June 15-21, 2000. An important objective of the workshop is to encourage collaboration between scholars in the U.S. and Western Europe. Papers will be presented on techniques for measuring and explaining technical efficiency, allocative efficiency and productivity. Technical efficiency is the extent to which maximum output is obtained from a given bundle of inputs. Allocative efficiency is the extent to which inputs are combined to produce a bundle of outputs at minimum cost. Productivity is the expansion of production possibilities from given inputs over time as a result of technological advance. These issues underlie individual firm competitiveness and standard of living. The workshop provides an opportunity to discuss issues presented in the formal conference. Senior researchers and graduate students will present seminars on work in progress. "Birds of a feather" sessions will be organized to link scholars with common interests, especially graduate students from the U.S. and abroad. The conference and workshop is interdisciplinary and will bring together econometricians, statisticians, and representatives from industry, academia and government.