The Library
Four essays on efficiency and productivity of cultural institutions : empirical analyses of orchestras, theatres and museums
Tools
Taalas, Mervi A. (1999) Four essays on efficiency and productivity of cultural institutions : empirical analyses of orchestras, theatres and museums. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
|
PDF
WRAP_THESIS_Taalas_1999.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (15Mb) |
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1368223~S15
Abstract
This thesis builds on the research tradition of Cultural Economics, particularly of its
empirical strand. The thesis includes four articles that each analyse empirically a
different facet of production of cultural services. Together they contribute to the two
main themes of the thesis: features of production technology and applicability of
different empirical methods in analysing production of cultural services.
The four articles proceed in "chronological" order. The first article deals with problems
shared by the subsequent studies - measurement of inputs, output(s) and quality of
production - and employs neo-classical single-output cost functions and Structural
Equation Modeling approach together with a cross-sectional data set of museums. The
second article follows the earliest strand of cultural economics and examines, in a
context of Baumol's cost disease, the assumption of stagnant productivity growth. The
analysis utilises two index number approaches, Törngvist Approximated and Generalised
Divisia Indices, and a panel data set of orchestras. The third article looks at the scale
properties of production as well as tests the assumption of allocative efficiency by using
non-linear single-output cost functions with a panel data set of theatres. The fourth
article focuses on cost-efficiency of museums and utilises non-parametric Free Disposal
Hull method and a cross-sectional data set of museums.
The main findings of the thesis indicate, first, that production technologies of museums,
orchestras and theatres vary substantially. The production technology of museums is
shown, in a single-output setting, to exhibit homotheticity and homogeneity with respect
to output as well as substantial increasing/decreasing scale economies, depending on the
output measure. Analysis in a multiple output context reveals that on average a quarter
of museums are cost-inefficient and private museums are more likely to be inefficient
than the publicly owned ones. The production technologies of orchestras and theatres are
alike with respect to single-output production as well as non-homotheticity and nonhomogeneity
of production technology. They differ as to the scale properties - orchestras
exhibit diseconomies while theatres are characterised by scale economies - as well as
relative usage of labour input. Production in orchestras is characterised by stagnant
productivity that is a result of scale effect cancelling out technical change. Theatres are
shown to be moderately allocatively inefficient. As to the methodology, the thesis
suggests that particularities of cultural institutions have to be taken into account. These
particularities involve problems related to measurement of inputs, output(s) and quality
of production, definition of production technology as well as problems arising form data.
Methods employed in price-quantity space, allowing in-efficiencies of production and not
imposing a priori assumptions on production technology are argued to be most applicable
ones.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Public institutions -- Capital productivity, Museums -- Economic aspects, Orchestra -- Economic aspects, Theaters -- Economic aspects | ||||
Official Date: | January 1999 | ||||
Dates: |
|
||||
Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Department of Economics | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Fraser, Clive ; Leech, Dennis | ||||
Sponsors: | Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia [Finnish Academy] ; Yrjö Jahnssonin säätiö [Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation] ; Suomen Kulttuurirahasto [Finnish Cultural Foundation] ; British Council | ||||
Extent: | [10], 165, [15] leaves | ||||
Language: | eng |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year