The purpose of this study is to examine efficiency and its determinants in a set of higher education institutions (HEIs) from several European countries by means of non-parametric frontier techniques. Our analysis is based on a sample of 259 public HEIs from 7 European countries across the time period of 2001–2005. We conduct a two-stage DEA analysis (Simar and Wilson in J Economet 136:31–64, 2007), first evaluating DEA scores and then regressing them on potential covariates with the use of a bootstrapped truncated regression. Results indicate a considerable variability of efficiency scores within and between countries. Unit size (economies of scale), number and composition of faculties, sources of funding and gender staff composition are found to be among the crucial determinants of these units’ performance. Specifically, we found evidence that a higher share of funds from external sources and a higher number of women among academic staff improve the efficiency of the institution.

1 From now on, we use the term 'degree of overall specialisation' as an opposite of 'diversification' so that low export specialisation means high export diversification and vice versa. 2 Similar results can be found in Minondo's (2011) non-parametric and parametric results. 5 For the sake of brevity, we have not cited many other aspects of structural change, for example, we have not considered the ideological aspect. 6 Qualitative aspects of economic structure are also underlined in other supply side contribution (Lucas, 1988) and in the Keynesian demand-side literature (see Thirlwall, 1979;McCombie and Thirlwall, 2004).

This paper contributes to the literature on the evolution of overall specialisation along the process of economic development by simultaneously estimating 'specialisation curves' emerging from fully comparable employment and export statistics in a sample of 32 economies . We apply semiparametric estimation methods, which allow us to combine the flexibility of the estimation with the inclusion of country-specific effects, demonstrating that their omission can be the source of contradictions in nonparametrically revealed patterns of diversification along the path of growth. We find no strong support for a U-shaped pattern (which is very sensitive to the methodological setting applied) but rather a robust tendency towards manufacturing despecialisation in the initial phase of economic growth that is confirmed both by export and employment specialisation patterns.

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in AbstractThis paper contributes to trade diversification literature by comparing changes in relative (i.e. assessed in comparison with world patterns) heterogeneity of import and export structures in the process of economic development. In particular, by focusing on the diversification of imports, we add a missing piece to already analysed export trends. We use highly disaggregated trade statistics (4963 product lines) for 163 countries and find that, despite differences in levels (imports being typically more diversified than exports, particularly at lower stages of economic development), they follow a similar path of evolution in the development process. Progressing relative diversification (despecialisation) of both import and export structures accompanies economic growth, while re-specialisation is plausible only in case of few specific countries (very rich, small ones, abundant in oil/petrol). We also show that even though while diversifying countries increase the degree of importexport similarity in terms of product categories, imported and exported goods differ in terms of within-product characteristics.

This paper assesses the impact of international outsourcing/offshoring practices on the process of wage equalization across manufacturing sectors in a sample of EU27 economies (1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009). We discriminate between heterogeneous wage effects on different skill categories of workers (low, medium and high skill). The main focus is on the labour market outcomes of vertical integration, so we augment a model of conditional wage convergence through the inclusion of sector-specific broad and narrow outsourcing/offshoring indices based on input-output data (World Input Output Database, April 2012 release). Twoway relations between trade and wages are addressed through the use of a gravity-based sector-level instrument. We find no evidence supporting unconditional skill-specific wage convergence in EU sectors. In a conditional setting, (slow) wage convergence takes place, but international outsourcing plays a negligible role in wage equalization. Moreover, even though regression results indicate that offshoring reduces the wage growth of domestic medium-and low-skilled workers, we show that this negative effect is economically small.The research has been conducted within the project financed by the National Science Centre (NCN), Poland (decision number DEC-2013/11/B/HS4/02134). Financial support from NCN is gratefully acknowledged. We also thank two anonymous referees, David Card, as well as the participants to conferences (Max Weber Conference -European University Institute, Warsaw International Economic Meeting, DEGIT, Macromodels) and seminars (Labor Lunch Seminar -University of California, Berkeley; Universita' Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona; Warsaw School of Economics, Gdansk University of Technology) for useful remarks on an earlier version of this paper. The usual disclaimers apply.A. Parteka ( ) · J. Wolszczak-Derlacz