Education in production: measuring labor quality and management

• Published in: American journal of agricultural economics Vol. 79; no. 3
• Main Author: Yang, D.T. (Duke University.)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.08.1997
• Subjects: ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT; AGRICULTURAL WORKERS; DECISION MAKING; ENCUESTAS; ENQUETE; FARM INCOME; FARM INPUTS; FARM MANAGEMENT; FONCTION DE PRODUCTION; FUNCIONES DE LA PRODUCCION; GESTION; GESTION DE L'EXPLOITATION AGRICOLE; GESTION DES RESSOURCES; HOGARES; HOUSEHOLDS; HUMAN SKILLS; INCOME; INSUMOS AGRICOLAS; LABOUR; LEAST SQUARES; MANAGEMENT; MANAGEMENT SKILLS; MANEJO DE FINCAS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MEASUREMENT; MEDICION; MENAGE; MESURE; METHODE STATISTIQUE; METODOS ESTADISTICOS; MODELE MATHEMATIQUE; MODELOS MATEMATICOS; MOYEN DE PRODUCTION AGRICOLE; OBREROS AGRICOLAS; ORDENACION DE RECURSOS; PRISE DE DECISION; PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS; PRODUCTIVIDAD; PRODUCTIVITE; PRODUCTIVITY; RENTA; RENTA DE LA EXPLOTACION; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; REVENU; REVENU DE L'EXPLOITATION; SICHUAN; STATISTICAL METHODS; SURVEYS; TEAM PRODUCTION MODEL; TOMA DE DECISIONES; TRABAJO; TRAVAIL; TRAVAILLEUR AGRICOLE; VALEUR AJOUTEE; VALOR ANADIDO; VALUE ADDED; VALUE ADDED FARMING
• ISSN: 0002-9092; 1467-8276
• DOI: 10.2307/1244418

Production function studies have used the education of the head of the household or the average education of farm workers to assess the contribution of schooling to farm efficiency. In this paper I critically examine the information content of these measures by developing a team production model which suggests separate education measures to approximate labor quality and managerial skills. Empirical analyses based on Chinese farm household data show that the new measures are statistically superior to the existing alternatives. There is evidence of centralized decision making on the farms where the highest schooling contributes the most to production efficiency