Random Coefficients Estimation of Average Total Product Costs for Multiproduct Firms
提出用随机系数回归模型估计多产品企业各产出的平均总成本，并以伊利诺伊州现金谷物农场数据验证，该方法数据需求少且估计可靠。
The problem of estimating the mean average total cost of each output for multiproduct firms in an industry is addressed. The identity that defines total cost for each firm as the product of output levels multiplied by their respective average total costs is viewed as a random-coefficients model. A random coefficients regression estimator is used to estimate mean average total output costs. Solutions to problems arising with this method in empirical studies are discussed. An application of the approach to data from cash grain farms in Illinois shows that the method gives reliable estimates for per-unit output production costs with considerably fewer data requirements than current methods of cost estimation.