Good modeling of bad outputs: editors’ introduction

Excerpt

This special issue of Empirical Economics brings together researchers actively working in the field of production analysis to discuss present challenges (and solutions thereto) associated with the proper modeling of production processes in the presence of bad outputs. The objective of this special issue is to contribute to the emerging literature on robust economic models and econometric methods suitable for the analysis of production technologies when one or more outputs are economically and/or socially undesirable, or so-to-say “bad.” The special issue presents a strong set of papers, each of which either offers novel theoretical conceptualization or econometric methodology related to modeling production processes with bad outputs or else applies recent methodological developments in new contexts or both. …