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The Structure Of Firm R&D, The Factor Intensity Of Production, And Skill Bias

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  • James D. Adams

Abstract

This paper explores the effect of research and development (R&D) and capital on factor intensity and skill bias in a sample of manufacturing plants. Firm and industry R&D as well as plant level capital increase the factor intensity of labor over materials. In contrast, skill bias originates in portions of capital and R&D. Equipment capital and firm R&D in the same product as a plant are consistently skill biased, while structures are biased against skill. Furthermore, general firm and industry R&D increase investment in equipment but not structures. This shows that the skill bias of R&D occurs through two distinct channels. First, firm R&D specific to the product increases the relative demand for skilled labor directly and in the short run through the cost function. Second, general firm and industry R&D exert an additional skill bias by favoring equipment over structures in the long run, demonstrating the broader compass of the skill bias of R&D over time. © 1999 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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  • James D. Adams, 1999. "The Structure Of Firm R&D, The Factor Intensity Of Production, And Skill Bias," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 81(3), pages 499-510, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:81:y:1999:i:3:p:499-510
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    1. Nahuis, Richard & Smulders, Sjak, 2002. "The Skill Premium, Technological Change and Appropriability," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 137-156, June.
    2. Dewitte, Ruben & Dumont, Michel & Merlevede, Bruno & Rayp, Glenn & Verschelde, Marijn, 2020. "Firm-Heterogeneous Biased Technological Change: A nonparametric approach under endogeneity," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(3), pages 1172-1182.
    3. Gray, Richard S. & Malla, Stavroula & Tran, Kien C., 2003. "An Empirical Analysis Of Public And Private Spillovers Within The Canola Biotech Industry," 2003 Annual meeting, July 27-30, Montreal, Canada 22137, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    4. Alfranca, Oscar & Huffman, Wallace E., 1999. "Private R&D Investments in Agriculture: The Role of Incentives and Institutions," ISU General Staff Papers 199912010800001333, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    5. Piva, Mariacristina & Santarelli, Enrico & Vivarelli, Marco, 2005. "The skill bias effect of technological and organisational change: Evidence and policy implications," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 141-157, March.
    6. Kaiser Ulrich, 2000. "A Note on the Calculation of Firm-specific and Skill-specific Labor Costs from Firm-level Data / Zur Berechnung von qualifikations- und firmenspezifischen Arbeitskosten auf der Grundlage von Firmendat," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 220(5), pages 541-551, October.
    7. Guido Friebel & Gerard McCullough & Laura Padilla Angulo, 2014. "Patterns of Restructuring The US Class 1 Railroads from 1984 to 2004," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 48(1), pages 115-135, January.
    8. Steven Buccola & Rolf Fare, 2008. "Reaggregation and firm-level inference in multiplant technologies," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 95(3), pages 255-270, December.
    9. Ljubica Nedelkoska & Simon Wiederhold, 2010. "Technology, outsourcing, and the demand for heterogeneous labor: Exploring the industry dimension," Jena Economics Research Papers 2010-052, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    10. Fung, Michael K., 2006. "Are labor-saving technologies lowering employment in the banking industry?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 179-198, January.
    11. Valeria Cirillo & Mario Pianta & Leopoldo Nascia, 2015. "The Dynamics of Skills: Technology and Business Cycles," LEM Papers Series 2015/30, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    12. Mariacristina Piva & Marco Vivarelli, 2002. "The Skill Bias: Comparative evidence and an econometric test," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 347-357.
    13. James Adams, 2006. "Learning, internal research, and spillovers," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 5-36.
    14. Igor Bagayev & Boris Najman, 2014. "Money to fill the gap? Local financial development and energy intensity in Europe and Central Asia," Erudite Working Paper 2014-02, Erudite.
    15. Carstensen, Vivian, 2002. "Reorganization of Firms and Productivity: A Treatment Effects Approach," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-257, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
    16. Marijn Verschelde & Michel Dumont & Bruno Merlevede & Glenn Rayp, 2014. "A constrained nonparametric regression analysis of factor-biased technical change and TFP growth at the firm level," Working Paper Research 266, National Bank of Belgium.
    17. Gómez, Jaime & Vargas, Pilar, 2012. "Intangible resources and technology adoption in manufacturing firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 1607-1619.
    18. Hollanders, Hugo & ter Weel, Bas, 2002. "Technology, knowledge spillovers and changes in employment structure: evidence from six OECD countries," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(5), pages 579-599, November.
    19. Mariacristina Piva & Enrico Santarelli & Marco Vivarelli, 2006. "Technological and organizational changes as determinants of the skill bias: evidence from the Italian machinery industry," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 63-73.
    20. Osharin Alexander & Verbus Valery, 2015. "Heterogeneous consumers and market structure in a monopolistically competitive setting," EERC Working Paper Series 15/03e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    21. Marco Vivarelli & Mariacristina Piva, 2001. "The skill bias in Italy: a first report," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 15(2), pages 1-8.
    22. Elia, Stefano & Mariotti, Ilaria & Piscitello, Lucia, 2009. "The impact of outward FDI on the home country's labour demand and skill composition," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 357-372, August.
    23. Valeria Cirillo & Mario Pianta & Leopoldo Nascia, 2018. "Technology and Occupations in Business Cycles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-25, February.
    24. Mariacristina Piva & Enrico Santarelli & Marco Vivarelli, 2004. "Technological and Organizational Changes as Determinants of the Skill Bias: Evidence from a Panel of Italian Firms," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2004-03, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    25. Anne Leahy & Joanne Loundes & Elizabeth Webster & Jongsay Yong, 2004. "Industrial Capabilities in Victoria," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 15(1), pages 74-98, June.

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