We show how a Schumpeterian process of creative destruction can induce rational, herd-behavior by entrepreneurs across diverse sectors of the economy that may look like it is fuelled by ``animal spirits''. Consequently, a multi-sector economy, in which sector-specific, productivity improvements are made by independent, profit-seeking entrepreneurs, can exhibit regular booms, slowdowns and downturns as an inherent part of the long-run growth process. The cyclical equilibrium that we study has a higher average growth rate but lower welfare than the corresponding acyclical one. We find that the cycles generated by our model exhibit several features of actual business cycles, and that across cycling economies, a negative relationship emerges between volatility and growth.
Nous montrons comment un processus de destruction créatrice Schumpeterien peut entraîner un comportement rationnel de masse ('moutonnier') des entrepreneurs à travers les différents secteurs de l'économie, un comportement qui peut apparaître comme provenant d'effets non fondamentaux ('esprits animaliers'). En conséquence, une économie avec des secteurs multiples dans laquelle les améliorations de productivité sont apportées par des entrepreneurs in-dépendants cherchant un profit peut être caractérisée par des expansions, des ralentissements et des baisses de façon régulière tout en étant une partie intégrante du processus de croissance à long terme. L'équilibre cyclique que nous étudions possède certes un taux de croissance moyen supérieur mais également un niveau de bien-être inférieur par rapport à l'équilibre acyclique correspondant. Nous trouvons que les cycles générés par notre modèle présentent plusieurs caractéristiques des cycles économiques observés dans les données et qu'une relation négative émerge entre la volatilité et la croissance parmis les économies caractérisées par des cycles.
Download Info
To download:
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the
proper application to
view it first. Information about this may be contained
in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read
the IDEAS help
file. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS
site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Find related papers by JEL classification: E0 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General E3 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles O3 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change O4 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
Jovanovic, Boyan & Lach, Saul, 1997.
"Product Innovation and the Business Cycle,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 38(1), pages 3-22, February.
Other versions:
Kiminori Matsuyama, 1996.
"Growing Through Cycles,"
Discussion Papers
1203, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
[Downloadable!]
Robert E. Hall, 1999.
"Reorganization,"
NBER Working Papers
7181, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
Evans, Geroge W & Honkapohja, Seppo & Romer, Paul, 1998.
"Growth Cycles,"
American Economic Review,
American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 495-515, June.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
Paul Romer & George Evans & Seppo Hokapohja, .
"Growth Cycles,"
Home Pages
_001, Stanford University.
[Downloadable!]
George Evans & Seppo Honkapohja & Paul Romer, 1996.
"Growth Cycles,"
NBER Working Papers
5659, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Cited by: (explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)
Boyan Jovanovic, 2004.
"Asymmetric Cycles,"
NBER Working Papers
10573, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions: