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Technology, Entrepreneurship and Inequality: an Interpretative Model

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  • Alfonso Gambardella
  • Davide Ticchi

Abstract

This paper purports to explain some recent trends in several advanced economies. Our model shows that the rise of new scientific and technological opportunities, and particularly the opportunities to develop riskier technological projects, is at the basis of the blossoming of small-medium sized high-tech companies in several regions of the world. This phenomenon, which has been widely documented, and has given rise to several remarks about the growth and employment opportunities of "Silicon Valley" models of industrial activities and employment, is contrasted with an economy based on more stable employment conditions in large firms. Our key result is that both an economy based on large firms and one based on high-tech smaller enterprises lead to higher expected incomes. But while the former implies lower inequality in the sense of lower variance of incomes, the latter implies both higher permanent and transitory inequality. This is consistent with some recent empirical findings about the increase in the variance of incomes in the US and the UK.

Suggested Citation

  • Alfonso Gambardella & Davide Ticchi, 1999. "Technology, Entrepreneurship and Inequality: an Interpretative Model," LEM Papers Series 1999/11, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    • Handle: RePEc:ssa:lemwps:1999/11
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Holmstrom, Bengt, 1989. "Agency costs and innovation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 305-327, December.
    2. Kenney, Martin & von Burg, Urs, 1999. "Technology, Entrepreneurship and Path Dependence: Industrial Clustering in Silicon Valley and Route 128," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 8(1), pages 67-103, March.
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    7. Gambardella,Alfonso, 1995. "Science and Innovation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521451185.
    8. Rothschild, Michael & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1970. "Increasing risk: I. A definition," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 225-243, September.
    9. Arora, Ashish & Fosfuri, Andrea & Gambardella, Alfonso, 1999. "Markets for technology (why do we see them, why don't we see more of them and why we should care)," DEE - Working Papers. Business Economics. WB 6520, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía de la Empresa.
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