IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ecorec/v80y2004i249p239-257.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sources of Australia's Productivity Revival

Author

Listed:
  • Dean Parham

Abstract

Australia's annual rate of multifactor productivity growth accelerated a full percentage point in the 1990s. The fact that most other OECD countries did not share this experience suggests that domestic factors must have provided at least a major part of the explanation. This article establishes six stylised facts about Australia's 1990s productivity performance and then surveys available analytical studies to find explanations for them. With few aggregate models available to shed light on recent output and productivity growth, the survey also covers cross‐country, industry and firm‐level studies. Despite various shortcomings in data and specification of models, a reasonably clear picture emerges. The accumulation of physical and human capital has laid a long‐term foundation for productivity growth. On top of this foundation, the greater openness of the economy to trade and investment, increased R&D activity and a strong uptake and innovative use of ICT have been specific sources of the productivity revival. There is also evidence that policy and institutional factors have been important in driving and enabling these determinants.

Suggested Citation

  • Dean Parham, 2004. "Sources of Australia's Productivity Revival," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 80(249), pages 239-257, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:80:y:2004:i:249:p:239-257
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4932.2004.00175.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4932.2004.00175.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1475-4932.2004.00175.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hali J. Edison & Michael W. Klein & Luca Antonio Ricci & Torsten Sløk, 2004. "Capital Account Liberalization and Economic Performance: Survey and Synthesis," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 51(2), pages 1-2.
    2. Jonathan Temple, 2003. "Growth effects of education and social capital in the OECD countries," OECD Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2001(2), pages 57-101.
    3. Joanne Loundes & Yi‐Ping Tseng & Mark Wooden, 2003. "Enterprise Bargaining and Productivity in Australia: What do We Know?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 79(245), pages 245-258, June.
    4. Edward Oczkowski & Kishor Sharma, 2001. "Imperfect Competition, Returns To Scale and Productivity Growth In Australian Manufacturing: A Smooth Transition Approach To Trade Liberalisation," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 99-113, June.
    5. Premachandra Athukorala, 1995. "Internationalisation And Structural Adaptation," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, March.
    6. Steve Dowrick, 2003. "Ideas and Education: Level or Growth Effects?," NBER Working Papers 9709, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Abbas Valadkhani, 2003. "An Empirical Analysis of Australian Labour Productivity," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 273-291, September.
    8. Satish Chand & Kunal Sen, 2002. "Trade Liberalization and Productivity Growth: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(1), pages 120-132, February.
    9. Feldstein, Martin, 2003. "Why is productivity growing faster?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 445-451, July.
    10. Timothy F. Bresnahan & Erik Brynjolfsson & Lorin M. Hitt, 2002. "Information Technology, Workplace Organization, and the Demand for Skilled Labor: Firm-Level Evidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(1), pages 339-376.
    11. Otto, Glenn & Voss, Graham M, 1994. "Public Capital and Private Sector Productivity," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 70(209), pages 121-132, June.
    12. Madden, Gary & Savage, Scott J, 1998. "Sources of Australian Labour Productivity Change 1950-1994," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 74(227), pages 362-372, December.
    13. Barro, Robert J & Lee, Jong-Wha, 2001. "International Data on Educational Attainment: Updates and Implications," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 53(3), pages 541-563, July.
    14. Mark Rogers, 2002. "The Influence of Diversification and Market Structure on the R&D Intensity of Large Australian Firms," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(2), pages 155-172, June.
    15. Glenn Otto & Graham M. Voss, 1994. "Public Capital and Private Sector Productivity," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 70(209), pages 121-132, June.
    16. Bodman, Philip M, 1996. "On Export-Led Growth in Australia and Canada: Cointegration, Causality and Structural Stability," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(67), pages 282-299, December.
    17. Renuka Mahadevan, 2002. "Trade liberalization and productivity growth in Australian manufacturing industries," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 30(2), pages 170-185, June.
    18. Edwards, Sebastian, 1998. "Openness, Productivity and Growth: What Do We Really Know?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(447), pages 383-398, March.
    19. Dean Parham, 2002. "Productivity and Policy Reform in Australia," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 5, pages 53-63, Fall.
    20. Baumol, William J, 1986. "Productivity Growth, Convergence, and Welfare: What the Long-run Data Show," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 1072-1085, December.
    21. Abramovitz, Moses, 1986. "Catching Up, Forging Ahead, and Falling Behind," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(2), pages 385-406, June.
    22. Gary Madden & Scott J. Savage, 1998. "Sources of Australian Labour Productivity Change 1950–1994," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 74(227), pages 362-372, December.
    23. Harrison, Ann E., 1994. "Productivity, imperfect competition and trade reform : Theory and evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-2), pages 53-73, February.
    24. Sanghoon Ahn, 2002. "Competition, Innovation and Productivity Growth: A Review of Theory and Evidence," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 317, OECD Publishing.
    25. R. Mahadevan, 2002. "Productivity growth in Australian manufacturing sector: some new evidence," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(15), pages 1017-1023.
    26. Joanne Loundes & Yi‐Ping Tseng & Mark Wooden, 2003. "Enterprise Bargaining and Productivity in Australia: What do We Know?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 79(245), pages 245-258, June.
    27. John Quiggin, 2001. "The Australian Productivity Miracle: A Sceptical View," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 8(4), pages 333-348.
    28. Neil Dias Karunaratne, 1996. "Growth and trade dynamics under regime shifts in Australia," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 23(2), pages 55-69, May.
    29. Otto, Glenn & Voss, Graham, 1996. "Public Capital and Private Production in Australia," MPRA Paper 52110, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Satya Paul, 2003. "Effects of Public Infrastructure on Cost Structure and Productivity in the Private Sector," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 79(247), pages 446-461, December.
    2. Amani Elnasri & Kevin J. Fox, 2017. "The contribution of research and innovation to productivity," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 291-308, June.
    3. Harrison, Ann E. & Rodriguez-Clare, Andres, 2009. "Trade, Foreign Investment, and Industrial Policy," MPRA Paper 15561, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. repec:zbw:rwidps:0030 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Renuka Mahadevan, 2002. "Trade liberalization and productivity growth in Australian manufacturing industries," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 30(2), pages 170-185, June.
    6. Paul Johnson & Chris Papageorgiou, 2020. "What Remains of Cross-Country Convergence?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 58(1), pages 129-175, March.
    7. Richard Dion & Robert Fay, 2008. "Understanding Productivity: A Review of Recent Technical Research," Discussion Papers 08-3, Bank of Canada.
    8. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/1181 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Harrison, Ann & Rodríguez-Clare, Andrés, 2010. "Trade, Foreign Investment, and Industrial Policy for Developing Countries," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4039-4214, Elsevier.
    10. George Petrakos & Panagiotis Artelaris, 2009. "European Regional Convergence Revisited: A Weighted Least Squares Approach," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 314-331, June.
    11. Syed Ammad & Qazi Masood Ahmed, 2014. "Dynamic Effects of Energy Sector Public Investment on Sectoral Economic Growth: Experience from Pakistan Economy," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 53(4), pages 403-421.
    12. Middendorf Torge, 2006. "Human Capital and Economic Growth in OECD Countries," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 226(6), pages 670-686, December.
    13. Ketteni, Elena & Mamuneas, Theofanis & Stengos, Thanasis, 2011. "The Effect Of Information Technology And Human Capital On Economic Growth," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(5), pages 595-615, November.
    14. Ark, Bart van, 2004. "Productivity and employment growth: an empirical review of long and medium run evidence : background working paper for the world employment report 2004," GGDC Research Memorandum 200471, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    15. Prof. Neil D. Karunaratne, 1999. "Rival Macroeconomic Models And Australian Stylised Facts," Discussion Papers Series 261, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    16. Pedro R.D. Bom & Jenny E. Ligthart, 2014. "What Have We Learned From Three Decades Of Research On The Productivity Of Public Capital?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 889-916, December.
    17. Sid Durbin, 2004. "Review of Workplace Skills, Technology Adoption and Firm Productivity: A Review," Treasury Working Paper Series 04/16, New Zealand Treasury.
    18. Bos, J.W.B. & Economidou, C. & Koetter, M. & Kolari, J.W., 2010. "Do all countries grow alike?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(1), pages 113-127, January.
    19. Adel Ben Khalifa, 2018. "Government Supports and Technology Adoption: Evidence from Tunisia," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 43(4), pages 41-70, December.
    20. Daniel J. Henderson, 2010. "A test for multimodality of regression derivatives with application to nonparametric growth regressions," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(3), pages 458-480.
    21. Cameron, Gavin & Proudman, James & Redding, Stephen, 2005. "Technological convergence, R&D, trade and productivity growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 775-807, April.
    22. Los, Bart & Timmer, Marcel P., 2005. "The 'appropriate technology' explanation of productivity growth differentials: An empirical approach," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 517-531, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:80:y:2004:i:249:p:239-257. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/esausea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.