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A re-examination of the technological catching-up hypothesis across OECD industries

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  • Boussemart, Jean-Philippe
  • Briec, Walter
  • Cadoret, Isablelle
  • Tavera, Christophe

Abstract

This study re-examines the catching-up hypothesis at the industry level across the main OECD countries, using panel data econometric models involving technological gap indicators calculated with a nonparametric distance function suggested by Färe et al. [Färe, R.S., Grosskopf, M.N., Norris, M., Xhang, Z., 1994. Productivity growth, technical progress, and efficiency change in industrialized countries. American Economic Review 84, 66–83]. The results show that there is statistical evidence of a catching-up process at the industry level. Moreover, both tradables and nontradables sectors exhibit catching-up effects and technology adoption from abroad. This result complements the findings by Bernard and Jones [Bernard, A.B., Jones, C.I., 1996a. Comparing apples to oranges: productivity convergence and measurement across industries and countries. American Economic Review 86(5), 1216–1238., Bernard, A.B., Jones, C.I., 1996b. Productivity across industries and countries: Time series theory and evidence. Review Of Economics and Statistics 78, 135–146], Gouyette and Perelman [Gouyette, C., Perelman, S., 1997. Productivity convergence in OECD services industries. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics 8, 279–295] and Hansson and Henrekson [Hansson, P., Henrekson, M., 1997. Catching up, social capability, government size and economic growth, in V. Bergström, eds, Government and Growth, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 61–126] that there is no (or even a slow) catching-up effect in the manufacturing sector. Moreover, social capability indicators evaluated for each country show that "Non-European" and "Central European" tradables sectors have a rather similar degree of inefficiency while "North European" countries are less efficient for both tradables and non-tradables. Lastly, both the cross country and the cross sectors dispersions of inefficiency levels are smaller for tradables sectors than for non-tradables.
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  • Boussemart, Jean-Philippe & Briec, Walter & Cadoret, Isablelle & Tavera, Christophe, 2006. "A re-examination of the technological catching-up hypothesis across OECD industries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 967-977, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:23:y:2006:i:6:p:967-977
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    1. Patrick T. Hultberg & M. Ishaq Nadiri & Robin C. Sickles, 1999. "An International Comparison of Technology Adoption and Efficiency: A Dynamic Panel Model," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 55-56, pages 449-474.
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    2. Autant-Bernard, Corinne & Guironnet, Jean-Pascal & Massard, Nadine, 2011. "Agglomeration and social return to R&D: Evidence from French plant productivity changes," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(1), pages 34-42, July.
    3. Boussemart, Jean-Philippe & Leleu, Hervé & Mensah, Edward & Shitikova, Karina, 2020. "Technological catching-up and structural convergence among US industries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 135-146.
    4. Jean-Philippe Boussemart & Walter Briec & Christophe Tavera, 2011. "More evidence on technological catching-up in the manufacturing sector," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(18), pages 2321-2330.
    5. Molinos-Senante, María & Maziotis, Alexandros & Sala-Garrido, Ramón, 2014. "The Luenberger productivity indicator in the water industry: An empirical analysis for England and Wales," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 18-28.
    6. Hugo Erken & Piet Donselaar & Roy Thurik, 2018. "Total factor productivity and the role of entrepreneurship," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(6), pages 1493-1521, December.
    7. Vouldis, Angelos T. & Michaelides, Panayotis G. & Tsionas, Efthymios G., 2010. "Estimating semi-parametric output distance functions with neural-based reduced form equations using LIML," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 697-704, May.
    8. Bos, J.W.B. & Economidou, C. & Koetter, M., 2010. "Technology clubs, R&D and growth patterns: Evidence from EU manufacturing," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 60-79, January.
    9. Korap, Levent, 2010. "OECD ülkeleri için ekonomik yakınsama öngörüsünün zaman serisi panel birim kök yöntemleri ile sınanması [An essay upon testing economic convergence hypothesis with time series panel unit root metho," MPRA Paper 29644, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Managi, Shunsuke & Kumar, Surender, 2009. "Trade-induced technological change: Analyzing economic and environmental outcomes," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 721-732, May.
    11. Vatthanamixay Chansomphou & Masaru Ichihashi, 2013. "Structural change, labor productivity growth, and convergence of BRIC countries," IDEC DP2 Series 3-5, Hiroshima University, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC).

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