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Why doesn’t technology flow from rich to poor countries?

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Listed:
  • Harold L. Cole
  • Jeremy Greenwood
  • Juan M. Sanchez

Abstract

What is the role of a country?s financial system in determining technology adoption? To examine this, a dynamic contract model is embedded into a general equilibrium setting with competitive intermediation. The terms of finance are dictated by an intermediary?s ability to monitor and control a firm?s cash flow, in conjunction with the structure of the technology that the firm adopts. It is not always profitable to finance promising technologies. A quantitative illustration is presented where financial frictions induce entrepreneurs in India and Mexico to adopt less-promising ventures than in the United States, despite lower input prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Harold L. Cole & Jeremy Greenwood & Juan M. Sanchez, 2012. "Why doesn’t technology flow from rich to poor countries?," Working Papers 2012-040, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlwp:2012-040
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cash flow; Economic development; Technology - Economic aspects; India; Mexico;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D92 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice, Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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