IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp6004.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

A General Model of Technical Change with an Application to the OECD Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Heshmati, Almas

    (Jönköping University)

  • Kumbhakar, Subal C.

    (Binghamton University, New York)

Abstract

In the neoclassical production functions model technical change (TC) is assumed to be exogenous and it is specified as a function of time. However, some exogenous external factors other than time can also affect the rate of TC. In this paper we model TC via a combination of time trend (purely non-economic) and other observable exogenous factors, which we call technology shifters (economic factors). We use several composite technology indices based on appropriate combinations of the external economic factors which are indicators of different aspects of technology. These technology indices are embedded into the production function in such a way that they can complement to different inputs. By estimating the generalized production function, we get estimates of TC which is decomposed TC into a pure time component as well as several producer specific external economic factors. Furthermore, the technology shifters allow for non-neutral and biased shifts in TC. We also consider a simple model in which the technology shifters are aggregated into one single index. The empirical model uses panel data on OECD, accession and enhanced engagement countries observed during 1980-2006.

Suggested Citation

  • Heshmati, Almas & Kumbhakar, Subal C., 2011. "A General Model of Technical Change with an Application to the OECD Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 6004, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp6004.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Roberto Ezcurra, 2011. "Is fiscal decentralization harmful for economic growth? Evidence from the OECD countries," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(4), pages 619-643, July.
    2. Sudip Ranjan Basu, 2009. "Comparing China and India: Is the dividend of economic reforms polarized?," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 6(1), pages 57-99, June.
    3. Donghyun Oh & Almas Heshmati & Hans Lööf, 2012. "Technical change and total factor productivity growth for Swedish manufacturing and service industries," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(18), pages 2373-2391, June.
    4. Heshmati, Almas & Kumbhakar, Subal C., 2010. "Technical Change and Total Factor Productivity Growth: The Case of Chinese Provinces," IZA Discussion Papers 4784, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Aghion, Philippe & David, Paul A. & Foray, Dominique, 2009. "Science, technology and innovation for economic growth: Linking policy research and practice in 'STIG Systems'," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 681-693, May.
    6. Mendi, Pedro, 2007. "Trade in disembodied technology and total factor productivity in OECD countries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 121-133, February.
    7. Philippe Aghion & Peter Howitt, 2009. "The Economics of Growth," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262012634, December.
    8. Madsen, Jakob B., 2007. "Technology spillover through trade and TFP convergence: 135 years of evidence for the OECD countries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 464-480, July.
    9. Alan B. Krueger & Mikael Lindahl, 2000. "Education for Growth: Why and For Whom?," Working Papers 808, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    10. Jérôme Vandenbussche & Philippe Aghion & Costas Meghir, 2006. "Growth, distance to frontier and composition of human capital," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 97-127, June.
    11. Mc Morrow, Kieran & Röger, Werner & Turrini, Alessandro, 2010. "Determinants of TFP growth: A close look at industries driving the EU-US TFP gap," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 165-180, August.
    12. Mary O'Mahony & Marcel P. Timmer, 2009. "Output, Input and Productivity Measures at the Industry Level: The EU KLEMS Database," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(538), pages 374-403, June.
    13. Córdoba, Juan Carlos & Ripoll, Marla, 2008. "Endogenous TFP and cross-country income differences," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(6), pages 1158-1170, September.
    14. Gouyette, Claudine & Perelman, Sergio, 1997. "Productivity convergence in OECD service industries," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 279-295, August.
    15. Subal Kumbhakar & Shinichiro Nakamura & Almas Heshmati, 2000. "Estimation of firm-specific technological bias, technical change and total factor productivity growth: a dual approach," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 162-173.
    16. repec:bla:scandj:v:101:y:1999:i:3:p:405-24 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Baltagi, Badi H & Griffin, James M & Rich, Daniel P, 1995. "The Measurement of Firm-Specific Indexes of Technical Change," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 77(4), pages 654-663, November.
    18. Robert Inklaar & Marcel P. Timmer, 2012. "Productivity Convergence Across Industries and Countries: The Importance of Theory-based Measurement," Chapters, in: Matilde Mas & Robert Stehrer (ed.), Industrial Productivity in Europe, chapter 11, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Thomas Kemeny, 2011. "Are international technology gaps growing or shrinking in the age of globalization?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(1), pages 1-35, January.
    20. Madsen, Jakob B., 2010. "The anatomy of growth in the OECD since 1870," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(6), pages 753-767, September.
    21. repec:dgr:rugggd:gd-109 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Bernard, Andrew B & Jones, Charles I, 1996. "Comparing Apples to Oranges: Productivity Convergence and Measurement across Industries and Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(5), pages 1216-1238, December.
    23. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Almas Heshmati & Lennart Hjalmarsson, 1999. "Parametric Approaches to Productivity Measurement: A Comparison among Alternative Models," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(3), pages 405-424, September.
    24. Robert Inklaar & Marcel Timmer, 2007. "International Comparisons of Industry Output, Inputs and Productivity Levels: Methodology and New Results," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 343-363.
    25. Morrison, Catherine J., 1986. "Productivity measurement with non-static expectations and varying capacity utilization : An integrated approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1-2), pages 51-74.
    26. Mikael Lindahl & Alan B. Krueger, 2001. "Education for Growth: Why and for Whom?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(4), pages 1101-1136, December.
    27. Maudos, Joaquin & Pastor, Jose Manuel & Serrano, Lorenzo, 1999. "Total factor productivity measurement and human capital in OECD countries," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 39-44, April.
    28. Winston, Clifford, 1993. "Economic Deregulation: Days of Reckoning for Microeconomists," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 31(3), pages 1263-1289, September.
    29. Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 2011. "The new economic geography and policy relevance," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(2), pages 357-369, March.
    30. Hill, Robert J. & Hill, T. Peter, 2009. "Recent Developments In The International Comparison Of Prices And Real Output," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(S2), pages 194-217, September.
    31. Wong, Wei-Kang, 2006. "OECD convergence: A sectoral decomposition exercise," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 210-214, November.
    32. Donald S. Siegel & Catherine J. Morrison Paul, 1999. "Scale Economies and Industry Agglomeration Externalities: A Dynamic Cost Function Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(1), pages 272-290, March.
    33. David L. Rigby & Jürgen Essletzbichler, 2006. "Technological variety, technological change and a geography of production techniques," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 6(1), pages 45-70, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Almas Heshmati & Masoomeh Rashidghalam, 2020. "Estimation of technical change and TFP growth based on observable technology shifters," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 21-36, February.
    2. Markus Lampe & Paul Sharp, 2015. "Just add milk: a productivity analysis of the revolutionary changes in nineteenth-century Danish dairying," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 68(4), pages 1132-1153, November.
    3. Pontus Mattsson & Jonas Månsson & William H. Greene, 2020. "TFP change and its components for Swedish manufacturing firms during the 2008–2009 financial crisis," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 79-93, February.
    4. Pontus Mattsson & Jonas Mansson & William H. Greene, 2018. "TFP Change and its Components for Swedish Manufacturing Firms During the 2008-2009 Financial Crisis," Working Papers 18-27, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    5. Lu, Yuhai & Gong, Mincheng & Lu, Linzhuo & Wang, Yaqin & Wang, Yang, 2024. "Urban polycentrism and total-factor energy efficiency: An analysis based on the night light data," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    6. Haoliang Zhu & Jiao Wang, 2022. "Examining the TFP growth of information technology service sector: a cross-country analysis," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(2), pages 740-752.

    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. Almas Heshmati & Masoomeh Rashidghalam, 2020. "Estimation of technical change and TFP growth based on observable technology shifters," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 21-36, February.
    2. João Prates Romero, 2016. "Increasing Returns To Scale, Technological Catch-Up And Research Intensity: An Industry-Level Investigation Combining Eu Klems Productivity Data With Patent Data," Anais do XLIII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 43rd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 102, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    3. Ralph Hippe & Roger Fouquet, 2024. "The Human Capital Transition and the Role of Policy," Springer Books, in: Claude Diebolt & Michael Haupert (ed.), Handbook of Cliometrics, edition 3, pages 411-457, Springer.
    4. Almas Heshmati, 2003. "Productivity Growth, Efficiency and Outsourcing in Manufacturing and Service Industries," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(1), pages 79-112, February.
    5. Serge Coulombe & Jean-Francois Tremblay, 2009. "Education, Productivity and Economic Growth: A Selective Review of the Evidence," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 18, pages 3-24, Spring.
    6. Julia Bock-Schappelwein & Jürgen Janger & Andreas Reinstaller, 2012. "Bildung 2025 – Die Rolle von Bildung in der österreichischen Wirtschaft," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 45200.
    7. Eric Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2012. "Do better schools lead to more growth? Cognitive skills, economic outcomes, and causation," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 267-321, December.
    8. Li-Ju Chen, 2016. "Women in Politics: A New Instrument for Studying the Impact of Education on Growth," Journal of Economics and Management, College of Business, Feng Chia University, Taiwan, vol. 12(2), pages 251-275, August.
    9. López-Pueyo, Carmen & Mancebón, María-Jesús, 2010. "Innovation, accumulation and assimilation: Three sources of productivity growth in ICT industries," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 268-285, March.
    10. M. Danquah & B. Ouattara, 2014. "Productivity Growth, Human Capital And Distance To Frontier In Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 39(4), pages 27-48, December.
    11. Ott, Ingrid & Soretz, Susanne, 2011. "Public policies and convergence," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1435-1450, September.
    12. Azomahou, Theophile & Diene, Bity & Diene, Mbaye, 2012. "Nonlinearities in productivity growth: A semi-parametric panel analysis," MERIT Working Papers 2012-046, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    13. Azomahou, Théophile T. & Diene, Bity & Diene, Mbaye, 2013. "Nonlinearities in productivity growth: A semi-parametric panel analysis," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 45-75.
    14. Raquel Ortega-Argilés, 2012. "The Transatlantic Productivity Gap: A Survey Of The Main Causes," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 395-419, July.
    15. Jørn Rattsø & Hildegunn E. Stokke, 2011. "Accumulation of education and regional income growth: Limited human capital effects in Norway," Working Paper Series 11211, Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
    16. Di Maria, C. & Stryszowski, P.K., 2006. "Brain Drain and Distance to Frontier," Other publications TiSEM 01abb5e7-e9ce-4d85-8bc3-5, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    17. Kong, Dongmin & Zhang, Bohui & Zhang, Jian, 2022. "Higher education and corporate innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    18. Zainab Asif & Radhika Lahiri, 2021. "Dimensions of human capital and technological diffusion," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 941-967, February.
    19. Indunil De Silva & Sudarno Sumarto, 2015. "Dynamics Of Growth, Poverty And Human Capital: Evidence From Indonesian Sub-National Data," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 40(2), pages 1-33, June.
    20. Robert Inklaar & Marcel P. Timmer, 2012. "Productivity Convergence Across Industries and Countries: The Importance of Theory-based Measurement," Chapters, in: Matilde Mas & Robert Stehrer (ed.), Industrial Productivity in Europe, chapter 11, Edward Elgar Publishing.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    technical change; technology shifter; total factor productivity growth; OECD countries; technology indicator;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:iza:izadps:dp6004. 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: Holger Hinte (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaade.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.