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Managerial Skill Acquisition and the Theory of Economic Development

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  • Paul Beaudry
  • Patrick Francois

Abstract

Micro level studies in developing countries suggest managerial skills play a key role in the adoption of modern technologies. The human resources literature suggests that managerial skills are difficult to codify and learn formally, but instead tend to be learned on the job. In this paper we present a model of the interactive process between on-the-job managerial skill acquisition and the adoption of modern technology. The environment considered is one where all learning possibilities are internalized in the market, and where managers are complementary inputs to non-managerial workers. The paper illustrates why some countries may adopt modern technologies while others stay backwards. The paper also explains why managers may not want to migrate from rich countries to poor countries as would be needed to generate income convergence.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Beaudry & Patrick Francois, 2005. "Managerial Skill Acquisition and the Theory of Economic Development," NBER Working Papers 11451, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11451
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    3. Biagetti, Marco & Giangreco, Antonio & Leonida, Leone & Scicchitano, Sergio, 2020. "BrExit or BritaIn: Is the UK more Attractive to Supervisors? An Analysis of Wage Premium to Supervision across the EU," GLO Discussion Paper Series 510, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
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    5. Max Gillman, 2019. "A Human Capital Theory of Structural Transformation," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp648, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
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    7. Sampson, Thomas, 2013. "Brain drain or brain gain? Technology diffusion and learning on-the-job," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 162-176.
    8. Marco Biagetti & Sergio Scicchitano, 2016. "Are women in supervisory positions more discriminated against? A multinomial approach," Working Papers 2, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
    9. Chakraborty, Pavel & Chakrabarti, Anindya S. & Chatterjee, Chirantan, 2023. "Cross-border environmental regulation and firm labor demand," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    10. Gillman, Max, 2021. "Steps in industrial development through human capital deepening," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    11. Kang, Youngho & Kim, Ryoonhee & Whang, Unjung, 2023. "International knowledge transfers and capital structure of multinational affiliates: Evidence from expatriate managers as the transfer agents," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    12. Dasgupta, Kunal, 2012. "Learning and knowledge diffusion in a global economy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 323-336.
    13. Alexander Monge-Naranjo, 2012. "Foreign firms and the diffusion of knowledge," Working Papers 2012-055, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    14. Luminita Popescu & Anica Iancu & Marioara Avram & Daniel Avram & Virgil Popescu, 2020. "The Role of Managerial Skills in the Sustainable Development of SMEs in Mehedinti County, Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-16, February.
    15. Alexander Monge-Naranjo, 2016. "Openness and the Optimal Taxation of Foreign Know-How," Working Papers 2016-20, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    16. Erzo G. J. Luttmer, 2014. "An Assignment Model of Knowledge Diffusion and Income Inequality," Working Papers 715, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    17. Marco Biagetti & Sergio Scicchitano, 2014. "Estimating the Gender Pay Gap in the Managerial and non Managerial Italian Labor Market," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(3), pages 1846-1856.
    18. Alexander Monge-Naranjo, 2012. "Knowledge Spillovers and The Optimal Taxation of Multinational Firms," 2012 Meeting Papers 593, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    19. Catherine Laffineur & Maria Minniti & Benjamin Montmartin, 2023. "Does Knowledge in Management Foster Firm Creation and Performance?," GREDEG Working Papers 2023-19, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    20. Shengzhong Huang & Chan Lyu & Xiaojun Lin, 2018. "Is Labor Related to the Duality of Earnings Smoothing?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-20, November.
    21. Paul Beaudry & Patrick Francois, 2007. "The Economics of Inefficient Technology Use," NBER Working Papers 13500, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Sergio Scicchitano, 2015. "Exploring the gender wage gap in the managerial labour market:a counterfactual decomposition analysis," Working Papers 2, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.

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    JEL classification:

    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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