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Organizing Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Esteban Rossi-Hansberg

    (Princeton University)

  • Luis Garicano

    (LSE)

Abstract

We study the impact of information and communication technology on growth through its impact on organization and innovation. Agents accumulate knowledge through two activities: innovation (discovering new technologies) and exploitation (learning how to use the current technology). Exploitation requires the development of organizations to coordinate the work of experts, which takes time. The costs and benefits of such organizations depend on the cost of communicating and acquiring information. We find that while advances in information technology that lower information acquisition costs always increase growth, improvements in communication technology may lead to lower growth and even to stagnation, as the payoff to exploiting innovations through organizations increases relative to the payoff of new radical innovations.

Suggested Citation

  • Esteban Rossi-Hansberg & Luis Garicano, 2008. "Organizing Growth," 2008 Meeting Papers 247, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed008:247
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Luis Garicano & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2015. "Knowledge-Based Hierarchies: Using Organizations to Understand the Economy," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 7(1), pages 1-30, August.
    2. Kredler, Matthias, 2014. "Experience vs. obsolescence: A vintage-human-capital model," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 709-739.
    3. Nicholas Bloom & Raffaella Sadun, 2012. "The Organization of Firms Across Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 127(4), pages 1663-1705.
    4. Giuseppe Berlingieri, 2013. "Outsourcing and the Rise in Services," CEP Discussion Papers dp1199, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    5. Andrew F. Newman & Patrick Legros, 2011. "Incomplete Contracts and Industrial Organization: A Survey," Boston University - Department of Economics - Working Papers Series WP2011-036, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    6. Lorenzo Caliendo & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2012. "The Impact of Trade on Organization and Productivity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 127(3), pages 1393-1467.
    7. Cécile Cezanne & Laurence Saglietto, 2016. "Human Capital-Intensive Firms and 4PLs: A Specific Partnership," Journal of Economics and Management, College of Business, Feng Chia University, Taiwan, vol. 12(1), pages 61-83, February.
    8. Acemoglu, Daron, 2012. "Introduction to economic growth," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(2), pages 545-550.
    9. Umberto Garfagnini & Bruno Strulovici, 2012. "Social Learning and Innovation Cycles (revision of DP#1516, The Dynamics of Innovation)," Discussion Papers 1546, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    10. Amira Bouziri & Marc-arthur Diaye, 2014. "A Test of Garicano's Knowledge Model," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(3), pages 1448-1455.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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