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Australian Use of Information Technology and its Contribution to Growth

Author

Listed:
  • John Simon

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

  • Sharon Wardrop

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

Abstract

This paper investigates the gains from the use of information technology in Australia during the 1990s using a growth accounting framework. We make use of new industry-level estimates of the productive capital stock. Our analysis suggests that Australia has done well out of the ‘new economy’. Its use of computer technology is amongst the highest in the world with Australian business investment in computer and related equipment growing rapidly since the early 1990s. Computer use has not been uniform throughout the economy but concentrated in more service-oriented sectors such as telecommunications, and finance and insurance. Additionally, we find that around one-half of the gains from the use of information technology can be attributed to price falls while the other half can be attributed to higher nominal expenditure. We arrive at the conclusion that Australia has experienced significant output growth related to computer use and has benefited from the technological advances in the sector through lower prices passed on to users. Thus, we conclude that there are substantial benefits to be gained from being a net user of computers as well as the more commonly mentioned benefits from being a producer.

Suggested Citation

  • John Simon & Sharon Wardrop, 2002. "Australian Use of Information Technology and its Contribution to Growth," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2002-02, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    • Handle: RePEc:rba:rbardp:rdp2002-02
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stephen D. Oliner & Daniel E. Sichel, 2000. "The Resurgence of Growth in the Late 1990s: Is Information Technology the Story?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(4), pages 3-22, Fall.
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    4. Hasan Bakhshi & Jens Larsen, 2001. "Investment-specific technological progress in the United Kingdom," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Empirical studies of structural changes and inflation, volume 3, pages 49-80, Bank for International Settlements.
    5. Michael T. Kiley, 1999. "Computers and growth with costs of adjustment: will the future look like the past?," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 1999-36, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    6. Hall, Robert E, 1988. "The Relation between Price and Marginal Cost in U.S. Industry," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(5), pages 921-947, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Engelbrecht, Hans-Jurgen & Xayavong, Vilaphonh, 2006. "ICT intensity and New Zealand's productivity malaise: Is the glass half empty or half full?," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 24-42, March.
    2. Matthew D Shapiro, 2003. "Has the rate of economic growth changed? Evidence and lessons for public policy," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Discussion Paper Series DP2003/07, Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
    3. Yuan K. Chou, 2003. "The Australian Growth Experience, 1960–2000: Human Capital, R&D or Steady‐State Growth?," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 36(4), pages 397-414, December.
    4. Haghshenas, Mohammad & Kasimin, Hasmiah & Berma, Madeline, 2013. "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Economic Growth in Iran: Causality Analysis," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 47(2), pages 55-68.
    5. Burak Karagöl & Erkan Erdil, 2012. "Macroeconomic Effects of Information and Communication Technologies in Turkey and Other OECD Member Countries," STPS Working Papers 1205, STPS - Science and Technology Policy Studies Center, Middle East Technical University, revised May 2012.
    6. Tim Bulman & John Simon, 2003. "Productivity and Inflation," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2003-10, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    7. Yuan K. Chou, 2002. "The Australian Growth Experience (1960-2000): R&D-Based, Human Capital-Based, Or Just Steady State Growth?," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 855, The University of Melbourne.
    8. Chee Kong Wong, 2004. "Information Technology, Productivity and Economic Growth in China," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 04-21, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Australia; growth accounting; information technology; productivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • 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

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