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Technological Change, Investment in Human Capital, and Economic Growth

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  • Yong Jin Kim
  • Jong-Wha Lee

Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical model to analyze the effects of technology change on growth rates of income and human capital. We set up an overlapping generations model in which young agents invest in both width and depth of human capital in order to adopt new technologies. The model develops explicitly the micro-mechanism of the role of human capital in adopting new technologies as well as that of the process of human capital production. In our model an increase in the technology uncertainty decreases growth rates of income and human capital by lowering efficiencies both in creating new knowledge and in adopting new technologies. We also show that, depending on the initial structure of human capital and the uncertainty about the nature of new technologies, an economy can have multiple growth paths. Hence, increased inflows of new technologies with more uncertain characteristics may affect human capital accumulation and income growth adversely, leading the economy to a low growth trap. Keywords: education, endogenous growth, human capital investment, technology adoption.

Suggested Citation

  • Yong Jin Kim & Jong-Wha Lee, 1999. "Technological Change, Investment in Human Capital, and Economic Growth," CID Working Papers 29, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    • Handle: RePEc:wop:cidhav:29
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    Cited by:

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    2. Wladyslaw Welfe, 2007. "Knowledge capital and total factor productivity," Working Papers 2, Department of Applied Econometrics, Warsaw School of Economics.
    3. Huang, Rui & Fulginiti, Lilyan E. & Peterson, E. Wesley F., 2003. "Investing in Hope: AIDS, Life Expectancy, and Human Capital Accumulation," 2003 Annual Meeting, August 16-22, 2003, Durban, South Africa 25808, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Bildirici, M. & Orcan, M. & Sunal, S. & Aykaç, E., 2005. "Determinants of Human Capital Theory, Growth and Brain Drain: An Econometric Analysis for 77 Countries," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 5(2).
    5. Joonkyung Ha & Yong Jin Kim & Jong‐Wha Lee, 2009. "Optimal Structure of Technology Adoption and Creation: Basic versus Development Research in Relation to the Distance from the Technological Frontier," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 23(3), pages 373-395, September.
    6. Rui Huang & Lilyan E. Fulginiti & E. Wesley F. Peterson, 2010. "Health and growth: causality through education," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 2(3), pages 321-344, September.
    7. Marcelo P. Dabós & Ernesto Gantman, 2010. "The Fading Link? A New Empirical Analysis of the Relationship Between Financial Development and Economic Growth," Working Papers 2010-013, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; endogenous growth; human capital investment; technology adoption.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • 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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