IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecmode/v70y2018icp469-483.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Technology adoption, adaptation and growth

Author

Listed:
  • Lahiri, Radhika
  • Ding, Juhong
  • Chinzara, Zivanemoyo

Abstract

We revisit the notion of “appropriate technology” considered in Basu and Weil (1998) whereby technologies that are more capital intensive are adopted only after a certain level of capital depth has been achieved. We incorporate the idea by explicitly modelling the choice between two technologies in a heterogeneous agent model with overlapping generations. Both technologies can be improved through ‘learning-by-doing’ and adaptation of the technology to local conditions. One of the technologies is an ‘advanced technology’ in that it has potentially greater returns to capital deepening, and also to learning-by-doing and adaptation. However, a critical level of development has to be reached before the technology becomes appropriate; for lower levels of development the less advanced technology is more productive. Depending on initial conditions, a variety of long run outcomes and transitional dynamics are possible, suggesting that “appropriate technology” provides a potential explanation for the diversity of growth and technology diffusion experiences observed in world economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Lahiri, Radhika & Ding, Juhong & Chinzara, Zivanemoyo, 2018. "Technology adoption, adaptation and growth," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 469-483.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:70:y:2018:i:c:p:469-483
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2017.08.026
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264999317312476
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.econmod.2017.08.026?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Susanto Basu & David N. Weil, 1998. "Appropriate Technology and Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 113(4), pages 1025-1054.
    2. Radhika Lahiri & Shyama Ratnasiri, 2012. "Growth Patterns and Inequality in the Presence of Costly Technology Adoption," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 79(1), pages 203-223, July.
    3. Shijun Ding & Laura Meriluoto & W. Robert Reed & Daoyun Tao & Haitao Wu, 2010. "The Impact of Agricultural Technology Adoption of Income Inequality in Rural China," Working Papers in Economics 10/41, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    4. Jonathan Temple, 2005. "Dual Economy Models: A Primer For Growth Economists," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 73(4), pages 435-478, July.
    5. Fagerberg, Jan, 1994. "Technology and International Differences in Growth Rates," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 32(3), pages 1147-1175, September.
    6. Daron Acemoglu & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2001. "Productivity Differences," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 116(2), pages 563-606.
    7. Ding, Shijun & Meriluoto, Laura & Reed, W. Robert & Tao, Dayun & Wu, Haitao, 2011. "The impact of agricultural technology adoption on income inequality in rural China: Evidence from southern Yunnan Province," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 344-356, September.
    8. Aubhik Khan & B. Ravikumar, 2002. "Costly Technology Adoption and Capital Accumulation," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 5(2), pages 489-502, April.
    9. Comin, D. & Hobijn, B., 2004. "Cross-country technology adoption: making the theories face the facts," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 39-83, January.
    10. Diego Comin & Bart Hobijn, 2010. "An Exploration of Technology Diffusion," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(5), pages 2031-2059, December.
    11. Besley, Timothy & Case, Anne, 1993. "Modeling Technology Adoption in Developing Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(2), pages 396-402, May.
    12. Charles Ka Yui Leung & Chung Yi Tse, 2001. "Technology Choice and Saving in the Presence of a Fixed Adoption Cost," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 40-48, February.
    13. Anthony B. Shaw & Richard C. DaCosta, 1985. "Differential Levels of Technology Adoption and Returns to Scale in The Guyanese Rice Industry," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 33(1), pages 99-110, March.
    14. Los, Bart & Timmer, Marcel P., 2005. "The 'appropriate technology' explanation of productivity growth differentials: An empirical approach," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 517-531, August.
    15. Diego A. Comin & Martí Mestieri, 2010. "An Intensive Exploration of Technology Diffusion," NBER Working Papers 16379, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Areendam Chanda & Carl‐Johan Dalgaard, 2008. "Dual Economies and International Total Factor Productivity Differences: Channelling the Impact from Institutions, Trade, and Geography," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 75(300), pages 629-661, November.
    17. Jerzmanowski, Michal, 2007. "Total factor productivity differences: Appropriate technology vs. efficiency," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(8), pages 2080-2110, November.
    18. Daron Acemoglu & Pol Antràs & Elhanan Helpman, 2007. "Contracts and Technology Adoption," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(3), pages 916-943, June.
    19. Francesco Caselli & Wilbur John Coleman II, 2006. "The World Technology Frontier," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(3), pages 499-522, June.
    20. Barro, Robert J, 2000. "Inequality and Growth in a Panel of Countries," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 5-32, March.
    21. Parente, Stephen L & Prescott, Edward C, 1994. "Barriers to Technology Adoption and Development," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(2), pages 298-321, April.
    22. Lant Pritchett, 1997. "Divergence, Big Time," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 3-17, Summer.
    23. Atkinson, Anthony B & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1969. "A New View of Technological Change," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 79(315), pages 573-578, September.
    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. Zainab Asif & Radhika Lahiri, 2021. "Dimensions of human capital and technological diffusion," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 941-967, February.
    2. Radhika Lahiri & Zivanemoyo Chinzara, 2022. "Institutional reform, technology adoption and redistribution: a political economy perspective," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 59(2), pages 361-400, August.
    3. He, Qichun, 2018. "Inflation and health in a Schumpeterian growth model: Theory and evidence," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 159-168.
    4. Orlando Gomes, 2022. "Human capital and growth in an OLG-life cycle model," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-26, January.

    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. Maloney, William F. & Valencia Caicedo, Felipe, 2014. "Engineers, Innovative Capacity and Development in the Americas," IZA Discussion Papers 8271, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Magalhães, Manuela & Afonso, Óscar, 2017. "A multi-sector growth model with technology diffusion and networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(7), pages 1340-1359.
    3. William F. Maloney & Felipe Valencia Caicedo, 2017. "Engineering Growth: Innovative Capacity and Development in the Americas," CESifo Working Paper Series 6339, CESifo.
    4. Gino Gancia & Andreas Müller & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2010. "Structural development accounting," Economics Working Papers 1249, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Feb 2011.
    5. Wang, Yong, 2022. "Market structure, factor endowment, and technology adoption," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    6. Crafts, Nicholas & O’Rourke, Kevin Hjortshøj, 2014. "Twentieth Century Growth*This research has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) / ERC grant agreement no. 249546.," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 6, pages 263-346, Elsevier.
    7. Michele Battisti & Massimo Del Gatto & Christopher F. Parmeter, 2018. "Labor productivity growth: disentangling technology and capital accumulation," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 111-143, March.
    8. Nin Pratt, Alejandro & Falconi, César & Ludeña, Carlos E. & Martel, Pedro, 2015. "Productivity and the Performance of Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean: From the Lost Decade to the Commodity Boom," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 7306, Inter-American Development Bank.
    9. Ferraro, Domenico, 2017. "Volatility and slow technology diffusion," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 18-37.
    10. Jean Mercenier & Ebru Voyvoda, 2021. "On barriers to technology adoption, appropriate technology and European integration," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 157(3), pages 669-702, August.
    11. Jerzmanowski, Michal & Tamura, Robert, 2019. "Directed technological change & cross-country income differences: A quantitative analysis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    12. Levchenko, Andrei A. & Zhang, Jing, 2016. "The evolution of comparative advantage: Measurement and welfare implications," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 96-111.
    13. Bianchi, Francesco & Kung, Howard & Morales, Gonzalo, 2019. "Growth, slowdowns, and recoveries," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 47-63.
    14. Mercenier, Jean & Voyvoda, Ebru, 2018. "On Barriers to Technology Adoption, Appropriate Technology and Deep Integration (with implications for the European Union)," MPRA Paper 86364, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Markus Eberhardt & Francis Teal, 2011. "Econometrics For Grumblers: A New Look At The Literature On Cross‐Country Growth Empirics," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 109-155, February.
    16. Das, Gouranga G. & Drine, Imed, 2020. "Distance from the technology frontier: How could Africa catch-up via socio-institutional factors and human capital?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    17. Alberto Alesina & Michele Battisti & Joseph Zeira, 2018. "Technology and labor regulations: theory and evidence," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 41-78, March.
    18. Michele Battisti & Massimo Del Gatto & Christopher F. Parmeter, 2018. "Labor productivity growth: disentangling technology and capital accumulation," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 111-143, March.
    19. Chong-Kee Yip & Tsz-Nga Wong, 2014. "A Model of Technology Assimilation," 2014 Meeting Papers 144, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    20. Young Eun Kim & Norman V. Loayza, 2019. "Productivity Growth: Patterns and Determinants across the World," Revista Economía, Fondo Editorial - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, vol. 42(84), pages 36-93.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    011; 030; 033;
    All these keywords.

    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:eee:ecmode:v:70:y:2018:i:c:p:469-483. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/30411 .

    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.