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Technological Diffusion: Alternative Theories and Historical Evidence

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  • Jayati Sarkar

Abstract

This paper presents an interpretive survey of the neoclassical and evolutionary approaches to modeling the process of technological diffusion, with an orientation that is distinct in two important respects from existing surveys. First, the present survey is designed to provide a comparative overview of the alternative approaches within a unified framework of analysis. The objective is to bring out the areas of convergence as well as divergence between the approaches, and address the issue of whether the approaches could be considered as complementary rather than as alternatives. Second, the survey attempts to link the theoretical methodologies to the variety of empirical and historical evidence, and evaluate how the theories best fit the evidence on the dynamics of the technological diffusion process.

Suggested Citation

  • Jayati Sarkar, 1998. "Technological Diffusion: Alternative Theories and Historical Evidence," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(2), pages 131-176, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jecsur:v:12:y:1998:i:2:p:131-176
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-6419.00051
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    Cited by:

    1. Ewa Lechman, 2013. "New Technologies Adoption And Diffusion Patterns In Developing Countries. An Empirical Study For The Period 2000-2011," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 8(4), pages 79-106, December.
    2. Madlener, Reinhard & Kumbaroglu, Gurkan & Ediger, Volkan S., 2005. "Modeling technology adoption as an irreversible investment under uncertainty: the case of the Turkish electricity supply industry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 139-163, January.
    3. Marra, Michele & Pannell, David J. & Abadi Ghadim, Amir, 2003. "The economics of risk, uncertainty and learning in the adoption of new agricultural technologies: where are we on the learning curve?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 75(2-3), pages 215-234.
    4. Michele Boldrin & David K Levine, 2008. "Quality Ladders, Competition and Endogenous Growth," 2008 Meeting Papers 277, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    5. Hean, Oudom, 2018. "The Effect of Metropolitan Technological Progress on the Non-metropolitan Labor Market: Evidence from U.S. Patent Counts," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274176, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Spyros Arvanitis & Marius Ley, 2013. "Factors Determining the Adoption of Energy-Saving Technologies in Swiss Firms: An Analysis Based on Micro Data," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 54(3), pages 389-417, March.
    7. Amogne Asfaw & Belay Simane & Amare Bantider & Ali Hassen, 2019. "Determinants in the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies: evidence from rainfed-dependent smallholder farmers in north-central Ethiopia (Woleka sub-basin)," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 2535-2565, October.
    8. Friebe, Christian A. & Flotow, Paschen von & Täube, Florian A., 2013. "Exploring the link between products and services in low-income markets—Evidence from solar home systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 760-769.
    9. Strong, Derek Ryan, 2017. "The Early Diffusion of Smart Meters in the US Electric Power Industry," Thesis Commons 7zprk, Center for Open Science.
    10. Liu, Xueying & Madlener, Reinhard, 2021. "The sky is the limit: Assessing aircraft market diffusion with agent-based modeling," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    11. Nicolas Ameye & Jacques Bughin & Nicolas van Zeebroeck, 2024. "From experimentation to scaling: what shapes the funnel of AI adoption?," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/378623, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    12. Ewa Lechman, 2013. "ICTs diffusion trajectories and economic development – an empirical evidence for 46 developing countries," GUT FME Working Paper Series A 18, Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdansk University of Technology.
    13. Fulvio Castellacci, 2007. "Evolutionary And New Growth Theories. Are They Converging?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 585-627, July.
    14. Das Nilotpal & Falaris Evangelos M & Mulligan James G, 2009. "Vintage Effects and the Diffusion of Time-Saving Technological Innovations," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-37, June.
    15. Costa, Álvaro & Fernandes, Ruben, 2012. "Urban public transport in Europe: Technology diffusion and market organisation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 269-284.
    16. James G. Mulligan & Nilotpal Das, 2006. "Item Pricing Laws, Supplier Behavior, and the Diffusion of Time-Saving Technology Innovations," Working Papers 06-11, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.
    17. José Antonio Moya, 2016. "A Natural Analogy to the Diffusion of Energy-Efficient Technologies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-14, June.
    18. Spyros Arvanitis & Marius Christian Ley, 2010. "Factors Determining the Adoption of Energy-saving Technologies in Swiss Firms," KOF Working papers 10-257, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    19. Nicholas Bamegne Nambie & Philomena Dadzie & Dorcas Oye Haywood-Dadzie, 2023. "Measuring the Effect of Income Inequality, Financial Inclusion, Investment, and Unemployment, on Economic Growth in Africa: A Moderating Role of Digital Financial Technology," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 13(4), pages 111-124, July.
    20. James G. Mulligan & Nilotpal Das, 2005. "Persistent Adoption of Time-Saving Process Innovations," Working Papers 05-03, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.
    21. Enrica De Cian & Johannes Buhl & Samuel Carrara & Michela Bevione & Silvia Monetti & Holger Berg, 2016. "Knowledge Creation between Integrated Assessment Models and Initiative-Based Learning - An Interdisciplinary Approach," Working Papers 2016.66, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    22. Rui Leite & Aurora Teixeira, 2012. "Innovation diffusion with heterogeneous networked agents: a computational model," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 7(2), pages 125-144, October.

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