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From the Counting House to the Modern Office: Explaining Anglo-American Productivity Differences in Services, 1870–1990

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  • Broadberry, Stephen
  • Ghosal, Sayantan

Abstract

The United States overtook Britain in comparative aggregate productivity levels primarily as a result of trends in services rather than trends in industry. This occurred during the transition from customized, low-volume, high-margin business organized on the basis of networks to standardized, high-volume, low-margin business with hierarchical management from the 1870s. This transformation from the counting house to the modern office was dependent on technologies that improved communications and information processing. The technologies were slower to diffuse in Britain as a result of lower levels of education and stronger labor-force resistance to intensification.

Suggested Citation

  • Broadberry, Stephen & Ghosal, Sayantan, 2002. "From the Counting House to the Modern Office: Explaining Anglo-American Productivity Differences in Services, 1870–1990," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 62(4), pages 967-998, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:62:y:2002:i:04:p:967-998_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Robin Pearson & David Richardson, 2003. "Business networking in the industrial revolution: riposte to some comments," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 56(2), pages 362-368, May.
    2. Jean-Pierre Dormois, 2006. "Tracking the elusive French productivity lag in industry 1840-1973," Hi-Stat Discussion Paper Series d05-152, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    3. Michaels, Guy, 2007. "The division of labor, coordination, and the demand for information processing," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 3251, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Bakker, Gerben, 2009. "Time and productivity growth in services: how motion pictures industrialized entertainment," Economic History Working Papers 27866, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    5. Stephen Broadberry & Bishnupriya Gupta, 2006. "The early modern great divergence: wages, prices and economic development in Europe and Asia, 1500–1800," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 59(1), pages 2-31, February.
    6. Stephen Broadberry & Nicholas Crafts, 2003. "UK productivity performance from 1950 to 1979: a restatement of the Broadberry‐Crafts view," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 56(4), pages 718-735, November.
    7. Peter Temin & Hans-Joachim Voth, 2003. "Banking as an Emerging Technology: Hoares Bank 1702-1742," Working Papers 93, Barcelona School of Economics.
    8. Bakker, Gerben, 2004. "At the origins of increased productivity growth in services. Productivity, social savings and the consumer surplus of the film industry, 1900-1938," Economic History Working Papers 22348, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    9. Ashley Lester, 2006. "Inequality And The Dual Economy: Technology Adoption With Specific And General Skills," CAMA Working Papers 2006-01, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    10. Broadberry, Stephen N. & Irwin, Douglas A., 2006. "Labor productivity in the United States and the United Kingdom during the nineteenth century," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 257-279, April.
    11. Robert MILLWARD, 2006. "The British privatisation programme: a long term perspective," Departmental Working Papers 2006-07, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    12. David Greasley & Jakob B. Madsen, 2010. "Curse and Boon: Natural Resources and Long‐Run Growth in Currently Rich Economies," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 86(274), pages 311-328, September.
    13. Broadberry, Stephen & Ghosal, Sayantan, 2005. "Technology, organisation and productivity performance in services: lessons from Britain and the United States since 1870," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 437-466, December.
    14. Bakker, Gerben, 2007. "Structural change and the growth contribution of services: how motion pictures industrialized US spectator entertainment," Economic History Working Papers 22314, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.

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