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Technology diversity and development: Evidence from China's industrial enterprises

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  • Fisher-Vanden, Karen
  • Jefferson, Gary H.

Abstract

This paper investigates the phenomenon of individual firms simultaneously developing and adopting technical change with varying factor biases. Firms in a large panel of Chinese industrial enterprise data exhibit three channels of technical change, each associated with different patterns of firm-level factor bias and strategic purpose. The neo-classical growth process, associated with Harrod-neutral technical change, drives capital deepening. In-house R&D is found to be robustly labor- and material-using and capital- and energy-saving thereby capitalizing on China's comparative advantage. Finally, the purchase of imported technologies, which are comparatively capital-using, focuses on new product development. These diversified channels of technical change reveal a pattern of developing country technical change that is far more diversified than that suggested by the conventional growth literature. Journal of Comparative Economics 36 (4) (2008) 658-672.

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  • Fisher-Vanden, Karen & Jefferson, Gary H., 2008. "Technology diversity and development: Evidence from China's industrial enterprises," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 658-672, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:36:y:2008:i:4:p:658-672
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    2. Fisher-Vanden, Karen & Mansur, Erin T. & Wang, Qiong (Juliana), 2015. "Electricity shortages and firm productivity: Evidence from China's industrial firms," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 172-188.
    3. Jingdong Zhong, 2019. "Biased Technical Change, Factor Substitution, and Carbon Emissions Efficiency in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Shonchoy, Abu S. & Tsubota, Kenmei, 2015. "Economic impact of political protests (strikes) on manufacturing firms : evidence from Bangladesh," IDE Discussion Papers 523, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    5. Chen, Shiyi & Santos-Paulino, Amelia U., 2010. "Energy Consumption and Carbon Emission-Based Productivity Change and Industrialization in Post-Reform," WIDER Working Paper Series 078, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Elliott, Robert J.R. & Sun, Puyang & Chen, Siyang, 2013. "Energy intensity and foreign direct investment: A Chinese city-level study," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 484-494.
    7. Ang, James B., 2009. "CO2 emissions, research and technology transfer in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(10), pages 2658-2665, August.
    8. Cristiano Antonelli & Francesco Quatraro, 2010. "The effects of biased technological change on total factor productivity: empirical evidence from a sample of OECD countries," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 361-383, August.
    9. Chen, Shiyi & Jefferson, Gary H. & Zhang, Jun, 2011. "Structural change, productivity growth and industrial transformation in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 133-150, March.
    10. Adetutu, Morakinyo O. & Glass, Anthony J. & Weyman-Jones, Thomas G., 2016. "Decomposing energy demand across BRIIC countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 396-404.
    11. Fisher-Vanden, Karen & Ho, Mun S., 2010. "Technology, development, and the environment," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 94-108, January.
    12. Fan Duan & Bulent Unel, 2019. "Persistence of cities: Evidence from China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 663-676, May.
    13. Yuen, Andrew Chi-lok & Zhang, Anming & Cheung, Waiman, 2013. "Foreign participation and competition: A way to improve the container port efficiency in China?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 220-231.
    14. Söderbom, Måns & Weng, Qian, 2012. "Multi-product firms, product mix changes and upgrading: Evidence from China's state-owned forest areas," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 801-818.
    15. Ivanova, Inga & Strand, Øivind & Kushnir, Duncan & Leydesdorff, Loet, 2017. "Economic and technological complexity: A model study of indicators of knowledge-based innovation systems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 77-89.
    16. Shiyi Chen & Amelia U. Santos-Paulino, 2010. "Energy Consumption and Carbon Emission-Based Productivity Change and Industrialization in Post-Reform China," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2010-078, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Dylan Sutherland & Lutao Ning & Sam Beatson, 2011. "Productivity performance in Chinese business groups: the positive and negative impacts of business group affiliation," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(2), pages 163-180.
    18. Chen, Shiyi & Santos-Paulino, Amelia U., 2013. "Energy consumption restricted productivity re-estimates and industrial sustainability analysis in post-reform China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 52-60.
    19. Yanchun Chen & Botang Han & Wenmei Liu, 2016. "Green technology innovation and energy intensity in China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 84(1), pages 317-332, November.
    20. Akkemik, K. Ali & Göksal, Koray & Li, Jia, 2012. "Energy consumption and income in Chinese provinces: Heterogeneous panel causality analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 445-454.
    21. Le Tang, 2020. "Energy prices and investment in energy efficiency: evidence from Chinese industry 1997–2004," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 34(2), pages 93-105, November.
    22. Shao, Shuai & Yang, Lili & Gan, Chunhui & Cao, Jianhua & Geng, Yong & Guan, Dabo, 2016. "Using an extended LMDI model to explore techno-economic drivers of energy-related industrial CO2 emission changes: A case study for Shanghai (China)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 516-536.
    23. Zhu, Junming & Niu, Limin & Ruth, Matthias & Shi, Lei, 2018. "Technological Change and Energy Efficiency in Large Chinese Firms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 241-250.

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