IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i24p11197-d1548513.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects and Mechanisms of Higher Education Development on Intelligent Productivity Advancement: An Empirical Analysis of Provincial Panel Data in China

Author

Listed:
  • Pan Liang

    (School of Public Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
    Office of the Party Committee and the President, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

  • Yuancao Chen

    (Finance Office, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

Abstract

In the digital economy era, artificial intelligence implementation has accelerated the intellectualization of productive forces, emphasizing the critical relationship between higher education and this transformation. As the primary conduit for developing advanced human capital, the mechanisms through which higher education adapts to and promotes emerging productive forces require systematic examination. This research establishes a theoretical framework demonstrating the synchronous relationship between higher education development and productive force intellectualization, proposing that higher education development provides essential momentum for this transformation. The framework validation employed panel data analysis from 31 Chinese provinces (2012–2022) using fixed-effects (FE) and mediation effect models. The FE model reveals a positive effect coefficient of 1.561 for higher education development on intelligent productive force enhancement ( p < 0.01), indicating substantial promotion of productive force intellectualization without saturation effects. Mediation effect analysis confirms the significance of three mediating factors—labor, capital, and technology ( p < 0.05)—validating the influence pathways through human capital, material support, and research innovation mechanisms. The research innovation mechanism demonstrates premier efficacy, while material support mechanisms indicate optimization potential. The human capital mechanism, despite its promise, exhibits implementation time lags. These findings suggest prioritizing intelligent technology talent development, enhancing research investment, and strengthening innovation capabilities to advance higher education’s role in productive force intellectualization.

Suggested Citation

  • Pan Liang & Yuancao Chen, 2024. "Effects and Mechanisms of Higher Education Development on Intelligent Productivity Advancement: An Empirical Analysis of Provincial Panel Data in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:24:p:11197-:d:1548513
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/24/11197/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/24/11197/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joshua D. Angrist & Jörn-Steffen Pischke, 2010. "The Credibility Revolution in Empirical Economics: How Better Research Design Is Taking the Con out of Econometrics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 24(2), pages 3-30, Spring.
    2. Nina Czernich & Oliver Falck & Tobias Kretschmer & Ludger Woessmann, 2011. "Broadband Infrastructure and Economic Growth," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(552), pages 505-532, May.
    3. Fleisher, Belton & Li, Haizheng & Zhao, Min Qiang, 2010. "Human capital, economic growth, and regional inequality in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(2), pages 215-231, July.
    4. Zhang, Chuanguo & Zhuang, Lihuan, 2011. "The composition of human capital and economic growth: Evidence from China using dynamic panel data analysis," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 165-171, March.
    5. Aurora A. C. Teixeira & Natércia Fortuna, 2004. "Human capital, innovation capability and economic growth in Portugal, 1960-2001," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 3(3), pages 205-225, December.
    6. Perkmann, Markus & Tartari, Valentina & McKelvey, Maureen & Autio, Erkko & Broström, Anders & D’Este, Pablo & Fini, Riccardo & Geuna, Aldo & Grimaldi, Rosa & Hughes, Alan & Krabel, Stefan & Kitson, Mi, 2013. "Academic engagement and commercialisation: A review of the literature on university–industry relations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 423-442.
    7. Benhabib, Jess & Spiegel, Mark M., 1994. "The role of human capital in economic development evidence from aggregate cross-country data," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 143-173, October.
    8. Zettinig, Peter & Benson-Rea, Maureen, 2008. "What becomes of International New Ventures? A coevolutionary approach," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 354-365, December.
    9. Jérôme Vandenbussche & Philippe Aghion & Costas Meghir, 2006. "Growth, distance to frontier and composition of human capital," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 97-127, June.
    10. Koutroumpis, Pantelis, 2019. "The economic impact of broadband: Evidence from OECD countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Li, Tingting & Wang, Yong, 2018. "Growth channels of human capital: A Chinese panel data study," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 309-322.
    2. Mine Yilmazer & Serkan inar, 2015. "Human Capabilities and Economic Growth: A Comparative Human Capability Index," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 5(4), pages 843-853.
    3. Pereira, João & St. Aubyn, Miguel, 2009. "What level of education matters most for growth?: Evidence from Portugal," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 67-73, February.
    4. Yao Yao & Ruhul Salim, 2020. "Crowds in or crowds out? The effect of foreign direct investment on domestic investment in Chinese cities," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(5), pages 2129-2154, May.
    5. Lenkei, Balint & Mustafa, Ghulam & Vecchi, Michela, 2018. "Growth in emerging economies: Is there a role for education?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 240-253.
    6. Tinatin Akhvlediani & Andrzej Cieślik, 2020. "Human capital, technological progress and technology diffusion across Europe: education matters," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 47(3), pages 475-493, August.
    7. Rafi Amir-ud-Din & Muhammad Usman & Faisal Abbas & Sajid Amin Javed, 2019. "Human versus physical capital: issues of accumulation, interaction and endogeneity," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 351-382, November.
    8. Bahar Bayraktar-Sağlam, 2016. "The Stages of Human Capital and Economic Growth: Does the Direction of Causality Matter for the Rich and the Poor?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(1), pages 243-302, May.
    9. Wang, Mei & Xu, Mi & Ma, Shaojun, 2021. "The effect of the spatial heterogeneity of human capital structure on regional green total factor productivity," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 427-441.
    10. Zhang, Chuanguo & Zhuang, Lihuan, 2011. "The composition of human capital and economic growth: Evidence from China using dynamic panel data analysis," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 165-171, March.
    11. Gregorio Gimenez & Luis Vargas-Montoya, 2021. "ICT Use and Successful Learning: The Role of the Stock of Human Capital," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(14), pages 1-15, July.
    12. Yao Zhao & Xuena Kong & Mahmood Ahmad & Zahoor Ahmed, 2023. "Digital Economy, Industrial Structure, and Environmental Quality: Assessing the Roles of Educational Investment, Green Innovation, and Economic Globalization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-24, January.
    13. Marattin, Luigi & Marzo, Massimiliano & Zagaglia, Paolo, 2013. "Distortionary tax instruments and implementable monetary policy," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 219-243.
    14. Jørn Rattsø & Hildegunn E. Stokke, 2011. "Accumulation of education and regional income growth: Limited human capital effects in Norway," Working Paper Series 11211, Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
    15. Camilla Mastromarco & Léopold Simar, 2021. "Latent heterogeneity to evaluate the effect of human capital on world technology frontier," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 71-89, April.
    16. Felix Roth & Anna-Elisabeth Thum, 2022. "Intangible Capital and Labor Productivity Growth: Panel Evidence for the EU from 1998–2005," Contributions to Economics, in: Intangible Capital and Growth, chapter 0, pages 101-128, Springer.
    17. Jean Fouré & Agnès Bénassy-Quéré & Lionel Fontagné, 2012. "The Great Shift : Macroeconomic projections For the World Economy at the 2050 Horizon," Working Papers hal-00962464, HAL.
    18. Zhang, Xiaobei & Wang, Xiaojun, 2021. "Measures of human capital and the mechanics of economic growth," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    19. Aleknavičiūtė Rasa & Skvarciany Viktorija & Survilaitė Simona, 2016. "The Role of Human Capital for National Innovation Capability in Eu Countries," Economics and Culture, Sciendo, vol. 13(1), pages 114-125, June.
    20. Di Maria, C. & Stryszowski, P.K., 2006. "Brain Drain and Distance to Frontier," Other publications TiSEM 01abb5e7-e9ce-4d85-8bc3-5, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:24:p:11197-:d:1548513. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.