IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/snv/dp2009/201173.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Faster-Accelerating Digital Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Tai-Yoo Kim
  • Jihyoun Park
  • Eungdo Kim
  • Junseok Hwang

    (Technology Management, Economics, and Policy Program (TEMEP), Seoul National University)

Abstract

The digital economy is one of the most important features of the knowledge-based society of the future. Based on information and communications technology (ICT), it grows faster than and eventually overtakes the traditional industrial economy. The fundamental driving forces of the digital economy’s faster economic growth are as follows. First, ICT converges with and improves the efficiency of traditional industries. Second, the production function of the ICT industry shows increasing returns to scale. Third, the development of ICT stimulates not only demand and supply but the entire expansive reproduction system, resulting in faster-accelerating economic growth. This paper investigates the essentials, causes, and patterns of the faster economic growth of the digital economy, and forecasts its future on the basis of real-life examples from the US, Finland, and Ireland. Furthermore, the core of the IT paradox is revisited, so that the potential of the digital economy can be reaffirmed.

Suggested Citation

  • Tai-Yoo Kim & Jihyoun Park & Eungdo Kim & Junseok Hwang, 2011. "The Faster-Accelerating Digital Economy," TEMEP Discussion Papers 201173, Seoul National University; Technology Management, Economics, and Policy Program (TEMEP), revised Apr 2011.
    • Handle: RePEc:snv:dp2009:201173
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://temep-repec.my-groups.de/DP-73.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2011
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Paul Schreyer, 2000. "The Contribution of Information and Communication Technology to Output Growth: A Study of the G7 Countries," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2000/2, OECD Publishing.
    3. Mueller, Milton L. & Park, Yuri & Lee, Jongsu & Kim, Tai-Yoo, 2006. "Digital identity: How users value the attributes of online identifiers," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 405-422, November.
    4. William D. Nordhaus, 2002. "Productivity Growth and the New Economy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 33(2), pages 211-265.
    5. Bart van Ark & Robert Inklaar & Robert H. McGuckin, 2002. "'Changing Gear' - Productivity, ICT and Services Industries: Europe and the United States," Economics Program Working Papers 02-02, The Conference Board, Economics Program.
    6. Kevin J. Stiroh & Dale W. Jorgenson, 1999. "Information Technology and Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(2), pages 109-115, May.
    7. Hilbert, Martin R., 2001. "From industrial economics to digital economics: an introduction to the transition," Desarrollo Productivo 4483, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    8. Oliner, Stephen D. & Sichel, Daniel E., 2003. "Information technology and productivity: where are we now and where are we going?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 477-503, July.
    9. repec:dgr:rugggd:200260 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Jalava, Jukka & Pohjola, Matti, 2008. "The roles of electricity and ICT in economic growth: Case Finland," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 270-287, July.
    11. Kevin J. Stiroh, 2002. "Are ICT Spillovers Driving the New Economy?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 48(1), pages 33-57, March.
    12. Ark, Bart van & Inklaar, Robert & McGuckin, Robert, 2002. ""Changing gear" : productivity, ICT and services: Europe and the United States," GGDC Research Memorandum 200260, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    13. Tai-Yoo Kim & Seunghyun Kim & Jongsu Lee, 2010. "The Gene of an Accelerating Industrial Society: Expansive Reproduction," TEMEP Discussion Papers 201050, Seoul National University; Technology Management, Economics, and Policy Program (TEMEP), revised Jan 2010.
    14. Robert J. Gordon, 2002. "Technology and Economic Performance in the American Economy," NBER Working Papers 8771, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Crafts, Nicholas, 2002. "The Solow Productivity Paradox in Historical Perspective," CEPR Discussion Papers 3142, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    16. Robert J. Gordon, 2003. "Hi-tech Innovation and Productivity Growth: Does Supply Create Its Own Demand?," NBER Working Papers 9437, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Jalava, Jukka & Pohjola, Matti, 0. "ICT as a source of output and productivity growth in Finland," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(8-9), pages 463-472, September.
    18. David, Paul A, 1990. "The Dynamo and the Computer: An Historical Perspective on the Modern Productivity Paradox," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(2), pages 355-361, May.
    19. Jorgenson, Dale W. & Ho, Mun S. & Stiroh, Kevin J., 2003. "Lessons from the US growth resurgence," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 453-470, July.
    20. Carl J. Dahlman & Jorma Routti & Pekka Ylä-Anttila, 2006. "Finland as a Knowledge Economy : Elements of Success and Lessons Learned," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7138.
    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. Francesco Daveri, 2002. "The New Economy in Europe, 1992--2001," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 18(3), pages 345-362.
    2. Jalava, Jukka & Pohjola, Matti, 2008. "The roles of electricity and ICT in economic growth: Case Finland," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 270-287, July.
    3. Harald Edquist & Magnus Henrekson, 2006. "Technological Breakthroughs and Productivity Growth," Research in Economic History, in: Research in Economic History, pages 1-53, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    4. Sang-Yong Tom Lee & Xiao Jia Guo, 2004. "Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Spillover: A Panel Analysis," Econometric Society 2004 Far Eastern Meetings 722, Econometric Society.
    5. Engelbrecht, Hans-Jurgen & Xayavong, Vilaphonh, 2004. "Information And Communication Technology And New Zealand'S Productivity Malaise: An Industry-Level Study," Discussion Papers 23698, Massey University, Department of Applied and International Economics.
    6. R. Nahuis & H. van der Wiel, 2005. "How Should Europe’s ICT Ambitions look like? An Interpretative Review of the Facts," Working Papers 05-22, Utrecht School of Economics.
    7. Oliner, Stephen D. & Sichel, Daniel E. & Stiroh, Kevin J., 2008. "Explaining a productive decade," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 633-673.
    8. Hans-Günther Vieweg & Thomas Fuchs & Reinhard Hild & Andreas Kuhlmann & Stefan Lachenmaier & Michael Reinhard & Uwe Christian Täger & Sebastian de Ramon & Jan-Egbert Sturm, 2005. "Status and outlook of the “New Economy” in selected EU member states from a German Viewpoint," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 19.
    9. Ark, Bart van, 2002. "ICT investments and growth accounts for the European Union," GGDC Research Memorandum 200256, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    10. Lach, Saul & Trajtenberg, Manuel & Shiff, Gil, 2008. "Together but Apart: ICT and Productivity Growth in Israel," CEPR Discussion Papers 6732, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. repec:dgr:rugggd:200363 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. repec:dgr:rugggd:200256 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Gilbert Cette & Jacques Mairesse & Yusuf Kocoglu, 2004. "Diffusion des TIC et croissance potentielle," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 114(1), pages 77-97.
    14. Rob Alessie & Agar Brugiavini & Guglielmo Weber, 2006. "Saving and Cohabitation: The Economic Consequences of Living with One's Parents in Italy and the Netherlands," NBER Chapters, in: NBER International Seminar on Macroeconomics 2004, pages 413-457, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Tai-Yoo Kim & Mi-Ae Jung & Eungdo Kim & Eunnyeong Heo, 2011. "The Faster-Accelerating Growth of the Knowledge-Based Society," TEMEP Discussion Papers 201181, Seoul National University; Technology Management, Economics, and Policy Program (TEMEP), revised Nov 2011.
    16. Chee Kong Wong, 2004. "Information Technology, Productivity and Economic Growth in China," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 04-21, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    17. Robert C. Feenstra & Benjamin R. Mandel & Marshall B. Reinsdorf & Matthew J. Slaughter, 2013. "Effects of Terms of Trade Gains and Tariff Changes on the Measurement of US Productivity Growth," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 59-93, February.
    18. Cette, Gilbert & Mairesse, Jacques & Kocoglu, Yusuf, 2005. "ICT diffusion and potential output growth," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 231-234, May.
    19. van der Wiel, Henry & van Leeuwen, George & Hempell, Thomas, 2004. "ICT, Innovation and Business Performance in Services: Evidence for Germany and the Netherlands," ZEW Discussion Papers 04-06, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    20. Ronald Ravinesh Kumar & Peter Josef Stauvermann & Nikeel Kumar & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad, 2019. "Exploring the effect of ICT and tourism on economic growth: a study of Israel," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 52(3), pages 221-254, August.
    21. Susanto Basu & John G. Fernald & Nicholas Oulton & Sylaja Srinivasan, 2004. "The Case of the Missing Productivity Growth, or Does Information Technology Explain Why Productivity Accelerated in the United States but Not in the United Kingdom?," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2003, Volume 18, pages 9-82, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Federico Biagi, 2013. "ICT and Productivity: A Review of the Literature," JRC Working Papers on Digital Economy 2013-09, Joint Research Centre.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Knowledge-based society; digital economy; new economy; economic growth; faster acceleration; technological change; IT paradox.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:snv:dp2009:201173. 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: Jorn Altmann (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/tesnukr.html .

    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.