Does structure influence growth? A panel data econometric assessment of ‘relatively less developed’ countries, 1979-2003

Ester Silva () and Aurora Teixeira ()

FEP Working Papers from Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto

Abstract: Neo-Schumpeterian streams of research emphasize the close relationship between changes in economic structure in favour of high-skill and high-tech branches and rapid economic growth. They identify the emergence of a new technological paradigm, strongly based on the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs), in the 1970s, arguing that in such periods of transition and emergence of new techno-economic paradigms the relatively less developed countries have higher opportunities to catch-up. Although this debate is theoretically well documented, the empirics seem to lag behind the theory. In this paper, we contribute to this literature by adding illuminating evidence on the issue. More precisely, we relate the growth experiences of countries which had relatively similar economic structures in the late 1970s, with changes occurring in these countries’ structures between 1979 and 2003. The results reveal a robust relationship between structure and (labour) productivity growth, and lend support to the view that producing (though not user) ICT-related industries are strategic branches of economic activity.

Keywords: Structural change; Economic growth; Technical change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O10 O30 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2009-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eff
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Journal Article: Does structure influence growth? A panel data econometric assessment of "relatively less developed" countries, 1979--2003 (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:por:fepwps:316

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