International Business Visits and the Technology Frontier

Steve Dowrick () and Massimiliano Tani ()
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Massimiliano Tani: Macquarie University, Sydney

No 3417, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Abstract: This paper studies the impact of international business trips on the stock of knowledge available to an economy. It develops a theoretical model to analyse the possible effects, and presents an empirical application using productivity data for a panel of twelve Australian industries during 1991/2-2005/6. Business trips emerge as a significant source of productivity growth. As the knowledge transferred through business visits is non-rival, both countries of origin and destination can gain from the human capital of travellers. As a result, even countries traditionally disadvantaged by geography, size, or level of economic development have the opportunity to access the latest technology and information to stimulate growth.

Keywords: international labour movements; face-to-face meetings; business trips; growth; productivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F2 J6 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eff and nep-knm
Date: Written 2008-03
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