The Role of Expectations in a Specialization-driven Growth Model with Endogenous Technology Choice

Shiro Kuwahara () and Akihisa Shibata

No 625, KIER Working Papers from Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research

Abstract: Extending the Kim (1989) model of endogenous labor specialization to an overlapping generations model with an endogenous technology choice, we show in this paper that, when the market size and the fixed costs associated with the technologies with labor specialization are small, the growth pattern of this economy depends on worker expectations. In other words, if workers expect low returns of specific human capital, they will not invest in such capital, and the economy will be eventually locked in an underdevelopment trap. On the other hand, if they expect high returns of specific human capital, they invest in such capital, and, as a result, the economy can exhibit long-run growth.

Keywords: Labor specialization; endogenous choice of technology; endogenous growth; development traps (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O11 O14 O41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 20pages
Date: 2006-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev and nep-dge
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Related works:
Journal Article: THE ROLE OF EXPECTATIONS IN A SPECIALIZATION-DRIVEN GROWTH MODEL WITH ENDOGENOUS TECHNOLOGY CHOICE (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kyo:wpaper:625

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