Explaining International Productivity Differences

Jens Krueger, Uwe Cantner and Horst Hanusch (horst.hanusch@wiwi.uni-augsburg.de)
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Jens Krueger: University of Augsburg, Department of Economics
Horst Hanusch: University of Augsburg, Department of Economics
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Jens J. Krüger (krueger@vwl.tu-darmstadt.de)

No 179, Discussion Paper Series from Universitaet Augsburg, Institute for Economics

Abstract: In this paper we add new results to the emerging field of investigating productivity levels rather than productivity change, as initiated by Hall and Jones (1996, 1997). To obtain measures of relative productivity levels we depart from traditional growth accounting and calculate the Malmquist index of total factor productivity change using the nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for a broad cross country sample. This index can be decomposed in measures of technological progress and efficiency change that are cumulated to level measures. The so obtained heterogeneity in productivity levels is next related to several determinants of technology driven growth in an econometric exercise. Doing this (1) we are able to provide confimation of the validity of the decomposition of the Malmquist index and (2) we find innovation-related explanations for international technological frontier shifts and imitative catching up and falling behind.

JEL-codes: O33 O47 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1998-08
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https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/files/26069/179.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Explaining International Productivity Differences (2003)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aug:augsbe:0179

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