The weightless economy in economic development

Danny Quah

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: Can the increasing significance of knowledge-products in national income - the growing weightless economy - influence economic development? Those technologies reduce ''distance'' between consumers and knowledge production. This paper analyzes a model embodying such a reduction. The model shows how demand-side attributes - consumer attitudes on complex goods; training, education, and skills for consumption (rather than production) - can importantly affect patterns of economic growth and development. Evidence from the failed Industrial Revolution in 14th-century China illustrates the empirical relevance of the analysis.

Keywords: China; copyright; growth; information technology; intellectual property; knowledge-product; patent; software; Superstars; tacit knowledge (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N15 O11 O14 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 47 pages
Date: 1999-03
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:2291

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