Innovation and productivity in services and manufacturing: The role of ICT investment

Aboal D. and Ezequiel Tacsir

No 2015-012, MERIT Working Papers from United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT)

Abstract: Several studies have highlighted ICT as a driver of firm productivity in developed countries. However, the evidence about the impacts of ICT on services and manufacturing and particularly for developing countries is scarce. This paper focuses on understanding the determinants of investments in ICT at firm level and how this adoption ultimately affects innovation and productivity of Uruguayan services firms vis a vis manufacturing. Results show that ICT investments are more subject to economies of scale than other types of investments, are important for obtaining product or process innovations in services and its absence conspires against non-technological organisational or marketing innovations. Both ICT and other innovation investments are positively associated with productivity in services but only ICT affect productivity in manufacturing. Interestingly, the absence of investment in ICT is associated with lower levels of productivity.

Keywords: Firm Behavior; Empirical Analysis; Innovation and Invention; Management of Technological Innovation and R&D; ICT; Government Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D22 O31 O32 O38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-eff, nep-ino and nep-sbm
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Working Paper: Innovation and Productivity in Services and Manufacturing: The Role of ICT Investment (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:unm:unumer:2015012

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