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Title: Distance to Frontier, Selection, and Economic Growth

Author(s): Daron Acemoglu, Philippe Aghion and Fabrizio Zilibotti

Publication Date: July 2002

Keyword(s): appropriate institutions, convergence, economic growth, imitation, innovation, political economy of growth, selection, technical change and traps

Programme Area(s): International Macroeconomics

Abstract: We analyse an economy where managers engage both in the adoption of technologies from the world frontier and in innovation activities. The selection of high-skill managers is more important for innovation activities. As the economy approaches the technology frontier, selection becomes more important. As a result, countries at early stages of development pursue an investment-based strategy, with long-term relationships, high average size and age of firms, large average investments, but little selection. Closer to the world technology frontier, there is a switch to an innovation-based strategy with short-term relationships, younger firms, less investment and better selection of managers. We show that relatively backward economies may switch out of the investment-based strategy too soon, so certain economic institutions and policies, such as limits on product market competition or investment subsidies, which encourage the investment-based strategy may be beneficial. Societies that cannot switch out of the investment-based strategy, however, fail to converge to the world technology frontier. Non-convergence traps are more likely when policies and institutions are endogenized, enabling beneficiaries of existing policies to bribe politicians to maintain these policies.

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Bibliographic Reference

Acemoglu, D, Aghion, P and Zilibotti, F. 2002. 'Distance to Frontier, Selection, and Economic Growth'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=3467