Why Doesn't Technology Flow From Rich to Poor Countries?

S-Tier
Journal: Econometrica
Year: 2016
Volume: 84
Pages: 1477-1521

Score contribution per author:

2.681 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

What is the role of a country's financial system in determining technology adoption? To examine this, a dynamic contract model is embedded into a general equilibrium setting with competitive intermediation. The terms of finance are dictated by an intermediary's ability to monitor and control a firm's cash flow, in conjunction with the structure of the technology that the firm adopts. It is not always profitable to finance promising technologies. A quantitative illustration is presented where financial frictions induce entrepreneurs in India and Mexico to adopt less‐promising ventures than in the United States, despite lower input prices.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:emetrp:v:84:y:2016:i::p:1477-1521
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25