Organization and Inequality in a Knowledge Economy

S-Tier
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Economics
Year: 2006
Volume: 121
Issue: 4
Pages: 1383-1435

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

We present an equilibrium theory of the organization of work in an economy where knowledge is an essential input in production and agents are heterogeneous in skill. Agents organize production by matching with others in knowledge hierarchies designed to use and communicate their knowledge efficiently. Relative to autarky, organization leads to larger cross-sectional differences in knowledge and wages: low skill workers learn and earn relatively less. We show that improvements in the technology to acquire knowledge lead to opposite implications on wage inequality and organization than reductions in communication costs.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:qjecon:v:121:y:2006:i:4:p:1383-1435.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25