Joan Robinson: Early Endogenous Growth Theorist

Main author: Oughton, Christine
Other authors: Tobin, Damian
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-39863
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
topic H Social Sciences (General)
HB Economic Theory
HD28 Management. Industrial Management
description We start from Robinson’s article on Harrod’s Dynamic Economics and her criticism that technological change was exogenous: ‘in Mr. Harrod’s world, technical progress falls like the gentle dew from heaven and is not susceptible to any economic influence’. Throughout her work she highlighted the endogenous sources of technological progress and growth and pre-empted both the National Systems of Innovation (NSI) literature and New Growth Theory (NGT), where the latter (NGT) appears to be neither new, nor able to explain innovation, growth and convergence trajectories. We also show that the productivity slowdown in advanced economies is explained by a fall in the wage share, a drop in the rate of accumulation of capital and prioritisation of incentives for R&D over policy instruments to diffuse innovation. While for developing economies, the failure of neoclassical economics to resolve the paradox of promoting market incentives for diffusion, while protecting intellectual property rights, implies an inevitable slowing of convergence.
format Journal Article
author Oughton, Christine
author_facet Oughton, Christine
Tobin, Damian
authorStr Oughton, Christine
author_letter Oughton, Christine
author2 Tobin, Damian
author2Str Tobin, Damian
title Joan Robinson: Early Endogenous Growth Theorist
publisher Oxford University Press
publishDate 2023
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/39863/