Technological sources of productivity growth in Japan, the U.S. and Germany

In this paper, we use a dynamic general equilibrium growth model to quantify the contribution of different technological sources to productivity growth in the three leading economies: Germany, Japan, and the U.S. The sources of technology are classified as representing either neutral progress or investment-specific progress. The latter can be split into two different types of equipment: information and communication technologies (ICT) and non-ICT equipment. We find that in the long run, neutral technological change is the main source of productivity growth in Germany. For Japan and the U.S., the main source of productivity growth is investment-specific technological change, mainly associated with ICT. We also find that a non negligible part of productivity growth has been due to technology specific to non-ICT equipment; this is mainly true after 1995.Productivity growth; Investment-specific progress; Neutral progress; Information and communication technology.

Following the yellow brick road? The Euro, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

This paper uses a combination of VAR and bootstrapping techniques to analyze whether the exchange rates of some New Member States of the EU have been used as output stabilizers (those of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland), during 1993-2004. This question is important because it provides a prior evaluation on the costs and benefits involved in entering the European Monetary Union (EMU). Joining the EMU is not optional for these countries but mandatory, although there is no definite deadline. Therefore, if the exchange rate works as a shock absorber, monetary independence could be retained for a longer period. Our main finding is that the exchange rate could be a stabilizing tool in Poland and the Czech Republic, although in Hungary it appears to act as a propagator of shocks. In addition, in these three countries, demand and monetary shocks account for most of the variability in both nominal and real exchange rates.EMU, exchange rate, Structural VAR, stationary bootstraps.

Following the yellow brick road? The Euro, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland

This paper uses a combination of VAR and bootstrapping techniques to analyze whether the exchange rates of some New Member States of the EU have been used as output stabilizers (those of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland), during 1993-2004. This question is important because it provides a prior evaluation on the costs and bene?ts involved in entering the European Monetary Union (EMU). Joining the EMU is not optional for these countries but mandatory, although there is no de?nite deadline. Therefore, if the exchange rate works as a shock absorber, monetary independence could be retained for a longer period. Our main ?nding is that the exchange rate could be a stabilizing tool in Poland and the Czech Republic, although in Hungary it appears to act as a propagator of shocks. In addition, in these three countries, demand and monetary shocks account for most of the variability in both nominal and real exchange rates.EMU, exchange rate, Structural VAR, stationary bootstraps

The Productivity Paradox and the New Economy: The Spanish Case

This paper studies the impact of the information and communication technologies (ICT) on economic growth in Spain using a dynamic general equilibrium approach. Contrary to previous works, we use a production function with six different capital inputs, three of them corresponding to ICT assets. Calibration of the model suggests that the contribution of ICT to Spanish productivity growth is very relevant, whereas the contribution of non-ICT capital has been even negative. Additionally, over the sample period 1995-2002, we find a negative TFP and productivity growth. These results together aim at the hypothesis that the Spanish economy could be placed within the productivity paradox.New economy, information and communication technologies, technological change, productivity paradox.

ICT-specific technological change and productivity growth in the US 1980-2004

This paper studies the impact of the information and communication technologies (ICT) on U.S. economic growth using a dynamic general equilibrium approach. We use a production function with six different capital inputs, three of them corresponding to ICT assets and other three to non-ICT assets. We find that the technological change embedded in hardware equipment is the main leading non-neutral force of the U.S. productivity growth and accounts for about one quarter of it during the period 1980-2004. As a whole, ICT-specific technological change accounts for about 35% of total labor productivity growth.New economy, information and communication technologies, specific-technological change, neutral-technological change.

Demand Shocks and Trade Balance Dynamics

This paper studies the current account dynamics in the G-7 countries plus Spain. We estimate a SVAR model which allows us to identify three different shocks: supply shocks, real demand shocks and nominal shocks. We use a different identification procedure from previous work based on a microfounded stochastic open-economy model in which the real exchange rate is a determinant of the Phillips curve. Estimates from a structural VAR show that real demand shocks explain most of the variability of current account imbalances, whereas, contrary to previous findings, nominal shocks play no role. The results we obtain are consistent with the predictions of a widely set of open-economy models and illustrate that demand policies are the main responsible of trade imbalances.Current account, SVAR.

Software geogebra con el Método Pólya para mejorar el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de secundaria

El presente estudio tuvo por finalidad determinar la aplicación del Software Geogebra y del Método de Pólya, para mejorar el rendimiento académico en matemática de los estudiantes del quinto año de secundaria. El tipo de investigación es aplicada, diseño experimental, nivel cuasi-experimental, enfoque cuantitativo. El método de Pólya consiste en una secuencia de pasos que van desde la comprensión del problema hasta la evaluación de los procedimientos empleados en la resolución de un problema matemático. El Geogebra es un software matemático interactivo que permite realizar construcciones tanto con puntos, segmentos, rectas, vectores, secciones cónicas, etc. y que pueden ser modificadas dinámicamente. Entiéndase como rendimiento académico a la medida de las capacidades del estudiante que expresa lo que este a aprendido a lo largo de un proceso formativo. En cuanto a la metodología, los datos fueron obtenidos mediante la aplicación de test registrando los resultados en una guía de observación, instrumento que fue evaluado por el criterio de expertos confirmando su validez en cuanto a su construcción y contenido. Luego se procedió al tratamiento de dicha información mediante el programa estadístico SPSS a la población de 120 estudiantes, 60 del grupo experimental y 60 del grupo control. Los resultados arrojados en este estudio fueron muy satisfactorios tanto para los estudiantes como para los docentes en el logro del Rendimiento Académico en matemáticas, puesto que la media de calificaciones pos-test fue de 15,89 frente al 10,72 del pre-test, evidenciándose un incremento del 67,46%, alcanzando el nivel de logro previsto por parte de los estudiantes. Los resultados obtenidos apuntan pues a que la aplicación del software Geogebra con el método de Pólya en la resolución de problemas mejora significativamente el rendimiento académico en matemática de los estudiantes de secundaria

Exposición frente a los dibujos animados de contenido violento en los alumnos del 5º grado de primaria de la I.E. “Divino Maestro” de Villa el Salvador, 2010

El presente informe de investigación que constituyó la tesis para optar el grado de magister en educación, tuvo por objetivo determinar el tiempo de exposición frente a los dibujos animados de contenido violento en los alumnos del 5º grado de primaria de la I. E. “Divino Maestro” de Villa el Salvador, 2010. La metodología utilizada fue la Cuantitativa, con un Tipo de Investigación Básica y Diseño descriptiva simple; asimismo, la población del estudio fue constituida por del 5º grado de primaria, conformada por 60 alumnos; de allí se extrae la muestra representativa de 33 alumnos. Procesados los datos se obtiene que los alumnos pasan un 45% de su tiempo frente a los dibujos animados de contenido violento entre 4 y 6 horas, situación que se incrementa los fines de semana a un 48.5 %. En cuanto al horario del día en que ven dibujos animados de contenido violento predomina el horario de la tarde en un 51.52 % seguido por el horario de la noche con un 27.27 %