Re-evaluating the impact of natural resources on economic growth

In this study we re-evaluate the impact of natural resources on economic growth. The reassessment is based on a growth model where, using panel-data analysis, natural-resource variables (geographically diffused and concentrated) affect the efficiency gains of labour and capital in production. We find an overall positive effect on growth arising from the increase in capital efficiency associated with concentrated resources, exactly the kind of resources that explain the resource curse in recent cross-section studies. We detect a negative effect of concentrated resources on labour efficiency only when either the resource proxies are unadjusted for re-export distortion (even with a fixed institutional quality, contrary to cross-section studies), or both the fixed country and time effects are not considered after the referred adjustment. Our results also dismiss a negative effect of the adjusted diffuse resources measure on capital efficiency if we assume a constant institutional quality, and fixed country and time effects.Natural resources; Economic growth; Economywide Country Studies; Panel data

Human Capital Accumulation and Wage Inequality with Scale-Independent North-South Technological Diffusion

This paper analyzes the mechanisms, other than market size, through which international trade of intermediate goods incorporating state-of-the-art technological knowledge affects accumulation of human capital and wage inequality in the North and South. Under North-South technological diffusion, endogenous economic growth depends on Schumpeterian R&D - innovation in the North and imitation in the South - and on accumulation of two types of human capital, wide and narrow. The former is school intensive while the latter is on-the-job-training intensive. The effects of trade upon growth and wage inequality, through the price channel, are accessed in three analytical steps: (i) immediate level effects, (ii) steady-state effects, and (iii) transitional dynamics. Comparative steady-state statics and dynamics are used to uncover the mechanisms through which these effects are influenced by the technology of human capital accumulation. The level effect brings about inter-country wage convergence. The comparative dynamics exercise with changes in the parameters of human capital accumulation shows that intra-country wage inequality is more likely to prevail under international trade, when such changes relatively enhance the world accumulation of the type of human capital that is relatively abundant in the South.North-South; International trade; Technological knowledge; Economic growth; Human capital; Wage inequality.

Non-Scale Effects of North-South Trade on Economic Growth

In this model of North and South economies, growth is driven by Schumpeterian R&D and by accumulation of two types of human capital, versatile and specialized. The former is school intensive while the latter is on-the-job-training intensive. Growth is endogenous and independent of scale effects. South's imitation of existing technology is conditional to the distance to the technological frontier. Growth depends on technological advances in the quality of available intermediate goods, regardless of the origin - innovation or imitation -, and not on comparative advantage in the production of final goods. By allowing immediate international access of the state-of-the-art intermediate goods, trade affects the productive structure in the South, bringing about partial convergence to the Northern structure and prices. Nevertheless, even when the countries have access to the same technology - either through imitation or trade of intermediate goods -, differences in domestic institutions and human capital imply differences in productivity. In addition, trade induces steady-state effects through the price channel, by which the specific types of human capital influence the direction of technological progress. The consideration of two types of human capital also allows the study of wage inequality effects of trade, as well as the derivation of a Schumpeterian dynamic equivalent to the static Stolper-Samuelson factor price equalization result.North-South; International trade; R&D; Human capital; Scale effects; Economic growth

North-South Diffusion of a General Purpose Technology

This paper studies the effects of the diffusion of a General Purpose Technology (GPT), that spreads first within the developed country of its origin (North), and then to a developing country (South). We use a general equilibrium model of growth, where each final good is produced by one of two available technologies. Each technology is characterized by a specific set of intermediate goods complemented by specific labor. The quality of intermediate goods is enhanced periodically by Schumpeterian R&D. When quality reaches a threshold level, a GPT arises in one of the technologies and spreads first to the other one, within the North. Then, it propagates to the South, following a similar sequence. Since diffusion is not even, neither intra nor inter-country, the GPT produces successive changes in the direction of technological knowledge and in inter and intra-country wage inequality.North-South, General Purpose Technology, Direction of technological knowledge, Wage inequality

Which Portuguese firms are more innovative? The importance of multinationals and exporters

In this study we test the trade Global Engagement hypothesis in which firms more globally engaged – either multinationals or exporters – are more innovative. The test is applied to 4818 Portuguese enterprises´ data for the period 2002-2004 through the use of the fourth Portuguese Community Innovation Survey. We estimated several Knowledge Production Functions assuming that knowledge outputs result from the combination of some knowledge inputs with the flow of ideas coming from existing stock of knowledge. We found that more internationally exposed firms create more knowledge output, than their domestic counterparts; indeed, more globalized firms use more inputs and have the opportunity to use a larger stock of knowledge. Notwithstand, the observed superiority of more internationally exposed firms is also the result of their globalized nature, not directly connected with knowledge inputs or information flows.Multinational firms, exporting, knowledge-production functions, Portugal

Economic performance and international trade engagement: the case of Portuguese manufacturing firms

By combining economic and financial data for Portuguese manufacturing firms with data on their exports and imports, we uncover some aspects of the relationship between international trade engagement and firms’ performance. In line with recent theoretical and empirical developments in the international trade literature: (i) we testify that Portuguese international trade is highly concentrated, especially on the import side, and both in inter- and intra-sector terms; (ii) we corroborate previous studies and theses according to which two-way traders outperform only importers, only exporters and above all domestic firms; (iii) we find that the greater the diversification of markets and goods (especially with regard to imports), the better the performance achieved by internationalised firms; (iv) we notice that the higher the intensity of international trade of firms (especially imports), the better the performance of firms; (v) we also present evidence that destination markets, for exports, and, origin markets, for imports, are also important in explaining firm performance.International trade, Firm performance, Diversification

Efeito das Ações de Marketing na Escola sobre o Comportamento de Consumo

Our study aims to analyze the effect of marketing actions in schools, driven by health-food companies, on the consumption behavior of students to understand whether they (a) show higher preference for healthy food and drinks; (b) choose to take such goods home; are aware that consuming these goods is a healthy habit; and (c) realize that sales of the companies that produce such health foods and drinks improve. We wish to contribute to the literature by using an experimental exercise in three schools in Porto district, Portugal. Our sample included 307 students aged from 6 to 16 years old, with 153(154) students belonging to the experimental (control) group. The regression results confirm our hypotheses. In particular, we found that the level of education of parents did not seem to have an impact, the results across male and female students are very close and that students’ age did not affect the results between groups, but did affect score values.Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar o efeito das ações de marketing nas escolas, conduzidas por empresas de alimentos saudáveis, sobre o comportamento de consumo dos estudantes. O objetivo é entender se essas ações levam os estudantes a preferir alimentos e bebidas saudáveis, se passam a aconselhar esses alimentos e bebidas em casa, se estão cientes de que o consumo desses bens melhora a saúde, e se têm a perceção de que as empresas de alimentos e bebidas saudáveis melhoram as vendas com essas ações. Para o efeito conduziu-se um exercício experimental em três escolas do distrito do Porto, Portugal. A amostra incluiu 307 estudantes dos 6 aos 16 anos. Os estudantes pertencentes ao grupo experimental (controle) foram 153 (154) e foi usado um questionário para obter os dados quantitativos necessários. Os resultados, obtidos por meio de técnicas estatísticas e econométricas, confirmam as hipóteses. Os resultados são independentes da escola, do nível de educação dos pais, do sexo e da idade dos estudantesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Are we following the right path? Assessment of the Portuguese electricity generation on atmospheric emissions

This paper examines the Portuguese electricity-supply-sector evolution within the EU-27 and its impact on atmospheric emissions. Using a dataset of SO2, NOx, CO2 and particulates emissions for Portuguese thermoelectricity plants between 1990 and 2008, the performed panel data model shows emissions to be a positive function of fossil fuel combustible use. Nevertheless, these results denote a more “impressive” correlation per GWh generated than in other EU countries. They also indicate that only SO2 emissions are a negative function of liberalization, which may be explained by the market power of the incumbent that does not feel threatened to adopt environmental improvements.peer-reviewe

Growth and firm dynamics with horizontal and vertical R&D

This paper develops a tournament model of horizontal and vertical R&D under a lab-equipment specification. A key feature is that the overall growth rate is endogenous, as the splitting of the growth rate between the intensive and the extensive margin is itself endogenous. This setup gives rise to strong inter-R&D composition effects, while making economic growth and firm dynamics closely related, both along the balanced-growth path and transition. The model hence offers a (qualitative) explanation for the negative or insignificant empirical correlation between aggregate R&D intensity and both firm size and economic growth, a well-known puzzle in the growth literature.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio