Explaining Technical Change PDF Download

Author: Jon Elster
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521270724
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Technical change, defined as the manufacture and modification of tools, is generally thought to have played an important role in the evolution of intelligent life on earth, comparable to that of language. In this volume, first published in 1983, Jon Elster approaches the study of technical change from an epistemological perspective. He first sets out the main methods of scientific explanation and then applies those methods to some of the central theories of technical change. In particular, Elster considers neoclassical, evolutionary, and Marxist theories, whilst also devoting a chapter to Joseph Schumpeter's influential theory.

Author: Synnöve Vuori
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 364295913X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
Technical change is produced by the interaction of a large number of technical, economic, social and institutional factors. One of the starting points is the concept of national innovation systems. The aim of this book is to take Finland as an example illustrating the challenges faced by small countries. The characteristics and performance of the Finnish national innovation system of the last couple of decades are analyzed. The Finnish experience is put in a broader context by comparing it with a few other countries. The development paths possible in the near future are assessed. According to the results, many problems remain despite favourable developments in several technology indicators. The rigidities of the social institutions created during the 1970s and 1980s seem to have become obstacles for economic and technological development. There are fairly large differences between the countries studied, and even between the culturally and historically close Nordic countries. However,Finland and Sweden seem to share the same kind of encompassing collective risk-sharing systems, which may have detrimental effects on, for instance, incentives related to innovativeness. Increasing globalisation requires further development of the national system of innovation. Technology policy must be seen as one part of more encompassing social and economic policies, and the role of factors such as well-functioning institutions, appropriate education and sound incentive systems is highly important. The papers of this book are written by experts of various research disciplines. They reflect the respective views on the issue how technical change in Finland can be explained. It is also discussed how Finland fares in comparison to Denmark, Sweden, Japan and the United States.

Author: Susana Borrás
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1784710199
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
Why are so few electric cars in our streets today? Why is it difficult to introduce electronic patient records in our hospitals? To answer these questions we need to understand how state and non-state actors interact with the purpose of transforming so

Author: Ryuzo Sato
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387263764
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Productivity of inputs is an important determinant of the competitiveness of firms in national and international markets. Productivity growth arises from deliberate decisions to innovate but the technological opportunities could be such that different inputs would have different rates of growth. Previous literature has mostly concentrated on labor productivity but empirical studies indicate that productivity of capital is also increasing. One of the objectives of this book is to examine the difference or bias in the productivity growth of the two inputs. In this book, application of this general approach to study of biased technical change is developed and new empirical results presented for both macroeconomies and microeconomic firms.

Author: Martin E Pineiro
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000314006
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
This book presents the intellectual production of the first phase of the Cooperative Research Project on Agricultural Technology in Latin America (PROTAAL) and the most relevant papers presented by invitees at a meeting held in San Jose, Costa Rica in September 1981.

Author: Govindan Parayil
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780742520042
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
In this original and thoughtful book, Govindan Parayil draws together current scholarship from disciplines ranging from history to economics to sociology as he develops a cohesive theory of technological change. Drawing on a detailed case study of the Green Revolution in Indian agriculture, Parayil convincingly argues that technological change is contingent upon the social-historical process of knowledge change.

Author: Ross Thomson
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1349228559
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 299

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Book Description
In this book, fifteen prominent scholars of the economy, business, and technology argue that technical change can fruitfully be interpreted as an institutionally structured learning process. These essays show that the analysis of knowledge-generating institutions - including firms, industries, patenting systems, and occupations - provides important insights into the pace, direction, and persistence of technological change. The authors use these insights to both reshape economic theory and reinterpret the economic development of Britain, the USA, Germany and Japan.

Author: Robert Fox
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136645926
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
In this volume, scholars from these two very different traditions are brought together. Never before has a single volume contained such a distinguished and diverse group of historians of technology.

Author: Arnulf Grübler
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136522913
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
Much is written in the popular literature about the current pace of technological change. But do we have enough scientific knowledge about the sources and management of innovation to properly inform policymaking in technology dependent domains such as energy and the environment? While it is agreed that technological change does not 'fall from heaven like autumn leaves,' the theory, data, and models are deficient. The specific mechanisms that govern the rate and direction of inventive activity, the drivers and scope for incremental improvements that occur during technology diffusion, and the spillover effects that cross-fertilize technological innovations remain poorly understood. In a work that will interest serious readers of history, policy, and economics, the editors and their distinguished contributors offer a unique, single volume overview of the theoretical and empirical work on technological change. Beginning with a survey of existing research, they provide analysis and case studies in contexts such as medicine, agriculture, and power generation, paying particular attention to what technological change means for efficiency, productivity, and reduced environmental impacts. The book includes a historical analysis of technological change, an examination of the overall direction of technological change, and general theories about the sources of change. The contributors empirically test hypotheses of induced innovation and theories of institutional innovation. They propose ways to model induced technological change and evaluate its impact, and they consider issues such as uncertainty in technology returns, technology crossover effects, and clustering. A copublication o Resources for the Future (RFF) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).

Author: Jane Summerton
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0429703406
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
This international anthology presents case studies of historical and contemporary transformations of large technical systems such as railways, telecommunications, electricity, and automobiles. The authors, working at the forefront of historical and social science research on the dynamics of large technical systems, analyze how and why these systems undergo change. Because of their important roles in contemporary society, large technical systems such as railways, airlines, road systems, telecommunications, and electric power network share drawing considerable academic and political interest. In this collaborative study on processes of change in large technical systems, the contributing authors present historical and current case studies of transformation within these systems. Working at the forefront of historical and social science research on the dynamics of large technical systems, the authors specifically analyze how and why the systems undergo change. In some cases, new technologies are solving old problems and presenting opportunities for system growth. In other areas, new regulatory approaches have brought competition and deregulation, often posing challenges to system builders. The authors also show how the breakup of national boundaries and new corporate strategies for global management of technology are transforming systems in ways that will have significant impacts on all consumers