The Threshold Effect of Absorption Capacity on International R & D Spillovers and Total Factors Productivity in Developing Countries

Document Type : Scientific paper

Authors

1 PhD student, Faculty of Economics and Management, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran

2 Professor, Faculty of Economics and Management, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran

3 Associate professor, Faculty of Economics and Management, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

In the current study, the effect of international spillovers of research and development on total factor productivity in developing countries has been investigated with considering the threshold effects of absorption capacity. The period the present study is 1995-2015, and the Panel smooth transition regression method has been used to investigate the issue. The results show that developing countries should reach certain levels of domestic absorption capacity so that international R & D inflows can improve the overall productivity of production factors. The coefficients show that bypassing the developing countries on the threshold of absorption capacity, the impact of international research and development overflows will increase on total factor productivity. In developing countries, with average per capita income exceeding capacity capping thresholds, the impact of overflows has increased dramatically and has had a greater impact on total factor productivity. However, in low-per capita countries that do not have adequate levels of absorption capacity, the impact of research and development overflows on total factor productivity has been reported to be negligible.

Keywords


Aghion, P., & Howitt, P. (1992) . A model of growth through creative destruction. Econometrica, 60 (2), 323–51.
Bagherzadeh, A. (2012). Relationship between R&D, Human Capital and Total Productivity of Factors in Industry Section of Iran, Sanandaj Industrial Management Quarterly, 7(12), 25-45. [In Persian]
Baltagi, B. (2005). Econometric analysis of panel data. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
 Cainelli, C., Fracasso, A. & Marzetti, G.V. (2014). Spatial agglomeration and productivity in Italy: a panel smooth transition regression approach. Regional Science Assotiation International, 51 (1), 39-67.
Coe, D. T., & Helpman, E. (1995). International R&D spillovers. European Economic Review, 39, 859–887.
Coe, D. T., Helpman, E. & Hoffmaister, A. W. ( 1995). North-south R&D spillovers. The Economic Journal, 107 (440), 134–149.
Coe, D. T., Helpman, E. & Hoffmaister, A. W. ( 2009). International R&D spillovers and institutions. European Economic Review, 53 (7), 723–741.
Colletaz, G., Hurlin, C. (2006). Threshold effects in the public capital productivity: an international panel smooth transition approach. Document de Recherche du Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orléans. 2006-1.
 Crespo-Cuaresma, J., Foster, N. & Scharler, J. (2004). On the determinants of absorptive capacity: Evidence from OECD countries". In: Proceedings of OeNB Workshops. Vol. 2/2004.
Engelbrecht, H. J. (1997). International R&D spillovers, Human Capital and productivity in OECD economies: An empirical investigation. European Economic Review, 41 (8), 1479–1488.
Falvey, R., Foster, N. & Greenaway, D. (2007). Relative backwardness, absorptive capacity and knowledge spillovers. Economics Letters, 97 (3), 230–234.
Fouquau, J., Hurlin, C. & Rabaud, I. (2008). The Feldstein-Horioka puzzle: A panel smooth transition regression approach. Economic Modelling,  25 (2), 284–299.
Fracasso, A. & Mazertti, G.V. (2012). International R&D spillovers, absorptive capacity and relative backwardness: a panel smooth transition regression model, Department of Economics, University of TRENTO-Italy, International Economic Journal. Economics, 45 (1), 179-191.
Gonz´alez, A., Ter¨asvirta, T. & van Dijk, D. (2005). Panel smooth transition regression models. Research Paper 165, Quantitative Finance Research Centre.
Grossman, G. M. &  Helpman, E. (1991)b. Trade, knowledge spillovers, and growth. European Economic Review, 35 (2), 517–526.
Heydari, H., Farrokh Nahad, P. & Mohammadzadeh, Y. (1395). The Role of R&D and Absorption Capacity in Productivity Factors in Developing Countries. Journal of Research and Planning in Higher Education, No (3) , 37-62. [In Persian]
Howitt, P., (2000). Endogenous growth and cross-country income di_erences. American Economic Review, 90 (4), 829-846.
Keller, W. ( 2002). Trade and the transmission of technology. Journal of Economic Growth, 7 (1), 5-24.
Keller, W. (1998). Are international R&D spillovers trade-related? Analyzing spillovers among randomly matched trade partners. European Economic Review, 42 (8), 1469-1481.
Keller, W. (2004). International technology di_usion. Journal of Economic Literature, 42 (3), 752-782.
 Rivera-Batiz, L. A. & Romer, P. M. (1991). Economic integration and endogenous growth. The Quarterly Journal of Economics 106 (2), 531-555.
Sepahardost, H. Shahabadi, A. & Shojaee, A. (1394). The Impact of External Research and Development Overflow and Human Capital on the Technical Efficiency of Production Factors, Business Research Quarterly, No. 68, 174-149. [In Persian]
Shah Abadi, A. & Amiri, M. (1393). The Influence of Internal and External R&D on Aggregate Productivity in Agricultural Sector, Iranian Journal of Applied Economic Studies, No (47). [In Persian]
Shah Abadi, A. & Rahmani, O. (1387). The Role of Domestic and Foreign R&D on Total Productivity Growth in Industrial Sector, Journal of Modern Business and Economics, No. 14, 18-38. [In Persian]
Shahbazi, K. & Saeedpour, L. (1392). The Impact of Financial Development on Economic Growth in the Eight Countries", Quarterly Journal of Economic Growth and Development Research, Volume 12, Issue 21-38. [In Persian]
WorldBank. (2017). Worldbank Development Indicators. Reported by Www.Worldbank.org.