In this paper we set up a general duration model of technology adoption which incorporates the main factors discussed in the different demand side theories of diffusion of new process technologies. The model is applied to the data on diffusion of CNC in the UK engineering industry. It is found that while there is strong evidence for the rank and endogenous learning effects, there seems to be little evidence in support of the stock and order effects, as characterized by the game theoretic models.

No abstract

Abstract:This paper is a comparative study of the role of agriculture in economic development in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Popular notions of economic duality and agricultural squeeze in sub-Saharan Africa are re-examined, and new explanations in terms of agrarian structures and resource availabilities are put forward to account for the apparent economic duality in that continent.

This article examines the dollar-a-day poverty estimates produced by the World Bank. It highlights the lack of consistency between average consumption and income in household surveys and national accounts data. After examining the likely sources of divergence between the two series, the author proposes a new method of estimation of poverty, based on calibrating the survey means by conditioning on national accounts aggregates. The new poverty estimates, which are consistent with national accounts data, are contrasted with the World Bank estimates. The implications of the findings for the debate on the relationship between poverty and economic growth are also briefly discussed.