Peter Carroll

Classification of Industries by Level of Technology: An Appraisal and some Implications

Modern growth theory acknowledges that a countrys economic prosperity depends in large part on its capacity for technological innovation. Empirical evidence, however, supports the view that not all sectors are equally innovative. As a result, it seems desirable from a public policy perspective to identify and promote sectors displaying both a high innovation rate and, in an increasingly competitive international economy, a high degree of international competitiveness. It is frequently argued that the high-tech industry sectors, in contrast to low-tech sectors, satisfy both conditions, with the clear implication that public policy should be directed to enhancing the performance of high-tech sectors. This approach raises at least two important issues. The first is whether such classifications can be meaningfully constructed given both the intractability of the concepts involved and the difficulties in data collection. A second issue is the basic assumption that policy emphasis should be placed on technology-intensive industries because they have a greater impact on growth. In this paper, we argue that while it may be possible to construct indices of technological intensity that are useful for some purposes, the ones that are currently proposed do not, in fact, address questions of economic growth and firm performance very well. In part, this is a reflection of the technicalities involved in formulating and operationalising the indices, but it also reflects problems in the underlying premise, namely technology-intensive sectors are more growth-inducing than low-tech sectors. We call, therefore, for the adoption of a more sophisticated and detailed approach that would provide a sensible classification of industries and new policy insights.

Does regulatory impact assessment lead to better policy

Abstract Regulatory impact assessment systems bring evidence to bear on how to improve the quality of new or modified regulations. In the last 30 years they have become increasingly common in OECD countries. Regulatory proposals put forward by government agencies are now required to have a firm evidence base that clearly supports the new or modified regulation. However, in all jurisdictions actual practice has shown that the performance of the impact assessment systems has been very limited, with proposed regulation continuing to offer little in the way of a rigorous and convincing evidence base. This paper explores the reasons for the poor performance of evidence-based approaches. Reasons include the varying levels of ministerial and head of department/agency commitment, poor integration of impact assessment systems with existing policy development processes, variable capacity for rigorous, evidence-based policy in departments, and a lack of data on which evidence-based policy can be developed.

Regulatory Reform and the Management of Intergovernmental Relations in Australia

There have been three waves of regulatory reform in Australia since the 1980s, each informed by broadly similar neoliberal political and economic objectives, but with important differences of emphasis that reflect key priorities and changing contexts. This article argues that the second and third waves brought with them three significant developments: (1) A substantially enhanced capacity for the organisation and management of intergovernmental relations in Australia; (2) a new, national emphasis on the need for microeconomic reform, reinvigorated and broadened in the third wave by a broadening of the national ‘productivity and efficiency’ debate through the Human Capital agenda of Council of Australian Governments (COAG); and (3) markedly changed funding and policy responsibilities between the levels of government. These changes include new arrangements for intergovernmental funding; a new performance oversight body, the COAG Reform Council; a revised Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations; and a new role for Commonwealth ministers in chairing COAG working parties.

A Standard for Regulatory Compliance? Industry Self-regulation, the Courts and AS3806-1998

The primary objective of this article is to describe recent Australian moves to greater industry self-regulation and, within that context, to examine the development of AS3806, a voluntary standard developed by Standards Australia, which firms may use as a model or template for the design and management of their regulatory compliance systems. The article is divided into four sections. The first provides an outline of recent Australian developments regarding industry self-regulation and compliance. The second describes the growing interest in industry codes of conduct and the role of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The third describes the main features of AS 3806. The fourth examines the question of compliance standards in relation to the legal process, focusing on two recent cases and is followed by a conclusion.

Exploring the Impact of International Civil Servants: The Case of the OECD

International civil servants, while long neglected, have recently received renewed attention, focusing especially on the their capacity to influence outcomes in international organizations. Xu and Weller, writing in the context of the WTO, suggested that the capacity of the international civil service to achieve designated objectives is affected by both the formal institutional conditions of the organization and the informal opportunities they develop. The Xu and Weller findings raise the question as to whether their model holds in other international organizations, and in this article we explore these issues in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. We find that, while the significance of the factors they discuss is confirmed, the expertise of the Secretariat in the OECD is an important factor at the base of its influence, confirming a similar account of the World Bank.

Policy transfer over time: a case of growing complexity

The article indicates that policy transfer has played an important role in the development of policy and legislation in Australia. Indeed, much of what is regarded as Australian policy is borrowed, usually in small part, but sometimes in its entirety, from elsewhere. One of the implications of this view is that Australian policy making processes are often, at least in part, dynamic, policy processes that draw upon a number of sources, both domestic and international. The focus of this article is upon the sources of transfer in the Australian context, both domestic and international, and how the sources drawn upon by Australian state and federal governments have changed over time. The article also indicates that on the evidence available the Australian experience with transfer can be divided into a number of phases. The first, from European colonisation to approximately the middle of the nineteenth century, the second from roughly the middle of the nineteenth century to federation at the beginning of the twentieth century, the third from the establishment of the Australian federation in 1901, to the Second World War, and the fourth phase, from the Second World War to the present.

Policy Transfer and Accession: A Comparison of Three International Governmental Organisations

Abstract This article compares the extent of policy transfer related to the accession processes of three international governmental organisations (IGOs), the European Union (EU), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It is argued that this is necessary as there is a tendency for studies of IGOs as agents of transfer to focus primarily upon the transfer that occurs after a state has acceded to membership, neglecting the extent of transfer that can take place during the accession process. The key findings are: one, policy transfer occurs during the accession process in all three organisations and, to varying extents, in all three stages of the accession process; two, the extent of transfer varies by accession stage and over time for all three organisations; three, the greatest extent of transfer occurs in the pre-accession and formal accession stages; four, the greater the degree of isomorphism between an applicant’s policies and institutions and those of the IGO, the less the extent of policy transfer in the accession process.

Globalization and Policy Convergence: The adoption of mutual recognition in the European Union and Australia

This article examines the use of the system of mutual recognition, harmonization and qualified majority voting in the European Union (EU) and Australia as a means to the greater understanding of the impact of globalization in relation to policy convergence. It is argued that the Australian adoption of mutual recogntion, based on the EU model, was an example of policy convergence, although the extent of convergence was variable. It is further argued that the convergence was, in part, influenced by globalization. The article is divided into three major sections. The first indicates the authors position in relation to the key concepts of globalization and policy, convergence. The second provides a brief examination of the factors leading to the intensified use of mutual recognition in the EU and its adoption in Australia. The third attempts to assess whether this use of mutual recognition is an example of policy convergence, concluding that, with some reservations, it was. The fourth attempts to assess the ...

Shall We or Shall We Not? The Japanese, Australian, and New Zealand Decisions to Apply for Membership in the OECD, 1960–1973

This chapter examines the reasons for the marked variation in enthusiasm for membership of the OECD displayed by Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, the first three states from outside the European and North Atlantic area to gain OECD membership. Japan, the first new OECD member after its establishment in 1961, achieved membership only 4 years after first deciding to apply, first becoming a member of the Development Assistance Committee. In contrast, Australia took nearly 10 years to decide to apply, gaining entry in 1971, and New Zealand took 12 years, gaining entry in 1973.

Middle Powers and International Organisations

This book provides a unique examination of how a middle power uses international organisations to achieve greater global influence. The authors focus on the OECD, ‘the rich man’s club’ of most of the world’s wealthiest nations. It demonstrates how the decision by Australia to apply for membership was a long drawn out process, delayed by political factors. Eventually agreement was reached with assurances that membership would provide access to valuable and timely policy-related information, especially in relation to international trade and finance. In addition, membership would potentially increase influence by providing greater access to its powerful member states at an earlier stage in their policy discussions and agreements.