Tsutomu Harada

Three steps in knowledge communication: the emergence of knowledge transformers

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to reexamine the role of gatekeeper in R&D organizations through the data collected from a midium-sized machine tool firm. Although the related literature points out (1) information gathering and (2) information transmitting functions as main roles of gatekeeper, this paper further suggests (3) knowledge transforming function that has to be executed within R&D organizations. We will argue that since the latter function often requires distinctive skills that impede information gathering activities, there emerges a three-step flow of communication instead of a two-step flow of communication. We define persons fulfilling this new role as a knowledge transformer, and related testable hypotheses are derived. The latter part of this paper proposes new measuring methods that identify knowledge transformers and test these hypotheses.

Focusing device as innovation mechanism and cluster growth

This paper models a focusing device of innovation in which a cluster has an o-ring type production function and each technology component endogenously upgrades its quality. We show that provided the magnitude of innovation is the same across technology components, competitive equilibrium is an efficient mechanism by which core technology-driven innovations emerge with expanding inequality among clusters. Our result is in sharp contrast to bottleneck-removed innovation which is widely accepted. The inefficiency arises, however, when low-powered incentives, such as cost plus contracting, are employed to reward innovation. In this case, the corresponding factor price provides erroneous information regarding the potential benefits of innovation, which should be corrected by some form of policy intervention.

Changing Productive Relations, Linkage Effects, and Industrialization

This paper develops a multi-sector endogenous innovation model that is able to take changing productive relations among sectors into account. It is shown that while productivity and demand shocks do not induce any changes in productive relations and linkage effects, shocks in the productivity of R&D increase both backward and forward linkages. Key sectors are characterized as having high forward and backward linkages, which are consistent with the definition of key sectors in the existing empirical studies. However, vertical specialization generates not only sectors with high backward and low forward linkages, but also sectors with low backward and high forward linkages. As a consequence of this vertical specialization, the latter sectors become key sectors, in the sense that they have significant effects on business fluctuations. This implies that general-purpose technology sectors emerge, and sector-specific policies for these sectors play a critical role in economic development and growth.

Path-dependent economic growth with technological trajectory

This paper develops an integrated model of neoclassical and endogenous growth, which accounts for both income inequalities across countries and the convergence hypothesis, while all the growth stylized facts are satisfied. The model in this paper assumes that an economy industrializes in two stages. In the first stage, the economy starts industrialization through factor accumulation (the Solow stage); and after sufficient factor accumulation, it switches to the second stage of endogenous growth through innovation (the AK stage). Therefore, it becomes crucial to determine when switching from the Solow to the AK stages is implemented. We model this switching problem as a two-stage optimal control and show that the growth rate declines during the Solow stage, while in the AK stage it becomes constant. In addition, we draw several policy implications.

Endogenous innovation under New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model

ABSTRACT This paper constructs an endogenous growth model using the framework of New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models. We incorporate the Schumpeterian approach that generates seemingly sticky prices and reinterpret the Calvo mechanism from the perspective of Bertrand competition and successful entrepreneurs. Our results demonstrate that both positive productivity shocks and endogenous innovation have a negative effect on subsequent endogenous innovation. These self-destructive effects of endogenous innovation might account for the IT productivity paradox and productivity slowdown seen in advanced countries. Furthermore, it is shown that there are both neutral and non-neutral properties of monetary policy shocks. They are neutral in terms of the growth effect, but non-neutral in terms of the level effect. In particular, expansionist monetary policies are desirable to facilitate endogenous innovation.

A model of intersectoral flow of technology using technology and innovation flow matrices

ABSTRACT This paper builds a simple general equilibrium model that sheds new light on the mechanism of intersectoral flows of technology. It explicitly models the production of technology using diverse technology components as inputs. The model shows that demand shocks do not cause innovation while technology shocks as deviations from a balanced growth path induce asymmetric productivity changes across sectors. We also conduct a simple quantitative analysis using recent Japanese R&D data, which shows that most productivity effects remain within the bounds of the sector. We find some important exceptions to this rule, however, in particular for shocks occurring in information technology and precision instruments.