Productivity, Innovation and Economic Performance

The book compares and explains differences in levels of incomes among industrialised countries.

There are many explanations of why some countries are richer than others. This book compares levels of income among industrialised countries, and goes on to explain them. Central to the explanation are the science base and the level of research and development it supports.Productivity and its determinants is a prominent feature in economic debate. Output per person or per capita is still the most influential measure of the prosperity of nations. Productivity depends on the quantity and quality of the factors of production available to a country and the social framework within which they operate. Education and the research base affect both the quality of factors and the ability of a nation to produce. This volume examines differences in productivity between nations, and provides comprehensive discussion as to why such differences exist; it addresses the importance of the growth and measurement of service productivity, and studies the role of human capital in adapting to new technologies. The creation of knowledge through research and development and its diffusion through trade, investment and the interaction of firms are also fully investigated.