Brain drain or brain gain? Technology diffusion and learning on-the-job

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Sampson, Thomas
• 署名单位: University of London; London School Economics & Political Science
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-1996
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2012.10.004
• 发表日期: 2013
• 页码: 162-176
• 关键词: Technology diffusion; Managerial knowledge; Learning on-the-job; FDI; Brain drain

摘要

This paper studies technology transfer when technology is embodied in human capital and learning requires on-the-job communication between managers and workers. Patterns of technology diffusion depend on where high knowledge managers work and how much time they allocate to training workers. Managers appropriate the surplus training creates and in the open economy managers face a cross-country trade-off between labor costs and the value of knowledge transfer. Complementarity between country level efficiency and managerial knowledge makes learning more valuable in the North meaning that high knowledge managers choose to work in the North and globalization precipitates a brain drain of high knowledge Southern agents to the North. The brain drain reduces learning opportunities in the South and exacerbates cross-country technology differences. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.