The Economics of Technological Diffusion

by Stoneman, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780631219774
• ISBN10: 0631219773
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-10-08
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This volume presents the first comprehensive, detailed, and up-to-date overview of the economics of technological diffusion. By organizing past articles under themes and providing introductory chapters for each theme, Stoneman has created a highly accessible and sophisticated volume that goes beyond a textbook. This mix of classical and original material is the most authoritative overview of the literature in each topic. The key topics covered are: bull; bull;theory, empirics, and policy. bull;technology and trade. bull;the theory and practice of technology policy. bull;finance and technological change. bull;R&D and diffusion. bull;measuring both technological change and its impact. bull;game theoretic modelling of technological change. The quality and scope of the contributions ensures that the book uniquely covers all of this field's various dimensions while achieving the necessary depth of analysis. The articles are specifically designed to be both rigorous and accessible. This book is an essential text and reference for those in the fields of the economics of technological diffusion, industrial organization and science, and technology policy. The material is accessible to students, researchers, and those working or setting policy in these fields.

Author Biography

Paul Stoneman is Research Professor and Head of the Technological Innovations Research Unit at Warwick Business School. In addition to his research activities he has also acted as an adviser and consultant to both government and private companies on technology-related issues. He is editor of The Handbook of the Economics of Innovation and Technological Change (Blackwell).

Table of Contents

List of Figures	vii
List of Tables	viii
Preface	x
Part I: Introduction and Empirical Observations on the Diffusion Process	1	(26)
By Way of an Introduction and Guide	3	(9)
Empirical Patterns in the diffusion of Innovations	12	(15)
Part II: The Theory of Technological Diffusion	27	(66)
The Intertemporal Demand for Stand-Alone Technologies	29	(26)
Risk and Uncertainty	55	(12)
Multiple Technologies, Complementary Inputs, Network Externalities and General Purpose Technologies	67	(11)
The Supply Side	78	(15)
Part III: Empirical Analysis of the Diffusion of New Technology	93	(80)
Empirical Analysis: An Overview	95	(11)
Rank, Stock, Order and Epidemic Effects in the Diffusion of New Process Technologies: An Empirical Model	106	(30)
The Diffusion of Multiple Process Technologies	136	(12)
Testing Alternative Models of New Product Diffusion	148	(25)
Part IV: Diffusion Policy	173	(74)
Diffusion Policy: An Introduction	175	(3)
Technology Diffusion and Public Policy	178	(12)
Technological Diffusion, Expectations and Welfare	190	(20)
Adoption Subsidies vs Information Provision as Instruments of Technology Policy	210	(9)
The Role of Regulation, Fiscal Incentives and Changes in Tastes in the Diffusion of Unleaded Petrol	219	(28)
Part V: Extensions, Applications and Implications	247	(60)
Diffusion Analysis: The Wider Implications	249	(8)
Technology Adoption and Firm Profitability	257	(10)
Employment, Technological Diffusion and Oligopoly	267	(15)
Technological Opportunity, Technological Diffusion and Gross Investment: An Inter-Industry Approach	282	(21)
Future Research Agendas	303	(4)
Index	307