We argue that decentralization is particularly beneficial to firm performance in “bad times”. We present a model where bad times increase the importance of rapid action, and improve the alignment of incentives of managers within firms. We test this idea exploiting the 2008-2009 Great Recession using firm-level cross country panel data combined with our survey data on firm organization. We find ...

We develop a general two-sided micro-matching framework with heterogeneous workers and machines that permits a complete analysis of neutral technical progress commonly used in neoclassical production theory, without a priori restrictions on the functional forms of the production technology. We use the concept of “production core” to determine stable task assignments and the corresponding factor...

We consider a model of resource dependence where only the seller knows the resource reserve. The model captures phenomena such as trust in the relationship and “bribing” for continuation through generous supplies. It also explains supply shocks in equilibrium: privately informed sellers have incentives to reveal their types too late through a supply disruption after which their exploit the cons...

This research suggests that the evolution of entrepreneurial spirit played a signi…cant role in the process of economic development and the dynamics of inequality within and across societies. The study argues that entrepreneurial spirit evolved non-monotonically in the course of human history. In early stages of development, the rise in income generated an evolutionary advantage to entrepreneur...

We present a theory of spatial development. Manufacturing and services firms located in a continuous geographic area choose each period how much to innovate. Firms trade subject to transport costs and technology diffuses spatially. We apply the model to study the evolution of the US economy in the last half-century and find that it can generate the reduction in the manufacturing employment shar...

When we allow capital depreciation to be endogenous, the acceleration of investment-specific technological progress can distort the measurement of the aggregate capital stock. Our quantitative exercise shows that this effect may cause a substantial bias in the measurement of total factor productivity and can account for a large portion of the observed productivity slowdown since the 1970s. 2006...

How does rural-urban migration shape urban production in developing countries? We use longitudinal data on Chinese manufacturing firms between 2000 and 2006, exploit exogenous variation induced by agricultural income shocks for identification. find that, when immigration increases, becomes more labor intensive productivity declines. investigate the reorganization of using patent applications pr...

We build an endogenous growth model with automation (the replacement of low-skill workers machines) and horizontal innovation creation new products). Over time, the share innovations endogenously increases through increase in wages, leading to skill premium a decline labor share. calibrate US economy show that it quantitatively replicates paths premium, share, productivity. Our offers perspecti...

This paper provides a unified framework for quantifying the cross-country and cross-sector interactions among trade, innovation, knowledge diffusion. is used to study effect of trade liberalization in an endogenous growth model which comparative advantage stock are determined by innovation The calibrated match observed heterogeneity production, efficiency, spillovers. counterfactual analysis sh...