Going clubbing in the eighties: convergence in manufacturing sectors at a glance

摘要

This paper employs the distribution dynamics framework for assessing labour productivity convergence, in the period 1980-1995, among 28 developed and developing countries, in different manufacturing compartments, identified as according to their research and development intensity. Three competing hypotheses are considered: absolute, conditional and club convergence. The key result of the analysis is twofold. First, consistently with very recent evidence, absolute convergence is found in manufacturing as a whole. Second, convergence tendencies are sector specific. In particular, club convergence characterizes traditional and medium- technology compartments, while the absolute one qualifies high-tech productions. Overall, these findings support the view that cross-country labour productivity convergence might be hindered by the sub-optimal structural reallocation from nonconvergence to convergence activities. Moreover, as the clustering dynamics in traditional and medium-tech sectors is related either to physical capital stock or technological development, laggard economies should purse ad hoc catching-up strategies. Finally, the result of high tech provides supportive evidence for the theory of dynamic comparative advantages. Thus, it seems desirable that emerging countries enter into technology-intense markets and that they develop the necessary capabilities for exploiting such endogenous advantages.