TY - JOUR
T1 - Technologies as problem-solving procedures and technologies as input–output relations: some perspectives on the theory of production
AU - Dosi, Giovanni
AU - Grazzi, Marco
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - In this work, inspired by Winter (2006), in fact of vintage 1968, we discuss the relation between three different levels of analysis of technologies, namely as (i) bodies of problem-solving knowledge, (ii) organizational procedures, and (iii) input–output relations. We begin by arguing that the “primitive” levels of investigation, “where the action is,” are those which concern knowledge and organizational procedures while in most respects the I/O representation is just an ex post, derived, one. Next, we outline what we consider to be important advances in the understanding of productive knowledge and of the nature and behaviors of business organizations which to a good extent embody such a knowledge. Finally, we explore some implications of such “procedural” view of technologies in terms of
input–output relations (of which standard production functions are a particular instantiation). We do that with the help of some pieces of evidence, drawing both upon incumbent literature and our own elaboration on micro longitudinal data on the Italian industry.
AB - In this work, inspired by Winter (2006), in fact of vintage 1968, we discuss the relation between three different levels of analysis of technologies, namely as (i) bodies of problem-solving knowledge, (ii) organizational procedures, and (iii) input–output relations. We begin by arguing that the “primitive” levels of investigation, “where the action is,” are those which concern knowledge and organizational procedures while in most respects the I/O representation is just an ex post, derived, one. Next, we outline what we consider to be important advances in the understanding of productive knowledge and of the nature and behaviors of business organizations which to a good extent embody such a knowledge. Finally, we explore some implications of such “procedural” view of technologies in terms of
input–output relations (of which standard production functions are a particular instantiation). We do that with the help of some pieces of evidence, drawing both upon incumbent literature and our own elaboration on micro longitudinal data on the Italian industry.
KW - PRODUCTIVITY
KW - Theory of production
KW - firm heterogeneity
KW - technical change
KW - PRODUCTIVITY
KW - Theory of production
KW - firm heterogeneity
KW - technical change
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/125233
UR - http://icc.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/1/173.short
U2 - 10.1093/icc/dtj010
DO - 10.1093/icc/dtj010
M3 - Article
SN - 0960-6491
VL - 15
SP - 173
EP - 202
JO - Industrial and Corporate Change
JF - Industrial and Corporate Change
ER -