Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Productivity growth and technical change in the US semiconductor, computer and telecommunications equipment industries

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6286890

This dissertation investigates trends in the structure of production affected by the technical change during 1958-1982 in the US semiconductor, computer, and telecommunications equipment-manufacturing industries. The interrelationships in production among these industries are also examined. The equilibrium econometric model specified by translog total cost function, and the disequilibrium econometric model specified by translog variable cost function are used to analyze inputs substitution possibilities, economies of scale, and the impact of technological change on the production structure of each industry, based on series of hypothesis tests. The extent and timing of productivity growth and output growth in each industry are identified and measured, and output and productivity growth are separated into components attributable to capital, production and nonproduction labor, materials, etc. Quantitative empirical results are related to technological developments in each industry. Production behavior among these industries is analyzed and compared for the 25-year period.

Research Organization:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (USA)
OSTI ID:
6286890
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English