Publications

2012
Working Paper

The Spatial Diffusion of Technology

By: Diego A. Comin, Mikhail Dmitriev and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg

We empirically study technology diffusion across countries and over time. We find significant evidence that technology diffuses slower to locations that are farther away from adoption leaders. This effect is stronger across rich countries and also when measuring... View Details

Keywords: Economic Growth; Knowledge Dissemination; Technology Adoption

September 2012 (Revised February 2013)
Supplement

Malaysia: The Economic Transformation Program (B)

By: Diego A. Comin and Ku Kok Peng

Keywords: Economic Transformation Program; Productivity Growth; New Economic Model; Najiv; Idris Jala; Malaysia

March 2011 (Revised March 2012)
Teaching Note

Fraunhofer: Innovation in Germany (TN)

By: Diego A. Comin and J. Gunnar Trumbull

Teaching Note for 711022. View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Germany

2009
Working Paper

Technology Innovation and Diffusion as Sources of Output and Asset Price Fluctuations

By: Diego A. Comin, Mark Gertler and Ana Maria Santacreu

We develop a model in which innovations in an economy's growth potential are an important driving force of the business cycle. The framework shares the emphasis of the recent "new shock" literature on revisions of beliefs about the future as a source of fluctuations,... View Details

Keywords: Business Cycles; Economic Growth; Asset Pricing; Technological Innovation; Mathematical Methods; System Shocks; Technology Adoption

Article

Was the Wealth of Nations Determined in 1000 B.C.?

By: Diego A. Comin, Bill Easterly and Erick Gong

We assemble a dataset on technology adoption in 1000 B.C., 0 A.D., and 1500 A.D. for the predecessors to today's nation states. We find that this very old history of technology adoption is surprisingly significant for today's national development outcomes. Our strong... View Details

Keywords: Cost Accounting; Information Technology; Technology Adoption; Growth and Development; Adoption; Business Strategy; Cost; Cost Management; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Culture; Technology Industry

September 2010 (Revised March 2012)
Teaching Note

China "Unbalanced" (TN)

By: Diego A. Comin and Richard H.K. Vietor

Teaching Note for 711010. View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Growth and Development Strategy; Demand and Consumers; Policy; Trade; Currency Exchange Rate; Energy; Investment; China; United States

31 Mar 2009
First Look

First Look: March 31, 2009

Japanese Slowdown during the 1990s Author:Diego A. Comin Publication:In Japan's Bubble, Deflation and Long-term Stagnation, edited by Koichi Hamada, Anil Kashyap, and Davis... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

21 Jun 2011
First Look

First Look: June 21

characterizes the financial world. They also overlook the role of natural selection. To be sure, natural selection in the financial world is not exactly analogous to the processes first described by Darwin and elaborated on View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

February 2010 (Revised April 2010)
Case

China: Getting Richer Still

By: Diego A. Comin and Richard H. K. Vietor

In the last quarter of 2009, China's GDP growth rate again approached 10%. While the global financial crisis had certainly hurt - causing layoffs of as many as 20 million factory workers - a huge stimulus package on top of continuing domestic demand had restored... View Details

Keywords: History; Resource Allocation; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Social Issues; Policy; Business and Government Relations; Macroeconomics; Demand and Consumers; Leading Change; Economic Growth; China

Educators

2014
Chapter

Technology Diffusion: Measurement, Causes and Consequences

By: Diego A. Comin and Marti Mestieri

This chapter discusses different approaches pursued to explore three broad questions related to technology diffusion: what general patterns characterize the diffusion of technologies, and how have they changed over time; what are the key drivers of technology, and what... View Details

Keywords: Measurement and Metrics; Technology Adoption

October 2009
Journal Article

Testing the Commitment Hypothesis in Contractual Settings: Evidence from Soccer

By: Oriol Carbonell and Diego A. Comin

This paper designs and implements an empirical test to discern whether the parties to a contract are able to commit not to renegotiate their agreement. We study optimal contracts with and without commitment and derive an exclusion restriction that is useful to identify... View Details

Keywords: Contracts; Agreements and Arrangements; Research; Sports Industry; Spain

2013
Working Paper

If Technology Has Arrived Everywhere, Why Has Income Diverged?

By: Diego A. Comin and Marti Mestieri Ferrer

We study the lags with which new technologies are adopted across countries, and their long-run penetration rates once they are adopted. Using data from the last two centuries, we document two new facts: there has been convergence in adoption lags between rich and poor... View Details

Keywords: Income Characteristics; Technology Adoption; Globalization

July 2010 (Revised March 2012)
Case

China 'Unbalanced'

By: Diego A. Comin and Richard H.K. Vietor

In 2010, Wen Jiabao looked back at the financial crisis with some satisfaction. Using aggressive fiscal and monetary policy, China had weathered the crisis successfully, growing 8.7% annually in 2010. Most of the unemployed workers had returned to work, often... View Details

Keywords: Economic Growth; Financial Crisis; Trade; Currency Exchange Rate; Investment; Local Range; Growth and Development Strategy; Demand and Consumers; China

Educators