Korean and Taiwanese Productivity Performance : Comparisons at Matched Manufacturing Levels

We compare the productivity performances of 15 matched manufacturing sectors in Korea and Taiwan, using the Malmquist productivity indexes, based on category-wise meta frontiers, 1978-1996. Comparisons at the sector levels are made using sequential multiplicative products of the indexes. The overall productivity and technology growth rates of Taiwan were higher than those of Korea. However, at disaggregated levels, the productivity and technology growth rates of the high-tech industries of Korea were much larger than those of Taiwan, while Taiwan's high overall growth rate rested mainly on its traditional and basic industries. The leading innovators of both countries are also discussed