This paper examines how success-at-work, interpreted by both subjective and relative criteria, can motivate individuals to enhance their effort and utility. We employ a general specification utility function and show that the final effect of technological growth on individuals' effort and...

This paper provides a novel theory that simultaneously explains the Great Gatsby curve and the Easterlin paradox, demonstrating that these two phenomena could be driven by the same mechanism. I model positional competition, in which production opportunities are allocated according to relative...

This paper examines how success-at-work, interpreted by both subjective and relative criteria, can motivate individuals to enhance their effort and utility. We employ a general specification utility function and show that the final effect of technological growth on individuals’ effort and...

This paper argues that migration could trigger institutional development in the sending country. It is shown that the existence of rent-seeking institutions not only hinders the adoption of a more efficient technology, it also reinforces itself; while the possibility of migrating to a more...

This paper argues that the “superstar” phenomenon, as a natural outcome of features of knowledge-based products, has important relevance for - and has so far been overlooked by - endogenous growth theory. By modelling superstar phenomena as outcomes of winnertake-all contests in an...

Entrepreneurship may not be good for growth. We study the role of entrepreneurship in the context of an endogenous growth model. The exercise of entrepreneurship has two features in our model: (i) Entrepreneurs do not carry out research, instead, they select projects from the researchers, and...

Entrepreneurship may not be good for growth. We study the role of entrepreneurship in the context of an endogenous growth model. the exercise of entrepreneurship has two features in our model: (i) Entrepreneurs do not carry out research, instead, they select projects from the researchers, and...

This paper offers a synthesis of two Schumpeterian views: that growth is driven by innovation, and that the level of financial market development affects the growth process. We adopt an endogenous growth model where growth is driven by R&D activities of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs must borrow...

This paper argues that migration could trigger institutional development in the sending country. It is shown that the existence of rent-seeking institutions not only hinders the adoption of a more efficient technology, it also reinforces itself; while the possibility of migrating to a more...