{"title":"Beyond the modern productivity paradox: The effect of robotics technology on firm-level total factor productivity in China","authors":"Yi Zhang , Ting Wang , Chun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.asieco.2023.101692","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aims to provide firm-level evidence on the burgeoning debate about the productivity effect of robotics technology. Taking China as an example, we find that city-level robot exposure plays a significant role in augmenting total factor productivity for firms in industries with high degrees of task replaceability. The results of the mechanism analysis further reveal that firms with substantial exposure to robotics technology are incentivized to improve their innovation performance and cultivate human capital. Conversely, there is evidence that firms characterized by low task replaceability experience a reduction in productivity as a consequence of robot exposure, potentially attributable to the effect of inter-industry resource reallocation. These findings offer empirical support for theoretical arguments regarding the productivity enhancements stemming from the development of robotics technology, while also shedding light on strategies to elevate productivity through the adoption of new technologies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47583,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Economics","volume":"90 ","pages":"Article 101692"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Asian Economics","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049007823001124","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study aims to provide firm-level evidence on the burgeoning debate about the productivity effect of robotics technology. Taking China as an example, we find that city-level robot exposure plays a significant role in augmenting total factor productivity for firms in industries with high degrees of task replaceability. The results of the mechanism analysis further reveal that firms with substantial exposure to robotics technology are incentivized to improve their innovation performance and cultivate human capital. Conversely, there is evidence that firms characterized by low task replaceability experience a reduction in productivity as a consequence of robot exposure, potentially attributable to the effect of inter-industry resource reallocation. These findings offer empirical support for theoretical arguments regarding the productivity enhancements stemming from the development of robotics technology, while also shedding light on strategies to elevate productivity through the adoption of new technologies.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Asian Economics provides a forum for publication of increasingly growing research in Asian economic studies and a unique forum for continental Asian economic studies with focus on (i) special studies in adaptive innovation paradigms in Asian economic regimes, (ii) studies relative to unique dimensions of Asian economic development paradigm, as they are investigated by researchers, (iii) comparative studies of development paradigms in other developing continents, Latin America and Africa, (iv) the emerging new pattern of comparative advantages between Asian countries and the United States and North America.