ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON DIVISION OF LABOUR, STRUCTURAL CHANGE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

UNA VERSIONE RIVISTA DEL SAGGIO È COMPARSA PIÙ RECENTEMENTE SU STUDI ECONOMICI. N.67, 1999 che è quella qui allegata. Abstract: The modern analysis of technical change presents it as a phenomenon that involves interdependence among a variety of behaviour, organisations, and technologies. The frrst part of the paper will show that the concepts of variety and interdependence in technical change are frrmly rooted in the Classica! notion of division of labour. This concept was at the basis of the Classica! vision of economie change seen as a progressive evolution of the industriai structure and consumption patterns, looking at innovation as a "social phenomenon", that is one that involves the economie system as a whole. The concept of division of labour has been recovered and enriched by the contributions of Stigler, Richardson and Rosenberg, and recently it has been significantly complemented by the transaction-costs tradition of Coase and Williamson. The second part of the paper will show how the ·Classica! vision of division of labour has been criticised and revised, respectively, by Schumpeter and Marshall. The third part will look at the relationship between technical change and economie growth in recent mainstream and non orthodox theories.