The Dynamics of Asian Manufacturing: A Comparative Perspective in the Late Twentieth Century

Manufacturing has played a key role in the economic fortunes of the East and South Asian regions. This is an analysis of patterns of rapid catch-up and relative stagnation in the manufacturing sector, linking these to economic growth in the region. Dr Timmer analyzes the manufacturing performance of five Asian countries since the 1960s: China, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan. Asian industrial development is placed in an international perspective and changes in the productivity gap with the world productivity leader, the USA, are studied. The author uses new empirical data to assess the degree of structural change in the manufacturing sector and its importance for productivity growth. He then discusses conditions for economic growth and catch-up, and reviews the role of industrial and technology policies in the promotion of industrial development in Asia.

Table of Contents:
Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The Catch-up Hypothesis in Retrospect 3. Industry-of-Origin Approach to International Comparisons 4. A Benchmark for Relative Productivity Levels 5. Catch-up and Relative Stagnation in Aggregate Manufacturing 6. Catch-up and Relative Stagnation in Manufacturing Branches 7. Structural Change and Productivity Growth 8. The Impact of Industrial and Technology Policies 9. Summary and Conclusions References Index

About the Author :
Marcel P. Timmer, Research Fellow, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, Faculty of Economics, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Review :
'. . . for those interested in the role of manufacturing in economic development, this book is well worth reading. It is well written, and the comparative perspective offered by the findings adds to our knowledge of what works and what does not work in promoting the growth of manufacturing in developing countries.' 'Marcel Timmer's book is empirical work at its best: not only is the reader carefully guided through the myriad data sources for each of the countries covered, but no less than 78 tables in the annex to the book present time series data and indices constructed for each of the variables at aggregate and disaggregated levels for the manufacturing sector. . . the book is an excellent research tool.' 'To say the text is informative would be understating the depth of detail and care in data analysis. To say it is focused and technically endowed would be describing exactly the raison d'&etre of a PhD study. . . Unlike many "economic" type texts with numbers, the text is very readable. . . the text does provide some new insights into economic development in the countries under study, and provides a new slant on the methodological process. . . The book will be of interest to all who seek an insight into the Asian manufacturing "miracle", particularly academic researchers, university lecturers and teachers. . . a good source for literature and methodology for master's and PhD students.' 'The present book is a great contribution to the empirical research in the area of International Comparisons of Output and Productivity (ICOP). . . . the book provides a deep insight into the process of growth through the dynamic manufacturing processes of an economy. . . . It is one of those marvellous pieces of empirical research and is strongly recommended to students, researchers and policymakers in the region of ICOP.' 'This book tackles many common perceptions of the industrialization process in Asia. Timmer provides new insights on how Korea and Taiwan managed to narrow the gap relative to the productivity frontier in the world, whereas China, Indonesia and India failed to enter the catch-up track. The book is a thorough piece of empirical work, with a new data set on comparative productivity levels, and it is well embedded in the general thinking on the role of industrialization in economic growth. It is strongly recommended to any reader who needs more than only a superficial knowledge of the region.'