THE NONLINEAR EFFECT OF HUMAN CAPITAL ON TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY – EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Abstract
On the background of the theory of innovation-driven growth and models with thresholds in human capital and low-growth equilibria, we hypothesize that the impact of human capital on TFP is nonlinear. The objective of this study is to release the nonlinear effect of human capital while controlling R&D and unemployment on total productivity factor in developing countries by employing Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) analysing a panel data of 18 countries spanning from 2005 to 2017. The regression result proves that R&D has no significant meaning on TFP growth. However, empirical evidence shows that there are decreasing returns to human capital. Moreover, the synergy interaction of R&D and human capital turn out to be strategic complements, and unemployment has negative impact on TFP growth. The above results have several important implications to policy makers of these countries.