2006 Occasional Papers
06/09: Improving the Water Allocation Framework in New Zealand
Water is a finite, scarce and valuable resource underpinning New Zealand's economy and environment. This paper proposes that the present allocation arrangements could be improved to achieve improved enhanced economic and environmental outcomes.
06/08: Business R&D, Innovation and Economic Growth: An Evidence-Based Synthesis of the Policy Issues
This paper assesses the literature on R&D and government incentives. The trend within the OECD is towards non-discretionary incentives and New Zealand is looking increasingly unusual in terms of its sole reliance on discretionary grants for business R&D.
06/07: Impacts of Employment Regulation: Towards an Evaluation Framework
This report reviews the alternative empirical methods for evaluating the impact of employment regulation on innovation, productivity and economic growth in the New Zealand economy. It concludes that no method is unambiguously superior.
06/06: Public Policy Framework for the New Zealand Innovation System
Both theory and evidence suggest that innovation shapes output and productivity growth. This report develops a broad conceptual and empirical framework against which innovation policy issues in New Zealand can be assessed and evaluated.
06/05: Trade and Networks: Mechanisms for Productivity Growth
This paper considers the international literature on the relationship between international connections and productivity growth. The focus is on the empirical evidence for firm-level productivity improvements, and the mechanisms by which these may occur.
06/04: A Smooth Ride: Terms of Trade, Volatility and GDP Growth
This report analyses the proximate reasons behind New Zealand's recent high, stable terms of trade and then examines (compared with past experience) whether this and earlier terms of trade behaviour explains growth outcomes since 1960.
06/03: The Effects of Agglomeration on Economic Activity: The Empirical Evidence on Mechanisms and Magnitudes
This report examines the effects of agglomeration – the benefits to be gained from the concentration or clustering of firms – on economic activity. It relates the literature to the current debate about the role of Auckland in the New Zealand economy.
06/02: Determinants of National R&D and Patenting: Application to a Small, Distant Country
This report investigates a number of factors that may explain New Zealand's low rate of privately-funding research and development. Once these factors are controlled for, New Zealand is found to be rather average in its performance.
06/01: Practice Makes Profit: Business Practices and Firm Success
This study finds that four categories of business practices are particularly important for New Zealand firm performance: (i) up-to-date capital equipment; (ii) "high performance" employee-related practices; (iii) R&D; and (iv) market research.
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