From semiconductors to artificial intelligence, concerns about economic espionage have become a central feature of geopolitical competition. But one fundamental question has remained surprisingly difficult to answer: does stealing technological knowledge actually improve economic performance?
When a restaurant adopts a delivery platform, it gains access to new markets and a workforce outside its own payroll. This changes the boundary of the firm: tasks that once had to be done inside the restaurant, or were too costly to provide at all, can now be supplied through a platform. This study asks who wins and who loses when this happens.
Salary caps for public-sector workers are a popular policy in many countries. While these caps can contribute to fiscal savings, many argue that they also undermine the efficiency of public-sector organizations by driving talented workers away.
Industrial robots and other automation technologies have transformed labour markets in recent decades. Not much is known about the long-run consequences of these technological changes, especially whether their effects extend beyond the workers directly exposed to automation and spill over to the next generation.
