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Specialization and Division of Labour: A Survey

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Increasing Returns and Economic Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to survey the literature on specialization and the division of labour in society. In the introductory section the classical literature on specialization is briefly reviewed. The neoclassical literature on specialization and new trade and growth theory based on marginal analysis will be reviewed in Section 1.2. The formal decision models that apply inframarginal analysis to endogenize individuals’ levels of specialization and the equilibrium models that apply marginal analysis to endogenize individuals’ levels of specialization will be surveyed in Section 1.3. New classical equilibrium models of specialization based on corner solutions and inframarginal analysis will be surveyed in Section 1.4.

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  1. Xiaokai Yang
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  2. Siang Ng
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University, USA

    Kenneth J. Arrow (Joan Kenney Professor of Economics Emeritus) (Joan Kenney Professor of Economics Emeritus)

  2. Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Yew-Kwang Ng (Professor of Economics) (Professor of Economics)

  3. Monash University, Australia

    Yew-Kwang Ng (Professor of Economics) & Xiaokai Yang (Reader in Economics) (Professor of Economics) &  (Reader in Economics)

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© 1998 Xiaokai Yang and Siang Ng

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Yang, X., Ng, S. (1998). Specialization and Division of Labour: A Survey. In: Arrow, K.J., Ng, YK., Yang, X. (eds) Increasing Returns and Economic Analysis. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-26255-7_1

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