Ability-heterogeneity, entrepreneurship, and economic growth

This paper develops an endogenous growth model of occupational choice with overlapping generations heterogeneous in entrepreneurial ability. While an increase in the number of entrepreneurs creates a growth-enhancing variety effect, the reduced overall quality of entrepreneurial ability retards growth. As a result, the number of entrepreneurs and output growth need not be positively related, in response to changes in the ability distribution. While cheaper financial operation and higher manufacturing productivity are both growth-enhancing, they have different effects on equilibrium factor prices and equilibrium financial markups. Additionally, the long-run growth consequences of subsidies to entrepreneurship and credit-market imperfections are studied.