Understanding Economic Growth: *Macro-level *Industry-level * Firm-level

Differences in the growth performances of OECD countries during the 1990s revived the debate over the underlying causes of economic growth. This debate prompted the OECD to undertake a number of in-depth studies into this issue. The main theme can be expressed in a simple question: What has driven economic growth in OECD countries in recent decades? Following on from this, what effects, if any, have other developments - not least the spread of information technology (IT) - had on the determinants of overall economic growth? How, and how much, do government policies and other aspects of the business environment contribute to long-term growth, and what policies should therefore be advocated? And, finally, what impact has restructuring within and between industries had on overall growth performances?