IT, Production Specialization, and Division of Labor: A Smith-Ricardo Model of International Trade

A simple Smith-Ricardo model is developed that incorporates division of labor into the continuum-good Ricardian model of Dornbusch et al.(1977). The trade off between the efficiency gain and coordination cost associated with production specialization de-termines the efficient level of division of labor. The model is applied to explain how the recent IT revolution could affect a country’s efficient level of production specialization and competitive advantage. In particular, absolute advantage (in division of labor) and relative labor supply plays a crucial role in determining the effects of an IT progress on a country’s competitive margin in international trade.