Many Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa Have Very Low Labor Productivities

question 30

Essay

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have very low labor productivities in many sectors, for example in manufacturing and agriculture. They often despair of even trying to attempt to build their industries unless it is done in an autarkic context, behind protectionist walls because they do not believe they can compete with more productive industries abroad. Discuss this issue in the context of the Ricardian model of comparative advantage.

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Definitions:

Aversive Events

Incidents or stimuli that are unpleasant or noxious, leading to avoidance behavior.

Fixed-interval

Refers to a schedule of reinforcement where a response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed.

Fixed-ratio

A method of reinforcement where only after a certain number of responses are completed is a reward provided.

Operant Conditioning

A strategy in behavioral training where the intensity of actions is adjusted through the provision of rewards or the imposition of consequences.