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in raising the level of investment. Sustained economic development requires creation and expansion of
Paul N. Rosenstein Rodan’s theory is based on the principle of big push or by the way of big investment social facilities, which requires large amount of investment called “lumpiness of capital”. Lumpiness of
for development in an underdeveloped country, so that it can make commendable progress and to capital creates external economies which are the way of economic development.
overcome obstacles for development. The investment below a certain level will be a mere wastage and
will not enable to economy to break the vicious circle of poverty. The process of development is not 2. Indivisibility of Demand:
merely steady and smooth but it is associated with many ‘discontinuities’, ‘jumps and lumps’. For expansion of market demand indivisibility is more important. The small markets limit the investment
Rosenstein Rodan quotes in this regard “There is a minimum level of resources that must be devoted to opportunities and obstruct the development process. The indivisibility of demand requires simultaneous
a development programme if it is easy to have any chance of success. Launching a country into itself investment in various industries. Rodan cites the example of shoe factory to explain the point. Assuming
sustaining growth is a little like getting aeroplane off the ground. There is a critical ground speed which a closed economy, let us suppose that hundred disguised unemployed workers (whose marginal
must be passed before the craft can become airborne….” productivity is zero) are employed in a shoe factory. Their wages would constitute additional income. If
newly employed workers spend their entire income for the purchase of shoes they produce, the shoe
Main features of the theory of Big Push: factory will find a market. Considering workers have diverse demands and do not spend their entire
1. Massive investment: The theory of big push recommends massive investment at the very outset to additional income on shoes, and then shoe factory may face the problem of less demand for shoes and
start the process of growth. small market for its product. The small size of market would reduce the incentive to invest and the result
would be the closure of the factory. This way the investment in a single project would fail to widen the
2. Investment in different sectors: The theory envisages the need for investment across different size of market.
channels of growth.
Now suppose the thousand workers are employed in hundred industries and they produce consumer
3. Planned industrialisation: The theory stresses the need for planned industrialisation of goods and newly employed workers spend their wages for the purchase of those goods. This would
underdeveloped countries. enlarge the extent of demand and the size of the market. Thus the indivisibility of demand necessarily
The theory of big push is a modern version of an old idea of ‘external economies’. The concept ‘external implies a high quantum of investment in complementary industries for enlarging the size of market.
economies’ was first given by Marshall. The idea of external economies can be illustrated with the help Here D1 and MR1 are the average and marginal revenue
of an example. Suppose, there are two industries A and B. If industry A expands in order to overcome curves of a firm when investment is made in this single
the technical divisibilities, it shall derive certain internal economies. It results in lowering the price for firm. This firm sells OQ1 quantity and charges OP1 price.
the product of industry A. If A’s output is used as input for industry B, the profit of A’s internal economies Here it faces losses equal to P1cab.
shall be passed on to B in the form of pecuniary external economies. Thus, “the profits of industry B
created by the lower prices of factor A, will call for investment and expansion in industry B, one result But if investment is made in so many industries the
of which will be an increase in industry B’s demand for industry A’s product. This, in turn, will give rise market will be extended. In this way, the demand will
to profits and call for further investment and expansion of industry A.” increase as shown by D4 and corresponding marginal
revenue curve is MR4. Now the equilibrium takes place
In the economy there exist certain ‘indivisibilities’ or ‘non‐appropriabilities’ which will hinder the at E where OQ4 quantity is produced and OPb price is
occurrence and transmission of these external economies. These indivisibilities can be removed by the charged. As a result, the industries are having profits
large dose of investment i.e. by big push only. equal to P4RST.
Prof. R. Rodan has mentioned three kinds of indivisibilities, explained as under. It means that the greater investment in so many industries nay convert the losses into profits.
1. Indivisibility in Production Function 3. Indivisibility in the Supply of Savings:
2. Indivisibility in Demand We have discussed above that a large amount of investment is necessary for starting complementary
3. Indivisibility in Supply of Savings. industries. In underdeveloped countries the level of savings is low because of low level of national
income. To generate savings, it is imperative that a gap between income and expenditure should be
created and saving should be raised.
1. Indivisibility in Production Function: At the same time suitable mechanism be devised to channelize the savings in the development activities.
Indivisibility in production function refers to the indivisibilities of input, output and production The desired objectives of growth and prosperity can be realised when savings are invested in the
processes. These indivisibilities lead to increasing returns higher output, income, employment and productive pursuits which promote development and employment.
lowering capital – output ratio. Rodan regards social overhead capital (power, transport, communication
and housing, etc.) as important constituent of indivisibilities and external economies. The reason is that
Besides these three indivisibilities another important factor connected with development is the creation
of “psychological indivisibilities”. Progressive institutional framework should be evolved to mould the
people psychology in the direction of development.
Critical Appraisal:
Prof. Rosenstein Rodan’s theory of ‘Big Push’ can be regarded as superior to the traditional static
equilibrium theory in several respects. This theory maintains that development process is a series of
discontinuous jumps which seems to be correct. The theory is all realistic in its assumption about the
indivisibilities of the production function. It examines the path towards equilibrium and not merely the
conditions at a point of equilibrium.
But despite of all these merits, the ‘Big Push” theory has been criticised on the following grounds:
1. Inadequacy of Resources: This theory fails to recognize that the amount of resources in an
underdeveloped country is very limited. They lack in capital, skilled labour, dynamic entrepreneurial
ability, power, etc. so these countries cannot adopt Big Push theory.
2. Danger of Inflation: Since the underdeveloped countries do not adopt Big Push theory, but it
envisages the investment in different industries of consumption goods, capital goods as well as other
social overheads. As a result, they are likely to yield returns after a long time. This process increases the
demand rapidly while slow increasing supply cannot cope up with the situation. The gap between
demand and supply is likely to persist for something resulting in increase in prices.
3. Neglect of Agriculture Sector: The theory of big push lays more stress on the heavy dose of investment
in different industries such as capital goods, consumer goods industries and social overhead capital etc.
but it ignores the development of agricultural sector. Agriculture is extremely important in most of the
underdeveloped countries.
4. Limited Scope of External Economies: Prof. Rodan advocated that Big Push emphasizes that
simultaneous development of industries would create external economies in the long run period in the
shape of skill of labour and training. But in the opinion of Prof. Viner and E. Ellis, external economies
generally result in reducing cost rather than expanding the output. In a developing country, expanding
output is more significant than cost. Therefore, there is more possibility of external diseconomies rather
than economies.
5. Neglect of Importance of Techniques: According to Celso Furtado, this theory neglects the importance
of techniques in its over‐enthusiasm for capital formation. Today, development depends increasingly
upon technique and less on direct capital formation in productive processes.
6. Not Supported by History: The big push theory seems to suggest that whenever a large scale influence
is exerted on the process of capital formation, a stationary economy probably begins to develop. Furtado
stated that this is not confirmed by history.