ISSN 2222-4815 A service-based economy: where do we stand? Notes on structural change and economic development Vivianne Ventura-Dias WorkingPaper # 139 | Septiembre 2011 A service-based economy: where do we stand? Notes on structural change and economic development Vivianne Ventura-Dias LATN – Latin American Trade Network (
[email protected]) Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive view of the state of the art of economic research on services and the service economy and thereby contribute to the discussion of a model of inclusive and sustainable development in Latin America. The economic literature on services is widely dispersed in different academic fields that study services, namely economics, marketing, urban and regional studies, geography, human resources and operations research, with very little exchange between these disciplines than it is desired. Although the literature covered much of the empirical ground, it still proposes more questions than answers on macro and micro issues related to growth, employment and productivity in service-based economies. The paper is divided into five sections, including this introduction. Next section is focused on two aspects of the services debate: (i) the definition and measurement of services; and (ii) the determinants of growth of services. Section 3 discusses new trends in international trade that gave prominence to the formation of international supply chains through widespread outsourcing. Section 4 proposes a discussion on the role of services in Latin American