4-Layer Asymmetric Economy Model: Rethinking Stratified Productivity and Interconnectivity in Indonesia's Fragmented Economic Landscape
AbstractÂ
Indonesia's economic landscape presents a unique stratification not adequately captured by conventional dual-economy models. This paper introduces a 4-Layer Asymmetric Economy Model, consisting of (1) traditional cash-based microeconomies, (2) modern industrial sectors, (3) online platform economies, and (4) emerging AI-driven economic systems. These layers operate in parallel, often disconnected, rather than as sequential stages of economic development.
Using a conceptual and semi-empirical approach rooted in classical and contemporary economic sociology---including Lewis's dual economy, Amartya Sen's capability approach, Hernando de Soto's extralegal economy, and sociotechnical system theory---this paper identifies four novel aspects:
1. Segmentasi Non-Linear Ekonomi: Layers coexist with fragmented integration, challenging assumptions of hierarchical transformation.
2. Keadilan Lintas-Lapisan: Economic policies need to ensure fair outcomes across segments without enforcing premature homogenization.
3. AI Invisibility Trap: The rise of algorithmic governance risks marginalizing productive actors invisible to data-driven systems.
4. Stratifikasi Adaptif: Economic actors can move vertically or laterally between layers, driven by crisis response, local innovation, and platform adaptation.
The paper proposes a framework for building a resilient economic structure that absorbs labor, guarantees decent wages, and enables healthy interlayer interactions---without assuming that all units must forcibly "level up." Drawing from case observations in peri-urban Tangerang, we show how small factories and informal vendors remain detached from online and AI economies despite producing for vital supply chains.
We aim to contribute a new theoretical lens that better reflects Indonesia's pluralistic, context-sensitive economic realities, while offering policy implications for inclusive economic planning, digital adaptation, and adaptive workforce strategies.
Theoretical and Empirical BackgroundÂ
1. Legacy of Dual Economy (Lewis, 1954)
The dual economy model, introduced by W. Arthur Lewis in 1954, serves as a foundational theory for understanding structural economic transitions in developing countries. Lewis proposed a dichotomous structure composed of two coexisting sectors: a traditional, labor-surplus agricultural sector and a modern, capital-intensive industrial sector. The model posits that labor migration from the traditional to the modern sector drives economic growth, facilitated by profit reinvestment in the industrial sector. As industrial productivity rises, surplus labor is gradually absorbed, leading to structural transformation and overall development.
A. Strengths and Contributions
The Lewis model provides a compelling framework for explaining:
