Environment and economic efficiency: an analysis of some polluting Italian industries

this research presents an extension of the directional distance function model to measure performances for firms which produce a large number of pollutants and operate in different industrial sectors. I use this methodology to estimate productivity indexes on a sample of Italian firms that were forced to declare their emissions to the European Pollution Release and Transfer Register in 2007. A proxy for the environmental regulation’s cost is derived and results show a significant impact in term of potential value added lost. Estimations also reveal differences in mean environmental performances among industries; furthermore, the effect of pollution control follows the same path.Directional distance function, Environmental regulation, Polluting industries

Produttività, progresso tecnico ed efficienza nei paesi OCSE

This paper aims at analyzing trends in TFP and labour productivity growth. Data Envelopment Analysis is used to estimate a technological frontier and to compare all nations to it. The estimation of Malmquist productivity index as TFP indicators allows to decompose labour productivity growth in efficiency change, technical progress and capital accumulation. This framework is used in the convergence analysis to investigate the role of every single component in the process. The results in term of ß-convergence are compared to other studies, to the evidence of s-convergence analysis and to the results obtained by kernel distribution.Productivity, TFP, Convergence, DEA, Efficiency, Technical Progress

Comparing green performances of Italian and German firms

WP 09/2012; This paper analyses the environmental efficiency of a sample of chemical firms located in Italy and Germany, which are included in the European Pollution Emission and Transfer Register (E-PRTR). The adoption of a common set of standards can open important way to compare economical and ecological performances of firms which must follow the same formal rule, but operating in different countries. The Directional Distance Function (DDF) approach is here applied to obtain global efficiency scores able to consider pollution in computations: emissions generally increase between 2004 and 2007, with a worse performance of Italian firms. Eco-efficiency indicators partially slim down that evidence considering both turnover and input usage, underlining a reduction of average inefficiencies over time. From a dynamic viewpoint empirical findings shows a most favourable trends in environmental TFP growth for German firms

Eco-Efficiency in the Italian Waste Management sector

WP 12/13; In the light of the recent European environmental regulation, in Italy, waste collection management has been involved in some important changes both from environmental and management point of view. From the one hand, firms want to maximize the quantity of collected Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) showing an increasing capacity of waste collection per unit of labor and capital, from the other hand they want to minimize the level of Undifferentiated Solid Wastes (USW) in order to meet environmental goals. This paper extends the concept of Directional Distance Function (DDF) to the waste sector, in which previous applications of efficiency models have been mainly focused on the cost-function side. The idea of DDF (by Chambers et al.,1996; 1998) is here applied to treat asymmetrically two categories of outputs: one desirable (amount of MSW) and one undesirable (level of undifferentiated wastes) both observed (with inputs) from a sample of around 450 Italian municipalities during 2006. Computed efficiency scores are analyzed in light of different tariff systems (e.g. flat fee and pay as you through), different socio-economic contexts (e.g. Northern vs Southern Italy) and prevalent political side in local government (Left wings vs Right-wing parties). Keywords: 4-6 nanocompounds, atmospheric pollutants, social costs evaluation, social saving, titanium dioxid

Explaining the efficiency of Italian car suppliers during the crisis

WP 06/14; This empirical study, focused on the Italian automotive sector during the recent international crisis, detects technical performance of firms using Data Envelopment Analysis. We pay specific attention to the role along the supply chain, to size and to vertical structure of firms. In particular, this study highlights how the recent crisis stimulates a deep process of re-organization, re-location and re-thinking of firms' position along the value chain but, in particular, the crisis stresses the pre-existing heterogeneity among firms. The technical frontier is driven by firms able to contribute to the technology, which represents essential link of the automotive value chain. Those firms are large, vertically disintegrated and operate in metals, plastic or machiner

Performance of the health care industry: the Italian case study

WP 16/2012; Considering the Italian healthcare system, the present study analyzes the aspects that might affect the efficiency of Italian hospitals. In this work, the authors analyze what influences a specific definition of efficiency, which is calculated maximizing healthcare production but minimizing potential financial losses. In other words, this work considers efficient each hospital which is able to maximize the production of medical treatments while complying, at the same time, with budget constraints. Hence, the results of this paper are two-fold: from the organizational point of view and from the technical one

The distribution of agricultural funds towards undeveloped areas: evidence from Italy

WP 19/2012; The present working paper aims analyses efficiency and productivity growth of agricultural production in Italy. Appling a recent tool from environmental management field, the Directional Distance Function (DDF), global performance indicators has been estimated for 102 Italian provinces considering both quantities produced and emissions of ammonia, from fertilizers usage, as undesirable output. Therefore, productivity enhancements can come from the contraction of pollution and from the expansion of desirable outputs, in this case agricultural products. Our shows that huge differences among Italian macro emerge by considering both efficiency and productivity dynamics. This evidence is interpreted in light the amount of public fund distributed by Rural Development Programs over the period 2000-2006 and our findings suggest that a larger amount of resources were distributed to more disadvantaged areas. Then we can conclude that the flows of public fund seems to follow the right direction,highlighting interesting policy implications for future actions