Innovations and Labour Market Institutions: An Empirical Analysis of the Italian Case in the middle 90’s.

In this paper a dynamic panel data specification is used to assess the relationship between labour market flexibility and innovation activities by distinguishing different technological regimes of activities and geographical areas of the Italian economy. In order to estimate the previous relationship, regional patents are included as a proxy of the innovation, while job turnover and wages represent labour market indicators. The results show that higher job turnover has a significant and negative impact on patent activities only in regional sectors of Northern Italy, while a positive and significant impact of blue and white collar wages has been generally found.Labour market flexibility, Innovation, Dynamic panel data, Endogeneous relationship.

Technological Change, Labour Demand and Income Distribution in European Union Countries

This paper provides empirical evidence of the link between technological change in different technology intensive sectors and overall income (and not simply earnings) inequality in some EU eastern and western countries. In a first step, skill-biased technological change hypothesis is tested distinguishing various technology intensive sectors: results confirm the presence of skill-complementary technologies but also stress the skill-replacing character of other ones incorporated into investment flows. The second step places the evolutions of sector skilled-labour demand among other traditional determinants of income inequality. Findings reveal significant and composite impacts of skilled-labour demand, strongly depending on sectoral differences in technological intensity.FDI, technological change, skills, income distribution

Evaluating Innovation and Labour Market Relationships: The Case of Italy

In this paper the link between labour market flexibility and innovation is analysed, paying particular attention to the different technological regimes of economic activities and the different geographical areas of the Italian economy. A dynamic panel data specification is used to assess the endogenous relationship between patents, included as a proxy of the innovation, and job turnover and wages which represent labour market indicators. The results show that higher job turnover only has a significant and negative impact on patent activities in regional sectors of Northern Italy, while a positive and significant impact of blue and white collar wages has been generally found.Labour market flexibility, Innovation, Dynamic panel data, Endogeneous relationship

Labour Protection and Productivity in EU Economies: 1995-2005

The present study examines cross-national and sectoral differences in multifactor productivity growth in sixteen European countries from 1995 to 2005. The main aim is to ascertain the role of flexible employment contracts and collective labour relationships in explaining the ample differentials recorded in the European economy. We use the EU KLEMS database for growth accounting and a broad set of indicators of labour regulations, covering two distinct 'areas' of labour regulation: employment laws and collective relations laws. This comprehensive approach allows us to consider arrangements that regulate allocation of labour inputs (fixed-term and part-time contracts, hours worked) and the payoff and decision rights of employees. We find that, since 1995, European countries have not followed similar patterns of growth. A large number of variations between European economies are caused by marked differentials in multifactor productivity and part of this heterogeneity is caused by sectoral diversities. We show that, in labour-intensive sectors such as services, fixed-term contracts, which imply shorter-term jobs and lower employment tenures, may discourage investment in skills and have detrimental effects on multifactor productivity increases. Employment protection reforms which slacken the rules of fixed-term contracts cause potential drawbacks in terms of low productivity gains. We also find that more stringent regulation of these practices, as well as a climate of collective relations, sustain long-term relationships and mitigate these negative effectsproductivity, labour regulation, comparative institutions

Mergers, acquisitions and technological regimes: the European experience over the period 2002-2005

Comparisons by countries and by sectors of mergers and acquisitions have usually been performed in separate fields of research. A first group of studies, focusing on international comparisons, has explored the role of corporate governance systems, investor protection laws and other countries’ regulatory institutions as the main determinants of takeovers around the world. A second group of contributions has attributed a central role to variations in industry composition, documenting that, in each country, mergers occur in waves and within each wave clustering by industry is observed. This paper aims to integrate both perspectives and to make comparisons by countries and by sectors, thus exploring the role of various driving forces on takeover activities. It also intends to consider the specific influence that technological regimes and their innovation patterns may exert in reallocating assets and moving capital among sectors. This will be done by examining the European experience of the last few years (2002-2005). We found that even in countries where transfer of control is a frequent phenomenon, mergers are less frequent in those sectors where innovation is a cumulative process and where takeovers may be a threat to the continuity of accumulation of innovative capabilities.Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Governance, Technological Regimes

Labour protection and productivity in the European economies: 1995-2005

The present study examines cross-national and sectoral differences in multifactor productivity growth in sixteen European countries from 1995 to 2005. The main aim is to ascertain the role of flexible employment contracts and collective labour relationships in explaining the ample differentials recorded in the European economy. Research Findings We use the EU KLEMS database for growth accounting and a broad set of indicators of labour regulations, covering two distinct ‘areas’ of labour regulation: employment laws and collective relations laws. This comprehensive approach allow us to consider arrangements that regulate allocation of labour inputs (fixed-term, part-time contracts, hours worked) and of payoff and decision rights of employees. We find that, since 1995, European countries have not followed similar patterns of growth. A large number of variations between European economies are caused by deep differentials in multifactor productivity and part of this heterogeneity is caused by sectoral diversities. We show that, in labour-intensive sectors such as services, fixed-term contracts, which imply shorter-term jobs and lower employment tenures, may discourage investment in skills and have detrimental effects on multifactor productivity increases. We also find that some forms of labour regulation and arrangements that give a ‘voice’ to employees mitigate these perverse effects on efficiency patterns. Employment protection reforms which slacken the rules of fixed-term contracts cause potential drawbacks in terms of low productivity gains. More stringent regulation of these practices, as well as a climate of collective relations, sustain long-term relationships and mitigate these negative effects.productivity, labour regulation, comparative institutions

Temporary job protection and productivity growth in EU economies

The present study examines cross-national and sectoral differences in Total Factor Productivity (TFP) in fourteen European countries and ten sectors from 1995 to 2007. The main aim is to ascertain the role of employment protection of temporary contracts on TFP by estimating their effects with a “difference-in-difference” approach. Results show that deregulation of temporary contracts negatively influences the growth rates of TFP in European economies and that, within sectoral analysis, the role of this liberalization is greater in industries where firms are more used to opening short-term positions. By contrast, in our observation period, restrictions on regular jobs do not cause significant effects on TFP, whereas limited regulation of product markets and higher R&D expenses positively affect efficiency growth.

Homogeneous, Urban Heterogeneous, or both? External Economies and Regional Manufacturing Productivity in Europe

The objective of this paper is to analyse theoretically and empirically the effects of sectoral homogeneity and urban heterogeneity on regional manufacturing “pure” productivity differentials. Hypotheses of the existence and co-existence of the two types of external effects are formulated and tested for the regions of 13 Western EU countries by means of panel data spatial econometric techniques. The outcomes clearly support our conjectures and also reveal how a simply strong manufacturing sector, i.e., not accounting for internal specialisation, may be harmful to productivity. This result, and the existence of heterogeneous externalities, are confirmed for a sample of regions extended to Eastern European countries.homogeneous and urban heterogeneous external economies, manufacturing productivity, EU regions

FDI, R&D and Human Capital in Central and Eastern European Countries

The recent literature dealing with the determinants of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) has increasingly emphasised the importance of technological aspects, as both attractive factors and FDI-related technological transfer effects. Focusing on the second perspective, this paper explores the theoretical and empirical relationships between innovative inputs (particularly FDI) and innovative outputs in the EU-27 countries, focusing in particular on the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). Findings provide evidence of strong East/West specificities, but also of marked heterogeneity within the CEECs, thus supporting our approach, which emphasises complexity and the specificities of productive and economic conditions.FDI, Technological spillovers, Knowledge complementarity, Innovative inputs and outputs

Temporary job protection and productivity growth in EU economies

The present study examines cross-national and sectoral differences in Total Factor Productivity (TFP) in fourteen European countries and ten sectors from 1995 to 2007. The main aim is to ascertain the role of employment protection of temporary contracts on TFP by estimating their effects with a “difference-in-difference” approach. Results show that deregulation of temporary contracts negatively influences the growth rates of TFP in European economies and that, within sectoral analysis, the role of this liberalization is greater in industries where firms are more used to opening short-term positions. By contrast, in our observation period, restrictions on regular jobs do not cause significant effects on TFP, whereas limited regulation of product markets and higher R&D expenses positively affect efficiency growth.productivity, labor regulation