Structural Funds and Economic Divide in Italy

This paper aims to provide a contribution to the debate on the effectiveness of cohesion policies in Italy. The focus is on the territorial effects of EU spending from 1996 to 2007. The empirical analysis is based on the estimate of an expanded neoclassical growth model in which the Structural Funds are one of the variables that explain the convergence across Italian regions. Using panel data and a dynamic panel estimator we find that the Structural Funds, even having had a greater impact in the South compared to the Centre-North, have not contributed to reduce the economic divide in Italy.Structural Funds, Regional Policy, Economic Divide in Italy

STRUCTURAL FUNDS AND ECONOMIC DIVIDE IN ITALY

This paper aims to provide a contribution to the debate on the effectiveness of cohesion policies in Italy. The focus is on the territorial effects of EU spending from 1996 to 2007. The empirical analysis is based on the estimate of an expanded neoclassical growth model in which the Structural Funds are one of the variables that explain the convergence across Italian regions. Using panel data and a dynamic panel estimator we find that the Structural Funds, even having had a greater impact in the South compared to the Centre-North, have not contributed to reduce the economic divide in Italy.Structural Funds, Regional Policy, Economic Divide in Italy

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IN MANAGEMENT AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM ITALY

Using Total Factor Productivity (TFP) as a measure of corporate performance, this study compares the performance of owner management to that of firms run by professional managers over the period 2004-2006. We consider the influence of owner management for the sample as a whole and for subgroups of firms. The findings demonstrate that family run firms are less productive than firms run by professional managers, but the difference between the two is small. Our results support the idea that in Italy there is not a genuine process of manager selection both for family and no-family firms.TFP, Family firms, Management

EXPLAINING TFP AT FIRM LEVEL IN ITALY. DOES LOCATION MATTER?

This study analyses how firms' internal variables and regional factors affect Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of Italian manufacturing firms. Due to the hierarchical structure of our data, we employ a multilevel model that allows for a clear distinction between firm and region-specific effects. Results refer to 2004-2006 and show, as expected, the importance of firm-specific determinants of TFP. At the same time, they indicate that location matters, in the sense that the context where firms operate plays a crucial role in determining the level of TFP. In more detail, we find that the regional endowment of infrastructure, the efficiency of local administration and the investments in R&D exert a positive effect on firms' performance. We also argue that regional gaps in the endowment of these factors help to understand the dualistic nature of the Italian economy, where a wealthy North coexists with a less developed South.Manufacturing Firms, Total Factor Productivity, Italian Regional Divide, Multilevel Models

ABSENTEEISM IN THE ITALIAN PUBLIC SECTOR: THE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN SICK LEAVE COMPENSATION

In this paper we analyse how the absence behaviour of Italian public sector employees has been affected by a law, passed in June 2008, reducing sick leave compensation and increasing monitoring intensity. We use micro-data on a sample of about 860 workers, employed at an Italian public administration, for years going from 2005 to 2009. We estimate the effect of the reform using linear and non-linear estimators. As predicted by agency theory, individuals react to economic incentives: the employees in our sample have considerably reduced their absences under the new regime. Since the reform has affected employees in a non uniform way, we show that the reduction of absenteeism is significantly stronger for employees suffering higher earning losses. Results also show that while the reform has reduced the duration of short absence spells, the duration of long spells has increased. We argue that this is due to the non-linearity of earning losses introduced by the new law.Worker Absenteeism, Moral Hazard, Shirking, Sickness, Insurance Contracts

Export quality in the machinery sector: Some evidence from main competitors

The paper compares the export quality of Italy, Germany, Japan and China. The empirical analysis is based on export unit value for a sample of machinery products exported to the USA over the decade 1996-2006. The results point to four stylised facts. First, Italy, Germany and Japan are positioned in production with high unit value. Second, some evidence of qualitative upgrading of Italian exports is found in the machinery industry. Third, German exports show the highest quality in all the machinery divisions. Finally, China has dramatically increased its medium-high technology exports in the course of the decade, but these are concentrated in the lowest quality segment of the market. Nevertheless, Chinese unit value of machinery exports are rising over time, suggesting a qualitative catching-up.Export Quality, Machinery Sector, Index Numbers

The Impact of Structural Funds in Italy

This paper evaluates the economic effects of Structural Funds in Italy. After presenting the distribution of Funds across Italian Regions over the period 1996-2007 and documenting how the Regions manage the financial resources recevied by EU, the paper assesses the impact of Structural Funds on the regional convergence process. While the impact of Funds is positive when considering the growth of regional GDP per capita, this evidence is not confirmed when using the convergence of labour productivity.Structural Funds. Economic Divide in Italy. Convergence

L’IMPATTO DEI FONDI STRUTTURALI IN ITALIA

Questo saggio si inserisce nel dibattito sull’efficacia della politica di coesione dell’Unione Europea e presenta un’analisi sugli effetti dei Fondi strutturali sulla crescita delle regioni italiane dal 1980 al 2007. Un’attenzione particolare è riservata al ruolo che gli aspetti istituzionali hanno nel determinare l’impatto dei fondi. Se da un lato si evidenzia che la distribuzione dei fondi è coerente con i criteri di attribuzione di maggiori risorse alle regioni a ritardo di sviluppo, dall’altro lato si rilevano performance diverse nella capacità di gestione dei fondi tra le regioni italiane. Il risultato più importante a cui giunge l’analisi empirica è che gli effetti dei Fondi strutturali sono di natura prevalentemente redistributiva e, pertanto, non hanno contribuito a modificare le condizioni strutturali che determinano la crescita di lungo periodo delle regioni italiane. Le ragioni di questo risultato possono dipendere dalla definizione delle strategie di sviluppo delle politiche, dalle modalità di gestione della spesa e dai meccanismi di allocazione delle risorseFondi strutturali, politica regionale, convergenza in Italia

Sulla dinamica della produttività totale dei fattori in Italia. Un’analisi settoriale

L’obiettivo di questo lavoro è di analizzare, utilizzando dati di impresa, il rallentamento della produttività osservato in Italia a partire dagli anni ‘90. L’idea è di verificare se nel periodo 1996-2005 l’andamento della produttività aggregata è imputabile a un rallentamento generalizzato, oppure se è riconducibile a specifici settori. I principali risultati sono tre. In primo luogo, si mostra che l’andamento della produttività del lavoro è sempre spiegato dalla produttività totale dei fattori. Inoltre, si evidenziano dinamiche differenti nei livelli della produttività settoriale e una forte dipendenza della produttività aggregata da quella osservata in alcuni specifici settori. In particolare, i comparti della carta e della chimica spiegano gran parte del declino che si è osservato nel settore manifatturiero fino al 2002-2003. La terza conclusione riguarda il contributo alla crescita dovuto al riposizionamento delle imprese nel mercato. Nella fase della riduzione della produttività (1996-2003), questo contributo è elevato e tale da aver impedito una crisi di dimensioni maggiori, mentre è marginale nella fase della ripresa, quando, al contrario, la performance del settore è legata ad un incremento generalizzato della produttività delle impreseProduttività del lavoro, TPF, Settore Manifatturiero, Effetto riallocazione

Green patenting and corporate social responsibility: Does family involvement in business matter?

AbstractThis paper explores whether family and non‐family firms differ in terms of their capability to introduce green patenting. By considering the environmental performance as a corporate social responsibility related concern, the analysis is based on a large data set of patenting activities carried out by Italian manufacturing firms over the period 2009–2017. Results show that family firms are less likely than non‐family firms to implement innovations in green technologies. This holds true whatever the level of accumulation in green and non‐green knowledge