Social media adoption in Italian firms. Opportunities and challenges for lagging regions

Social media are an important growth opportunity for firms, especially small‐sized ones operating in peripheral and lagging regions. In this paper, we investigate not only whether firms are able to take this opportunity, but also if they are able to face the challenge of adopting social media at a professional level to obtain a significant economic impact, measured in terms of exporting activities. Exploring the Italian case, our empirical study indicates that smaller firms in lagging areas are more likely to adopt social media but at the same time less likely to use them at a professional level. This reflects poor strategic targets of social media adoption and lower probabilities of enteri…

Agglomeration and New Firm Formation. Evidence from Italy.

Economic Growth in the Regions of Europe, Sardadvar S. (2011), Berlin: Springer-Verlag.

An ambitious endeavour to reconcile the faster empirical research with the slower theoretical modelling of regional growth and convergence is undertaken in this book by Sardadvar. To this end, the author introduces a spatial dependence component into the theoretical formulation of a neoclassical growth model and then provides an empirical application to European regions.

A New Spatial Shift‐Share Decomposition: An Application to Tourism Competitiveness in Italian Regions

The paper proposes a new version of spatial shift-share decomposition to improve on the various approaches to conventional shift-share analysis found in the literature. The novelty of our proposal is that it enables researchers to assess spatial competitiveness effects controlling for the influence of industrial specialization at both regional and neighborhood level. This new version is applied to inbound tourism in Italian regions and enables us to identify the best and worst performers. Our empirical results identify favorable scenarios in some areas of the country, such as Sardinia as well as regional advantage in a sizeable number of well-known destinations.

La sopravvivenza immediata delle start-up italiane del settore manifatturiero sanitario: un'analisi multilevel

The immediate survival of the Italian start-up businesses in healthcare industry: a multilevel analysis Objectives: The purpose of this contribution is to provide novel evidence about the main determinants of the short-run survival of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing start-up firms in Italy. In order to assess both the firm-specific determinants and the observed and unobserved regional and contextual characteristics, we model the three-year firm survival probability by means of a multilevel logistic framework. Methods and Results: The empirical analysis focuses on an internationally comparable database of the population of firms built up and managed by the Italian National In…

Regional Systems of Innovation. Evidence from Italian data

Total Factor Productivity Convergence Amongst Italian Regions: Some Evidence from Panel Unit Root Tests

Byrne J. P., Fazio G. and Piacentino D. Total factor productivity convergence among Italian regions: some evidence from panel unit root tests. Regional Studies. This paper employs panel unit root tests to investigate convergence in total factor productivity (TFP) among Italian regions. These tests provide an inference valid in the presence of heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence, and when the cross-sectional dimension is smaller than the time dimension, allowing the investigation of convergence among different subsets of regions. The results add a further dimension to the conventional view on growth dynamics in the Italian peninsula depicting a lack of regional TFP convergence not o…

Individual vs Multi-level Effects in Italian Manufacturing Firms

A micro-founded approach to regional innovation in Italy

Recent regional studies have taken a micro-founded perspective to uncover the influence of the external environment on the firm-level innovative performance. Despite the marked spatial disparities, there is a general lack of recent evidence on Italian regional innovation from a micro perspective. This paper fills this gap in the evidence base by estimating regional Knowledge Production Functions using Italian micro-data collected in the Community Innovation Survey. In particular, here we focus on the regional differences in the relationship between innovative inputs and outputs and on the ability of firms to absorb external knowledge. This analysis allows us to outline different regional in…

Micro evidence for sources of innovation in European countries

This paper investigates sources of product or process innovation, such as investments in research and development, machinery, personnel training and management systems, by examining microdata from eight European countries. We pay particular attention to the effect of research and development in favouring the absorption of new technologies, i.e. the absorptive capacity. Significant positive effects of each source on both product and process innovations are found. Significant evidence of positive absorptive capacity emerges only in firms with low predicted probabilities of introducing innovation.

Contributi relativi alla convergenza della produttività del lavoro. Un’analisi della frontiera produttiva per le regioni italiane.

Big data analytics and internationalisation in Italian firms

The chapter focuses on the role of big data in developing firms’ international e-commerce. We explore the effect of three different types of big data approaches on the probability of firms entering international markets via web sales. Specifically, we consider the following approaches: (a) use of big data managed by internal firm staff; (b) use of big data managed by specialised consulting firms; and (c) use of big data jointly managed by internal firm staff and specialised consultant firms. Applying qualitative data models on a large sample of Italian firms (about 18,900 firms), we find that the use of big data managed by internal staff or by specialised consulting firms is positively asso…

The Diversification of Sicilian Farms: A Way to Sustainable Rural Development

Rural areas still suffer from a lack of sustainable development, and the diversification of farms may be a step in the right direction. The paper provides a detailed picture of the diversification of Sicilian farms into tourism services. Specifically, we propose a simple indicator of localization intensity of agritourism farms and explore their spatial distribution at municipality level. Our study highlights that Sicilian farms rarely diversify into tourism services, despite being situated in attractive areas. That said, some significant spatial clusters of municipalities where agritourism farms are highly concentrated do emerge from the study.

Exploring the sources of labour productivity growth and convergence in the Italian regions: some evidence from a production frontier approach

This paper investigates labour productivity growth and regional convergence patterns in Italy over the time span 1982–2000. Starting from some evidence of spatial polarisation within Italian economy, the analysis aims at exploring the sources of this tendency. To this end, an approach based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) production frontiers is employed which allows to decompose labour productivity growth into efficiency change, technological progress and capital deepening, looking then at the relative contribution of each component to regional convergence. Moreover, some measures of human capital and public capital are used as augmentation factors of the conventional inputs. The study …

Spatial and sectoral effects on firm entry and exit. Evidence from Italy.

Productivity, Infrastructures and Convergence: Panel Data Evidence on Italian Regions

The paper first employs the Growth Accounting methodology in order to calculate the annual levels of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) in Italian regions for the period 1970-2001. The main result of this initial analysis is that the well-known gap in labour productivity among Italian regions depends mostly on the differences in TFP. The paper then investigates on the presence (or absence) of regional convergence in TFP over the period considered. To this end, physical and social infrastructures are taken into account as factors that influence the process of convergence. Finally, the paper finds a significant effect of both types of infrastructure on regional convergence in TFP, which is estim…

Effetti spaziali o settoriali? La crescita della dimensione media d'impresa in Italia

Utilizzando una recente versione della shift-share con struttura spaziale, in questo contributo scomponiamo il cambiamento della dimensione media delle imprese nelle province italiane rispetto a componenti di natura sia spaziale (di regione e di vicinato) che settoriale. L’analisi, condotta con riferimento al periodo 2004-2009, mette in risalto differenze di rilievo rispetto la classe dimensionale considerata. In particolare, si registra una netta demarcazione Nord-Sud nella distribuzione provinciale degli effetti spaziali e settoriali se consideriamo le micro imprese (1-10 addetti), mentre la geografia appare molto piu complessa per le piccole imprese (11-50 addetti).

A spatial and sectoral analysis of firm demography in Italy

La dimensione spaziale nella relazione tra cambiamento della popolazione e demografia di impresa

SMEs' heterogeneity at the extensive margin and within the intensive margin of trade

In this paper, we contribute to the literature on firm-heterogeneity and trade, by looking not only at the firm-level determinants of trade participation (i.e. extensive margin) but also at differences between firms with different levels of trade intensity (i.e. intensive margin). Further, we compare firms that are born ‘local’ and display different scales of international exposure to firms that are born ‘global’, i.e. access international markets soon after their birth. Using a large World Bank dataset of SMEs from 112 countries and qualitative dependent variable models, our analysis uncovers the heterogeneity of SMEs not only at the extensive margin but also within the intensive margin of…

Demographic change, new business formation and spatial concentration of population

This paper investigates the role of urbanization in the relation between population change and new business formation. The hypothesis of research is that population change significantly influences new business formation only in regions at lower urbanization. This hypothesis is based on the idea that local demand and growing population are significant determinants of new business formation only for rural regions. Using Italian data, we find evidence in support of this hypothesis. Moreover, we find that evidence of spatial dependence in the relation between population change, new business formation and urbanization.

Effetti spaziali o settoriali? Una analisi della crescita della dimensione media delle Unità Locali in Italia.

Utilizzando una recente versione della shift-share con struttura spaziale, in questo contributo scomponiamo il cambiamento della dimensione media delle imprese nelle province italiane rispetto a componenti di natura sia spaziale (di regione e di vicinato) che settoriale. L?analisi, condotta con riferimento al periodo 2004-2009, mette in risalto differenze di rilievo rispetto la classe dimensionale considerata. In particolare, si registra una netta demarcazione Nord-Sud nella distribuzione provinciale degli effetti spaziali e settoriali se consideriamo le micro imprese (1-10 addetti), mentre la geografia appare molto più complessa per le piccole imprese (11-50 addetti)

Decomposing regional business change at plant level in Italy. A novel spatial shift-share approach

Divari economici e variabili di contesto. Un'analisi non parametrica per le regioni italiane

Contesto economico e sociale delle regioni italiane in un'analisi di performance.

Firm Demography in the Accommodation Industry. Evidence from Italian Insular Regions

The purpose of this study is to analyse the spatial pattern and the post-entry performance of tourism businesses in the Italian insular regions of Sardinia and Sicily. Using geo-referenced micro-data for the period 2011-2014, we explore the spatial distribution of ac-commodation firms in the two insular regions, and then compare the coastal and inland areas of the two regions. We observe a higher dispersion of firms in Sardinia than in Sicily; the latter, however having a higher concentration of firms in coastal and urban areas. We do not find significant differences in survival probability across the two insular regions but we do detect significant differences be-tween coastal and inland a…

THe Verdoorn law at regional level: Evidence from Europe

La dimensione spaziale nella relazione tra cambiamento della popolazione e formazione di nuove imprese

Questo contributo analizza la relazione tra cambiamento della popolazione e formazione di nuove imprese con particolare attenzione al ruolo dello spazio. Viene infatti, da un lato, analizzata l'influenza della concentrazione spaziale della popolazione rispetto la relazione di interesse, dall'altro, viene utilizzata una specificazione econometrica che tenga conto della correlazione spaziale presente nei dati. Lo studio condotto sulle province italiane per il periodo 2004/2007, mette in luce alcuni aspetti degni di nota. Tra questi, è di particolare interesse l'evidenza che nelle province con maggiore ritorno, in termini di natalità delle imprese, da un incremento della popolazione sono quell…

The effect of agglomeration economies and geography on the survival of accommodation businesses in Sicily

The study explores the geographical pattern of the accommodation industry in the Italian insular region of Sicily, focusing on the determinants of the risk of market exit. We adopt a standard framework of business survival analysis where agglomeration economies play an important role. We then extend the analysis by considering the role of geography to explore whether the risk of market exit depends on nearness to desirable amenities. The geography is here measured by the distance from the coast and the altitude of the place where the firm is located. When we look at the entire population of accommodation firms that started between 2010 and 2014, we find evidence that the risk of failure inc…

Spatial and Sectoral Features of the Firm Demography in Italy

Fiducia verso persone e istituzioni: evidenze da una survey sul capitale civico degli studenti

Trust in people and institutions: evidence from a survey on the civic capital of students Objectives: According to economic theory, civic capital is the result of a process of social investment through vertical transmission channels, internal to the family, and horizontal socialization, among peers. The reference context, such as the neighbourhood, plays an important role influencing both of these channels. This paper presents some initial evidence obtained from a statistical survey conducted on students of secondary high schools of the city of Palermo with the aim of measuring the basic dimensions that contribute to the formation of the civic and human capital. In particular, the focus is …

Convergence analysis for hierarchical longitudinal data

Abstract Convergence analysis is typically envisaged either from a macro or a micro perspective. However, empirical tests tend to ignore that the two levels are often “nested” in a hierarchy. Building on hierarchical growth curve modelling, we propose an approach to convergence analysis that allows contemporaneous inference on macro and micro-convergence. Compared to the classic linear convergence analysis, the suggested methodology provides a more flexible alternative to model heterogeneity and validate the results for possible Galton's fallacy. We illustrate the approach in two empirical examples, one considering convergence across European regions and countries and the other across Itali…

Aggolomeration and New Firm Formation. Evidence from Italy

Estimating Verdoorn law for Italian firms and regions

In empirical regional economics, returns to scale are typically estimated at the regional level in search for evidence on alternative theories of growth and agglomeration. However, returns to scale may also have a firm-level dimension. In this paper, we exploit micro level data and estimate the dynamic Verdoorn law in a multilevel-setting, where returns to scale are obtained simultaneously for the micro and the regional level. Using Italian firm-level data and the NUTS-3 level of aggregation, we estimate the classic and augmented versions of Verdoorn law for the manufacturing sector, and the rest of the economy for comparison. Our results show that increasing returns to scale co-exist at bo…

Firm demography and regional development: evidence from Italy

This article contributes to the literature on firm demography and regional development in at least three different ways. First, consumption, rather than employment, which is the most common variable seen in literature, is used to measure the impact of firm demography on regional development. Second, while the literature is mainly focused on the relationship between new business formation and regional development, we investigate both entry and exit flows of firms. Third, we decompose each of these flows into spatial and sectoral components. The empirical investigation looks at the Italian regions with reference to the period 2004–2009. Results seem to be substantially divergent between the S…

Relative Contributions to Convergence in Labour Productivity. Frontier Approach Evidence on Italian Regions.

Knowledge Flows and Innovative Performance. Evidence from Italian Firms

Sustainable tourism: Measures, evidence and future prospects.

The Chapter aims to provide a critical review of the quantitative approaches so far introduced in literature to measure the sustainable tourism. We focus on both variables and methods employed to obtain synthetic indicators of sustainable tourism and aim to provide some critical insights on potential new challenges caused by the current pandemic. For example, some dimensions of tourism sustainability may become more relevant in future due to the increasing attention by people on health and safety. Finally, a focus on the studies on measurement of sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean area will be provided.

Quali politiche per le economie rurali nell’era post Covid-19?

n conseguenza dell’attuale emergenza sanitaria, le istituzioni nazionali e sovra-nazionali stanno approvando interventi per fronteggiare gli effetti drammatici attesi sull’ economia. In questo articolo, vogliamo porre l’attenzione su specifiche realtà che già vivevano una condizione marginale e che rischiano oggi la completa desertificazione: le economie rurali. La domanda che ci poniamo è: quali politiche possono agire con maggiore efficacia e tempestività sulle economie rurali? In questo periodo, diverse misure sono già state attuate a sostegno delle economie rurali da parte dalle autorità di gestione dei programmi di sviluppo rurale nelle diverse regioni italiane. È possibile, ad esempio…

A Test of Spatial Convergence from the Micro-Level

Profili regionali di innovazione: evidenze dal caso italiano

L’articolo analizza le caratteristiche dell’attività innovativa delle regioni italiane, osservando non solo i fattori direttamente collegati alla tecnologia ed alla conoscenza codificata ma anche i fattori relativi alla conoscnza non codificata che generalmente si sviluppa nei sitemi produttivi locali più virtuosi. A questo fine, sono stati ottenuti due indicaotri sintetici che forniscono una misura quantitativa degli ambienti innovativi ed imprenditoriali per ogni singola regione. Raggruppando le regioni in cluster omogenei rispetto gli indicatori sintetici, sono stati così individuati da quattro ad otto differenti profili territoriali di innovazione. Infine, i diversi cluster innovativi s…

Decomposing regional business change at plant level in Italy: A novel spatial shift-share approach

type="main" xml:lang="es"> En este articulo se analiza la descomposicion espacial de cambios (shift-share) aplicada a datos italianos sobre cambios en los negocios regionales a nivel de planta, durante el periodo 2004–2009. Aqui se introduce un nuevo tipo de descomposicion espacial, que gestiona mas eficazmente la influencia del vecindario. De la investigacion empirica aparecen resultados notables. En primer lugar, se observo que el nivel de agregacion espacial afecta grandemente los resultados. En segundo lugar, se encontraron pruebas de una ventaja de vecindario en las regiones meridionales NUTS 3, a la vez que resultados opuestos para las regiones centro-norte NUTS 3. Finalmente, solo se…

Convergence in TFP among Italian Regions: Panel Unit Roots with Heterogeneity and Cross Sectional Dependence

This paper performs a number of tests to estimate convergence in total factor productivity (TFP) among Italian regions during the period 1970-2001. We generate the regional TFP series using growth accounting methodologies, and then apply a range of panel unit root tests to analyse the process of convergence. We extend the existing literature by incorporating three main improvements. Firstly, we control for the heterogeneity arising from the different economic structure of each region. Secondly, we account for the cross-sectional dependence due to common shocks or spillovers among different regions at the same time. Finally, we look for clubs of convergence using tests of poolability both on…

Advances in spatial economic data analysis: methods and applications

Spatial economic studies traditionally exploit areal data at the regional or sub-regional level. More recently, scholars have started to exploit spatial data of a different nature and, at the same time, extend the fields of application in economics. Specifically, this special issue contributes to the spatial economic literature by providing empirical evidence on a wide range of phenomena (socio-economic deprivation, land price volatility, electoral competition, real estate market, firm survival and tourism economics) and exploiting data at the municipality, firm, house and even individual level. At the same time, it tackles some of the methodological issues faced by the above-mentioned anal…

Regional Disparities and Public Policies in Italy: Some Considerations in Light of a Performance Analysis

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the Italian Government has attempted to implement a new generation of policies aimed at reducing regional disparities. It is claimed that compared to the past, these policies should be more far reaching since they emphasize the importance of the structural economic conditions in promoting growth and convergence. In this paper, we use a dataset of regional social and economic indicators in order to look at the evidence surrounding the outcome of these policies. A frontier approach seems to be suitable for the purpose of this research, as it yields a ranking of performance scores where regions can be compared in cross-sectional and a temporal dimension. Addit…

A Spatial Multilevel Analysis of Italian SMEs Productivity

Abstract In this paper, we adapt multilevel analysis methods to investigate the spatial variability of SMEs' productivity across the Italian territory, and account for differences in the socio-economic context. Our results suggest that to properly capture the variability of the data, it is important to allow for both spatial mean and slope effects. Social decay has the expected negative impact. However, while this effect is larger on firms with smaller capital intensity, firms with higher capital intensity seem to be less affected by geography. Greater territorial heterogeneity emerges among those firms with lower capital to labour ratios. Une analyse spatiale a plusieurs niveaux de la prod…

Entrepreneurship and space. A decomposition analysis on Italian data

A spatial analysis of new business formation: Replicative vs innovative behaviour

Abstract Using spatial econometric tools, the paper examines the spatial structure of new business formation of Italian regions during the period 2004–2007. In particular, the study empirically investigates whether new business formation in a given geographical area may be explained in terms of replicative and/or innovative entrepreneurial behaviour in each area as well as in the neighbouring areas. Additionally, the analysis focuses on the influence of urbanization on the birth of new firms. From the estimation of a Spatial Durbin Model, we find a significant degree of spatial dependence among Italian regions not only in new business formation but also in some of its determinants. We also …

Testing for convergence from the micro-level

Empirical convergence analysis is typically envisaged from a macro aggregate perspective. However, researchers have recently highlighted how investigating convergence at the disaggregate level may yield interesting insights into the convergence debate. In this paper, we suggest an approach that allows exploiting large micro panels to test for convergence. Compared to the traditional convergence analysis, this approach allows obtaining beta- and sigma-like convergence parameters for both the micro and the macro level of interest. We provide a practical example that analyses productivity convergence across firms and provinces using a large sample of Italian firms.