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Drivers of Regional Efficiency Differentials in Italy: Technical Inefficiency or Allocative Distortions?

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  • FABRIZIO ERBETTA
  • CARMELO PETRAGLIA

Abstract

This paper estimates regional economic efficiency differentials at the firm level in the Italian manufacturing sector over the period 1998-2003. We implement an input distance function approach providing measures of both technical inefficiency and allocative distortions in the choice of input mixes. Our results confirm the substantial technical efficiency gap suffered by firms located in Southern regions, thus providing empirical support to the “structural and technological gap” interpretation of the Italian dualism. On the other hand, allocative distortions in the use of inputs show less remarkable regional differences. As for policy implications, our results suggest the need for a re-allocation of public resources for development policies from business incentives measures towards public investments.
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  • Fabrizio Erbetta & Carmelo Petraglia, 2011. "Drivers of Regional Efficiency Differentials in Italy: Technical Inefficiency or Allocative Distortions?," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 351-375, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:42:y:2011:i:3:p:351-375
    DOI: j.1468-2257.2011.00556.x
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    2. Graziano Abrate & Fabrizio Erbetta & Giovanni Fraquelli & Davide Vannoni, 2015. "The cost of corruption in the Italian solid waste industry," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 24(2), pages 439-465.
    3. Carmelo Petraglia, 2011. "Il Mezzogiorno nella letteratura economica del 2011," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 4, pages 1083-1098.
    4. Alejandra Trejo, 2011. "Competitiveness And The Regional Efficiency Of The Mexican Service Sector," ERSA conference papers ersa10p196, European Regional Science Association.
    5. Giannola, Adriano & Petraglia, Carmelo & Scalera, Domenico, 2016. "Net fiscal flows and interregional redistribution in Italy: A long-run perspective (1951–2010)," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 1-16.
    6. Annamaria Nifo & Sabrina Ruberto & Gaetano Vecchione, 2018. "Does institutional quality matter for lending relationships?," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 8(2), pages 1-4.
    7. S. Auci, 2014. "The role of production chains in Italian industry: A steady connection between Italy's North-West and South," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3, pages 617-658.
    8. A. Nifo & G. Vecchione, 2015. "Measuring Institutional Quality in Italy," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 1-2, pages 157-182.
    9. Andrea Lasagni & Annamaria Nifo & Gaetano Vecchione, 2015. "Firm Productivity And Institutional Quality: Evidence From Italian Industry," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(5), pages 774-800, November.
    10. F. Pastore, 2015. "The Mezzogiorno and Crisis after Market and State Failures. A Review of Economic Literature," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3-4, pages 525-582.
    11. Agostino, Mariarosaria & Nifo, Annamaria & Trivieri, Francesco & Vecchione, Gaetano, 2016. "Total factor productivity heterogeneity: channelling the impact of institutions," MPRA Paper 72759, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    13. Francesco Aiello & Valeria Pupo & Fernanda Ricotta, 2014. "Explaining Total Factor Productivity at Firm Level in Italy: Does Location Matter?," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 51-70, March.
    14. V. Daniele, 2019. "Productivity and Wages: The Gap between North and South," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 375-404.
    15. Alexandros Maziotis & Ramon Sala-Garrido & Manuel Mocholi-Arce & Maria Molinos-Senante, 2021. "Changes to The Productivity of Water Companies: Comparison of Fully Private and Concessionary Water Companies," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(10), pages 3355-3371, August.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C44 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Operations Research; Statistical Decision Theory
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O20 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - General
    • R0 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General

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