IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/growch/v46y2015i2p292-320.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Outsourcing and Firm Productivity in a Specific Local Production System: Evidence from Reggio Emilia (Italy)

Author

Listed:
  • Davide Antonioli
  • Massimiliano Mazzanti
  • Sandro Montresor
  • Paolo Pini

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of outsourcing on the labor productivity of firms in a specific local production system. A number of hypotheses about the location-specific effects of outsourcing are put forward and tested on a sample of firms in the province of Reggio Emilia (within the Emilia-Romagna region, in North-East Italy). The relationship between outsourcing and productivity turns out positive only if considering the externalization of high value-added activities. On the contrary, it is negative in the case of low value-added activities. This occurs to a greater extent for firms in mature industrial districts, whose socio-economic conditions however do not arrive to magnify the productivity premium of externalizing high value-added ones. The technological innovativeness of the firms instead helps with that, pointing to a developmental use of outsourcing in the area.

Suggested Citation

  • Davide Antonioli & Massimiliano Mazzanti & Sandro Montresor & Paolo Pini, 2015. "Outsourcing and Firm Productivity in a Specific Local Production System: Evidence from Reggio Emilia (Italy)," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(2), pages 292-320, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:46:y:2015:i:2:p:292-320
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/grow.12070
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Holl, Adelheid, 2008. "Production subcontracting and location," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 299-309, May.
    2. Holger Görg & Aoife Hanley & Eric Strobl, 2008. "Productivity effects of international outsourcing: evidence from plant‐level data," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(2), pages 670-688, May.
    3. Robert C. Feenstra & Gordon H. Hanson, 1999. "The Impact of Outsourcing and High-Technology Capital on Wages: Estimates For the United States, 1979–1990," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(3), pages 907-940.
    4. Craig P. Aubuchon & Subhayu Bandyopadhyay & Sumon Bhaumik, 2012. "The extent and impact of outsourcing: evidence from Germany," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 94(July), pages 287-304.
    5. Jörn Kleinert, 2003. "Growing Trade in Intermediate Goods: Outsourcing, Global Sourcing, or Increasing Importance of MNE Networks?," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(3), pages 464-482, August.
    6. Williamson, Oliver E, 1973. "Markets and Hierarchies: Some Elementary Considerations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(2), pages 316-325, May.
    7. G. M.P. Swann, 2009. "The Economics of Innovation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13211.
    8. Alexander Hijzen & Tomohiko Inui & Yasuyuki Todo, 2010. "Does Offshoring Pay? Firm‐Level Evidence From Japan," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(4), pages 880-895, October.
    9. Jonathan Michie & Maura Sheehan, 2003. "Labour market deregulation, 'flexibility' and innovation," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 27(1), pages 123-143, January.
    10. Helsley, Robert W. & Strange, William C., 2007. "Agglomeration, opportunism, and the organization of production," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 55-75, July.
    11. Gorg, Holger & Hanley, Aoife, 2005. "International outsourcing and productivity: evidence from the Irish electronics industry," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 255-269, August.
    12. Massimiliano Mazzanti & Sandro Montresor & Paolo Pini, 2011. "Outsourcing, delocalization and firm organization: Transaction costs versus industrial relations in a local production system of Emilia Romagna," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7-8), pages 419-447, September.
    13. Bruno Crepon & Emmanuel Duguet & Jacques Mairesse, 1998. "Research, Innovation And Productivity: An Econometric Analysis At The Firm Level," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 115-158.
    14. Anne Parmigiani, 2007. "Why do firms both make and buy? An investigation of concurrent sourcing," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(3), pages 285-311, March.
    15. Alan Macpherson, 2008. "Producer Service Linkages and Industrial Innovation: Results of a Twelve‐Year Tracking Study of New York State Manufacturers," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 1-23, March.
    16. Roberto Antonietti & Maria Rosaria Ferrante & Riccardo Leoncini, 2014. "Spatial Agglomeration, Production Technology and the Choice to Make and/or Buy: Empirical Evidence from the Emilia Romagna Machine Tool Industry," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(2), pages 284-300, February.
    17. Robertson, Paul L. & Langlois, Richard N., 1995. "Innovation, networks, and vertical integration," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 543-562, July.
    18. Volker Mahnke, 2001. "The Process of Vertical Dis-Integration: An Evolutionary Perspective on Outsourcing," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 5(3), pages 353-379, September.
    19. Davide Antonioli & Annaflavia Bianchi & Massimiliano Mazzanti & Sandro Montresor & Paolo Pini, 2013. "Innovation Strategies and Economic Crisis: Evidence from Firm-level Italian Data," Economia politica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 1, pages 33-68.
    20. James H. Love & Stephen Roper, 2001. "articles: Outsourcing in the innovation process: Locational and strategic determinants," Papers in Regional Science, Springer;Regional Science Association International, vol. 80(3), pages 317-336.
    21. McIvor,Ronan, 2005. "The Outsourcing Process," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521844116, September.
    22. repec:bla:jomstd:v:47:y:2010:i:s2:p:1417-1433 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Abraham, Katharine G & Taylor, Susan K, 1996. "Firms' Use of Outside Contractors: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 14(3), pages 394-424, July.
    24. Ruthrama Rama & Deron Ferguson & Ana Melero, 2003. "Subcontracting Networks in Industrial Districts: The Electronics Industries of Madrid," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(1), pages 71-88.
    25. Fernando Merino & Diego Rodríguez Rodríguez, 2007. "Business services outsourcing by manufacturing firms," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 16(6), pages 1147-1173, December.
    26. Lombardi, Mauro, 2003. "The evolution of local production systems: the emergence of the "invisible mind" and the evolutionary pressures towards more visible "minds"," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1443-1462, September.
    27. Paul Windrum & Andreas Reinstaller & Christopher Bull, 2009. "The outsourcing productivity paradox: total outsourcing, organisational innovation, and long run productivity growth," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 197-229, April.
    28. Jonathan P. Doh, 2005. "Offshore Outsourcing: Implications for International Business and Strategic Management Theory and Practice," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 695-704, May.
    29. Crepon, B. & Duguet, E. & Mairesse, J., 1998. "Research Investment, Innovation and Productivity: An Econometric Analysis at the Firm Level," Papiers d'Economie Mathématique et Applications 98.15, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    30. Davide Antonioli & Massimiliano Mazzanti & Paolo Pini, 2010. "Productivity, innovation strategies and industrial relations in SMEs. Empirical evidence for a local production system in northern Italy," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 453-482.
    31. Catherine J. Morrison Paul & Mahmut Yasar, 2009. "Outsourcing, productivity, and input composition at the plant level," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 42(2), pages 422-439, May.
    32. Karsten Bjerring Olsen, 2006. "Productivity Impacts of Offshoring and Outsourcing: A Review," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2006/1, OECD Publishing.
    33. Massimiliano Mazzanti & Sandro Montresor & Paolo Pini, 2009. "What Drives (or Hampers) Outsourcing? Evidence for a Local Production System in Emilia Romagna," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 331-365.
    34. Brusco, Sebastiano, 1982. "The Emilian Model: Productive Decentralisation and Social Integration," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 6(2), pages 167-184, June.
    35. Erol Taymaz & Yilmaz Kilicaslan, 2005. "Determinants of subcontracting and regional development: An empirical study on Turkish textile and engineering industries," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(5), pages 633-645.
    36. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
    37. Bernd Görzig & Andreas Stephan, 2002. "Outsourcing and Firm-level Performance," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 309, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    38. Fiorenza Belussi & Silvia R. Sedita, 2012. "Industrial Districts as Open Learning Systems: Combining Emergent and Deliberate Knowledge Structures," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(2), pages 165-184, April.
    39. Lucia Cusmano & Maria Luisa Mancusi & Andrea Morrison, 2010. "Globalization of Production and Innovation: How Outsourcing is Reshaping an Advanced Manufacturing Area," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(3), pages 235-252.
    40. Lars Bengtsson & Mandar Dabhilkar, 2009. "Manufacturing outsourcing and its effect on plant performance—lessons for KIBS outsourcing," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 231-257, April.
    41. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    42. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 2002. "Integration versus Outsourcing in Industry Equilibrium," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(1), pages 85-120.
    43. Grazia D. Santangelo & Paolo Pini, 2011. "New HRM Practices and Exploitative Innovation: A Shopfloor Level Analysis," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(6), pages 611-630, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Leoncini, Riccardo & Montresor, Sandro & Rentocchini, Francesco, 2016. "CO2-reducing innovations and outsourcing: Evidence from photovoltaics and green construction in North-East Italy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1649-1659.
    2. Newman - Wadesango & Gwangwadza D.C. & Charity Mhaka & Ongayi Wadesango, 2018. "Labour Force Reduction’s Influence on Financial Performance of Manufacturing Companies: A Case Study of Playtime Manufacturers (2011 – 2016)," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 14(5), pages 48-72, OCTOBER.
    3. Wadesango N & Gwangwadza D C & Mhaka C & Wadesango V O, 2018. "The Impact of Labour Force Reduction on the Financial Performance of Manufacturing Companies," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 10(2), pages 20-32.
    4. Saibal Kar & Sarmistha Banerjee, 2022. "Pollution Abatement and Production Outsourcing in India," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 83-97, March.
    5. Antonioli, Davide & Berardino, Claudio Di & Onesti, Gianni, 2023. "The intersectoral linkages and manufacturing productivity growth in Italian regions using the I-O approach," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 120-133.
    6. Saibal Kar & Meghna Dutta, 2018. "Outsourcing and Productivity During Economic Crisis: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Firms," Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, , vol. 17(2), pages 168-182, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Roberto Antonietti, 2016. "From outsourcing to productivity, passing through training: microeconometric evidence from Italy," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5), pages 407-425, July.
    2. Roberto Antonietti & Maria Rosaria Ferrante & Riccardo Leoncini, 2016. "Local market size, social capital and outsourcing: evidence from Emilia Romagna," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 243-260, June.
    3. Roberto Antonietti & Maria Rosaria Ferrante & Riccardo Leoncini, 2014. "Trust your neighbour. Industrial relatedness, social capital and outsourcing," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1403, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2014.
    4. Leoncini, Riccardo & Montresor, Sandro & Rentocchini, Francesco, 2016. "CO2-reducing innovations and outsourcing: Evidence from photovoltaics and green construction in North-East Italy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1649-1659.
    5. Charlie Karlsson & Urban Gråsjö & Sofia Wixe (ed.), 2015. "Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15906.
    6. Roberto Antonietti & Maria Rosaria Ferrante & Riccardo Leoncini, 2015. "Infrastructure endowment, social capital and outsourcing: evidence from Emilia Romagna, Italy," Chapters, in: Charlie Karlsson & Urban Gråsjö & Sofia Wixe (ed.), Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy, chapter 13, pages 310-330, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Holl, Adelheid, 2008. "Production subcontracting and location," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 299-309, May.
    8. Antonietti, Roberto & Cainelli, Giulio & Lupi, Claudio, 2013. "Vertical disintegration and spatial co-localization: The case of Kibs in the metropolitan region of Milan," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 118(2), pages 360-363.
    9. Roger Bandick, 2020. "Global sourcing, productivity and export intensity," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 615-643, March.
    10. Fergal McCann, 2011. "The heterogeneous effect of international outsourcing on firm productivity," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 147(1), pages 85-108, April.
    11. Craig P. Aubuchon & Subhayu Bandyopadhyay & Sumon Bhaumik, 2012. "The extent and impact of outsourcing: evidence from Germany," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 94(July), pages 287-304.
    12. Alberto López, 2014. "Outsourcing and firm productivity: a production function approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 977-998, November.
    13. Jos頃. Fari & Alberto L󰥺 & Ana Mart󻑍arcos, 2014. "Assessing the impact of domestic outsourcing and offshoring on productivity at the firm level," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(15), pages 1814-1828, May.
    14. Amelia U. Santos-Paulino & Mariagrazia Squicciarini & Peilei Fan, 2008. "R&D (Re)location: A Bird's Eye (Re)view," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2008-100, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. Bartel, Ann & Lach, Saul & Sicherman, Nachum, 2008. "Outsourcing and Technological Innovations: A Firm-Level Analysis," CEPR Discussion Papers 6731, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    16. Catherine J. Morrison Paul & Mahmut Yasar, 2009. "Outsourcing, productivity, and input composition at the plant level," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 42(2), pages 422-439, May.
    17. Spyros Arvanitis & Thomas Bolli & Tobias Stucki, 2017. "In or Out: How Insourcing Foreign Input Production Affects Domestic Production," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 879-907, December.
    18. Alexander Hijzen & Tomohiko Inui & Yasuyuki Todo, 2010. "Does Offshoring Pay? Firm‐Level Evidence From Japan," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(4), pages 880-895, October.
    19. Riccardo Leoncini & Giulia Vecchiato & Luca Zamparini, 2020. "Triggering cooperation among firms: an empirical assessment of the Italian Network Contract Law," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 37(2), pages 357-380, July.
    20. João Amador & Sónia Cabral, 2014. "Global Value Chains: Surveying Drivers, Measures and Impacts," Working Papers w201403, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:46:y:2015:i:2:p:292-320. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0017-4815 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.