IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ebl/ecbull/eb-18-00523.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stochastic Convergence or Divergence of Total Factor Productivity and GDP of Italian Regions. Re-examing the Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Oreste Napolitano

    (Department of Business and Economic Studies, University of Naples Parthenope)

  • Mariafortuna Pietroluongo

    (Department of Business and Economic Studies, University of Naples Parthenope)

  • Konstantinos Kounetas

    (Department of Economics University of Patra, Greece - Visiting professor University of Parthenope)

Abstract

In this paper, we apply the non-parametric method proposed by Quah to examine convergence hypothesis for Italian regions using GDP and total factor productivity measured by the Malmquist index. Using the stochastic kernel approach, this study suggests that the measure of total factor productivity is a crucial precondition for the estimation of a region's growth. Our results applied to the 20 Italian regions show no convergence for both GDP and TFP variables. For the GDP case, it confirms the Italian divide but for the TFP variable, it reveals the creation of three clubs. However, looking at the long-run density, it reveals that the shape of the ergodic density distribution, for the TFP, is clearly unimodal and it could imply a long-run convergence of regional productivity in Italy.

Suggested Citation

  • Oreste Napolitano & Mariafortuna Pietroluongo & Konstantinos Kounetas, 2018. "Stochastic Convergence or Divergence of Total Factor Productivity and GDP of Italian Regions. Re-examing the Evidence," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 38(4), pages 1857-1863.
  • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-18-00523
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.accessecon.com/Pubs/EB/2018/Volume38/EB-18-V38-I4-P172.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rachel Griffith & Stephen Redding & John Van Reenen, 2004. "Mapping the Two Faces of R&D: Productivity Growth in a Panel of OECD Industries," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(4), pages 883-895, November.
    2. Quah, Danny, 1997. "Empirics for growth and distribution," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 2138, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Tehmina S. Khan, 2006. "Productivity Growth, Technological Convergence, RandD, Trade, and Labor Markets: Evidence From the French Manufacturing Sector," IMF Working Papers 2006/230, International Monetary Fund.
    4. Wolfgang Keller, 2002. "Geographic Localization of International Technology Diffusion," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(1), pages 120-142, March.
    5. Johnson, Paul A., 2005. "A continuous state space approach to "Convergence by Parts"," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(3), pages 317-321, March.
    6. Fotopoulos, Georgios, 2006. "Nonparametric analysis of regional income dynamics: The case of Greece," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 91(3), pages 450-457, June.
    7. Maffezzoli Marco, 2006. "Convergence Across Italian Regions and the Role of Technological Catch-Up," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 6(1), pages 1-43, August.
    8. Antonelli, Cristiano, 2006. "Localized technological change and factor markets: constraints and inducements to innovation," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 224-247, June.
    9. Quah, Danny, 1997. "Empirics for Growth and Distribution: Stratification, Polarization, and Convergence Clubs," CEPR Discussion Papers 1586, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. S. Calligaris & M. Del Gatto & F. Hassan & G.I.P. Ottaviano & F. Schivardi, 2016. "Italy’s Productivity Conundrum. A Study on Resource Misallocation in Italy," European Economy - Discussion Papers 030, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    11. Danny Quah, 1997. "Empirics for Growth and Distribution," CEP Discussion Papers dp0324, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    12. Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2018. "Governance in Africa: Convergence or Divergence?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 38(1), pages 71-88.
    13. Quah, Danny T, 1997. "Empirics for Growth and Distribution: Stratification, Polarization, and Convergence Clubs," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 27-59, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Silvia Dal Bianco, 2016. "Going clubbing in the eighties: convergence in manufacturing sectors at a glance," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 623-659, March.
    2. Kounetas, Konstantinos & Zervopoulos, Panagiotis D., 2019. "A cross-country evaluation of environmental performance: Is there a convergence-divergence pattern in technology gaps?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 273(3), pages 1136-1148.
    3. Kounetas, Konstantinos Elias, 2018. "Energy consumption and CO2 emissions convergence in European Union member countries. A tonneau des Danaides?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 111-127.
    4. Kounetas, Kostas & Zervopoulos, Panagiotis, 2017. "Annex I and non-Annex I countries’productive performance revisited using a generalized directional distance function under a metafrontier framework: Is there any convergence-divergence pattern for tec," MPRA Paper 80904, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Kounetas, Konstantinos E. & Polemis, Michael L. & Tzeremes, Nickolaos G., 2021. "Measurement of eco-efficiency and convergence: Evidence from a non-parametric frontier analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 291(1), pages 365-378.
    6. Sebastian Weber, 2009. "European Financial Market Integration: A Closer Look at Government Bonds in Eurozone Countries," Working Paper / FINESS 1.1b, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    7. María Hierro & Adolfo Maza, 2015. "From Discrete To Continuous-Time Transition Matrices In Intra-Distribution Dynamics Analysis: An Application To Per Capita Wealth In Europe," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3), pages 227-235, July.
    8. Davide Fiaschi & Andrea Mario Lavezzi & Angela Parenti, 2020. "Deep and Proximate Determinants of the World Income Distribution," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 66(3), pages 677-710, September.
    9. Steven N. Durlauf & Andros Kourtellos & Chih Ming Tan, 2008. "Empirics of Growth and Development," Chapters, in: Amitava Krishna Dutt & Jaime Ros (ed.), International Handbook of Development Economics, Volumes 1 & 2, volume 0, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Fiaschi, Davide & Lavezzi, Andrea Mario, 2007. "Productivity polarization and sectoral dynamics in European regions," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 612-637, September.
    11. Mendez, Carlos, 2019. "Regional Efficiency Dispersion, Convergence, and Efficiency Clusters: Evidence from the Provinces of Indonesia 1990-2010," MPRA Paper 95972, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Camilla Mastromarco & Laura Serlenga & Yongcheol Shin, 2012. "Is Globalization Driving Efficiency? A Threshold Stochastic Frontier Panel Data Modeling Approach," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 563-579, August.
    13. Roberto Basile, 2014. "Regional productivity growth in Europe: a Schumpeterian perspective," Gecomplexity Discussion Paper Series 1, Action IS1104 "The EU in the new complex geography of economic systems: models, tools and policy evaluation", revised Nov 2014.
    14. Simone Gitto & Paolo Mancuso, 2015. "The contribution of physical and human capital accumulation to Italian regional growth: a nonparametric perspective," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 1-12, February.
    15. Nicholas Crafts & Anthony Venables, 2003. "Globalization in History.A Geographical Perspective," NBER Chapters, in: Globalization in Historical Perspective, pages 323-370, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Fotopoulos, Georgios, 2006. "Nonparametric analysis of regional income dynamics: The case of Greece," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 91(3), pages 450-457, June.
    17. Peter Mulder & Henri Groot, 2007. "Sectoral Energy- and Labour-Productivity Convergence," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 36(1), pages 85-112, January.
    18. Carlos Mendez-Guerra, 2018. "On the distribution dynamics of human development: Evidence from the metropolitan regions of Bolivia," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 38(4), pages 2467-2475.
    19. Andrea Mario Lavezzi & Davide Fiaschi, 2004. "Nonlinear Growth and the Productivity Slowdown," Computing in Economics and Finance 2004 162, Society for Computational Economics.
    20. Wu, Jian-Xin & He, Ling-Yun & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2019. "Does China Fall into Poverty-Environment Traps? Evidence from Long-term Income Dynamics and Urban Air Pollution," ETA: Economic Theory and Applications 285027, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Total Factor Productivity; Stochastic Kernel; Convergence; Italian Regions.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D2 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity

    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:ebl:ecbull:eb-18-00523. 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: John P. Conley (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.