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Related variety and firm heterogeneity. What really matters for short-run firm growth?

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  • Giulio Cainelli
  • Roberto Ganau

Abstract

In recent years, two concepts have become key elements in economic geography: related variety and firm heterogeneity. The first one predicts that knowledge spillovers within a region/local system occur among firms operating in ‘different but related’ sectors. The second one assumes that knowledge spillovers can occur among ‘different’ firms belonging to the same localised sector/industrial cluster. Using a sample of 27,817 Italian manufacturing firms observed during the period 2010–2013, this paper analyses the role played by related variety and within-sector firm heterogeneity on short-run employment growth. The results suggest that both related variety and within-sector firm heterogeneity have a positive effect, although the latter has a higher impact than the former. These results confirm the role played by related variety, but identify firm heterogeneity as a potential additional source of local knowledge spillovers.

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  • Giulio Cainelli & Roberto Ganau, 2019. "Related variety and firm heterogeneity. What really matters for short-run firm growth?," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(9-10), pages 768-784, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:entreg:v:31:y:2019:i:9-10:p:768-784
    DOI: 10.1080/08985626.2019.1571636
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    Cited by:

    1. Cainelli, Giulio & Ganau, Roberto, 2021. "Knowledge spillovers, related variety and firm heterogeneity," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 114858, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Roberto Ganau & Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose, 2023. "Firm‐level productivity growth returns of social capital: Evidence from Western Europe," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(3), pages 529-551, June.
    3. Hu, Tiancheng & Guo, Rui & Ning, Lutao, 2022. "Intangible assets and foreign ownership in international joint ventures: The moderating role of related and unrelated industrial agglomeration," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    4. Ren Lu & Qing Song & Ting Xia & Daguo Lv & Torger Reve & Ze Jian, 2021. "Unpacking the U‐shaped relationship between related variety and firm sales: Evidence from Japan," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(5), pages 1136-1157, October.
    5. Ganau, Roberto & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2023. "Firm-level productivity growth returns of social capital: Evidence from Western Europe," CEPR Discussion Papers 17979, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Roberto Antonietti & Chiara Burlina, 2023. "Exploring the entropy-complexity nexus. Evidence from Italy," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 40(1), pages 257-283, April.
    7. Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, Jon Mikel & Porto Gómez, Igone & Aguirre Larracoechea, Urko, 2020. "Technological diversification: a matter of related or unrelated varieties?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

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