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Entrepreneurship and the Hidden Economy: an Extended Matching Model

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  • Gaetano Lisi

    (University of Cassino)

  • Maurizio Pugno

    (University of Cassino)

Abstract

This paper develops a standard matching model to address the problem of the hidden sector (including non-registered firms but producing for legal markets), as it is characterised in Italy, i.e. framed in a rather advanced economic and institutional setting, but also linked to the socio-economic regional dualism. The main novel features of the model are that entrepreneurial ability is heterogeneous, and that regular firms receive negative externalities from the hidden sector, and positive externalities from the other regular firms. Not only does an interior equilibrium emerge, but two stable equilibria are possible, thus accounting for Italy’s dualism. The “bad” equilibrium with respect to the “good” one is in fact characterised by a larger hidden sector, lower levels of overall productivity, output, entrepreneurial ability used, extra-profits, skilled employment, wages, and investment in education, as well as positive externalities; while the negative externalities, which may capture the pressure typically exerted by organised crime, are relatively greater.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaetano Lisi & Maurizio Pugno, 2009. "Entrepreneurship and the Hidden Economy: an Extended Matching Model," Working Papers 2009-04, Universita' di Cassino, Dipartimento di Economia e Giurisprudenza.
    • Handle: RePEc:css:wpaper:2009-04
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    Cited by:

    1. Hans-Georg Petersen & Ulrich Thiessen, 2010. "Editors' Introduction: Shadow Economy in High Income Countries - Much Ado about Nothing?," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 413-419.
    2. Aristidis Bitzenis & Vasileios Vlachos & Friedrich Schneider, 2016. "An Exploration of the Greek Shadow Economy: Can Its Transfer into the Official Economy Provide Economic Relief Amid the Crisis?," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(1), pages 165-196, January.
    3. Gaetano Lisi & Maurizio Pugno, 2015. "A matching model of endogenous growth and underground firms," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 11(4), pages 347-369, December.
    4. Gaetano Lisi & Maurizio Pugno, 2010. "The Underground Economy in a Matching Model of Endogenous Growth," Working Papers 2010-07, Universita' di Cassino, Dipartimento di Economia e Giurisprudenza.
    5. Gaetano Lisi & Maurizio Pugno, 2011. "Tax Morale, Entrepreneurship, and the Irregular Economy," Czech Economic Review, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, vol. 5(2), pages 116-131, August.
    6. Lisi, G., 2011. "Entrepreneurship, On-the-job Search and Informal Jobs," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, issue 9, pages 33-46.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    entrepreneurship; hidden economy; shadow economy; underground economy; matching models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E26 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Informal Economy; Underground Economy
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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