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The role of ICT and Business Services in Italy

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  • Enrico Saltari

Abstract

This paper studies the role played by ICT in affecting the efficiency of business services (BS) industry, using a structural disequilibrium model of the Italian economy. The Italian BS sector presents a peculiar dynamics (compared to other EU countries) in that, after initially improving its efficiency by adopting ICT, from the early 90s it stagnated. Our estimatessuggest that this anomaly can be traced back to a structural deficiency in absorbing new technologies. Our contribution adds to the explanations of the slowdown of the Italian productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Enrico Saltari, 2012. "The role of ICT and Business Services in Italy," Working Papers in Public Economics 152, Department of Economics and Law, Sapienza University of Roma.
    • Handle: RePEc:sap:wpaper:wp152
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    business services; technologial adoption; disequilibrium model.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L84 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Personal, Professional, and Business Services
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation

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