Growing evidence suggests that a large share of international trade transactions are made through intermediaries and that whether firms use them or not depends on different factors. In this paper, we investigate whether credit constraints introduce a degree of difference among firms in their...

Trade theory traces back different patterns of internationalization to heterogeneity between firms, measured both through differences in productivity levels and size. In this paper we analyze the link between heterogeneity within sectors and internationalization choices, namely trade and foreign...

Firm performance is known to benefit from participation in import markets. For this reason, understanding whether credit constraints hamper firms' ability to purchase foreign inputs is a relevant issue. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between financial constraints and imports of...

Firm performance is known to benefit from participation in import markets. For this reason, understanding whether credit constraints hamper firms' ability to purchase foreign inputs is a relevant issue. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between financial constraints and imports of...

We investigate if credit constraints introduce a degree of difference among firms in their mode of importing. First, we develop a simple theoretical framework highlighting the possible links between credit constraints and reliance on import intermediaries, and then use firm-level data from 66...

Environmental and quality management practices are extremely relevant for a firm’s development and international recognition. However, dealing with the standards required and obtaining an international standards certification involves costs for employee training, procedure documents, and...

The present survey aims to summarize the most relevant findings of the theoretical models on finance and growth and to relate them to the empirical evidence. Since it is too ambitious to provide a complete understanding of the existing debate, this survey describes the most relevant...