With globalization nation States have become unable to provide effective governance of economic activity; two problems arise: the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of international regulation bodies, and their compatibility with the sovereignty of individual nation States. Both formal and...

The empirical evidence concerning the impact of R&D subsidies on both sides of the innovation process (input and output) and the overall performance of the firm is mixed. Moreover, while the role of regions in implementing innovation policies has increased since the last decade, little is known...

Quality management and customer satisfaction evaluation can be difficult tasks to perform when processes involve multiple production lines or provide multichannel services. As a consequence, the top management needs to check the quality from different perspectives and to evaluate the improvement...

In the recent years a large literature on indicators of well-being and quality of life has proliferated, all departing from a strict economic view of these phenomena. While all these indicators sign an important step for the recognition of well-being as a multidimensional phenomenon, they are...

After years of preconceptions about co-operatives in developing countries, scholars and international institutions have re-evaluated their role particularly in poverty reduction strategies. Crucial condition is that co-operatives are considered as genuine, authentically participatory...

In time of worry for large deficits, the question on whether direct democracy can be a problem or a promise to better rule modern societies may arise. Both theoretical and empirical studies provide mixed answers. This paper investigates both the indirect (i.e. the existence) and the direct...

In this paper we examine the relationship between air pollution and hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Italy, at province level, over the period 2004- 2009. To this end, we use information on annual mean concentrations of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide,...

This paper contributes to the issue of the uneven distribution of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects among developing countries. By applying a gravity model to a panel dataset at bilateral country level, we find that well-established export flows from developed economies towards...

The objective of this paper is to explore why some countries perform better than others in managing the current economic crisis, which started in 2007 in the US financial sector. I will elaborate on this question using the Crisis Management Index, taking into consideration GDP and labour market...

From the period of Unification until the mid-seventies of last century, Italy – latter a country of immigration – has witnessed considerable migratory flows towards foreign countries. In the paper are analyzed, from a predominantly demographic perspective, the outflows which covered the...