Quantifying productivity is a conditio sine qua non for empirical analysis in a number of research fields. The identification of the measure that best fits with the specific goals of the analysis, as well as being data-driven, is currently complicated by the fact that an array of methodologies...

Payment services, cash withdrawals and estimate of the shadow economy: an inquiry on the Italian case - Abstract This paper contributes to the debate on the assessment of the size of the shadow economy within the Currency Demand Approach (CDA), answering to the following question: are the...

This study contributes to the debate on estimating the size of underground economy, by proposing a reinterpretation of the Currency Demand Approach (CDA). Three main innovations are introduced. First, a direct measure of cash transactions is taken as dependent variable in the money demand...

This study contributes to the debate on estimating the size of underground economy, by proposing a reinterpretation of the Currency Demand Approach (CDA). Three main innovations are introduced. First, a direct measure of cash transactions is taken as dependent variable in the money demand...

This paper focuses on the perspective role of Mutual Loan-Guarantee Consortia (MLGC) in mitigating credit constraints for SMEs located in the Italian Mezzogiorno. First, we argue how the functioning of MLGC fits into the theory of bank-firm relationships, also referring to the scarce empirical...

This article is aimed at testing the catching up hypothesis for the Italian regions. The use of Malmquist productivity indices allows to decompose productivity growth into technological progress and technical efficiency change, interpreted respectively as innovation and catching up measurements....

In order to assess the relationship between internal and external innovative inputs and innovative output at firm level, a knowledge production function is estimated for a representative sample of Italian manufacturing firms over the period 1998-2003. To account for endogeneity of R&D effort in...

Abstract: In this paper we assess the relevance of both knowledge creation and diffusion processes in affecting Italian SMEs’ propensity to innovate. In doing so a knowledge production function (KPF) is estimated for a representative sample of small and medium manufacturing firms over the...