Conventional explanations of diversification and multinationality both point to the existence of intangible assets as a driving force. Using a new database of leading EU firms in 100 NACE 3-digit industries, we devise a classificatory scheme which allows us to analyze multinationality and...

Unlike traditional studies on the efficiency-enhancing effect of ownership changes – which use either profitability measures or stock prices – this paper measures the effect of acquisitions directly on acquired firms’ technical efficiency. Using a panel of Italian firms in the pasta...

The use of regulations for the testing of quality requisites. Reference chart for the new set-up of the organisation of production processes regarding goods and services. ISO 9000 norms

Public policies are even more interested in vocational training issues because spillovers fall on the labor market, and then on life quality. Reports of the European Commission registered that women are disadvantaged subjects on the labor market but, at the same time, they are more ambitious and...

This paper examines the behaviour of the main operators in friction car components and in asbestos-cement during the transitional phase to alternative tecnologies after the introduction of law N. 257 in 1992. It considers the safety measures started up, the waste treatment in asbestos...

The industrial policy - aimed at improving the process of internationalization of the Italian industrial system - must consider both the foreign direct investments (FDIs) in Italy, and the Italian investments abroad.Both policies are necessary even if the first one creates new jobs and the...

In the light of the recent European environmental regulation, in Italy, waste collection management has been involved in some important changes both from environmental and management point of view. From the one hand, firms want to maximize the quantity of collected Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)...

This paper studies the industrial structure of the machine tool sector in Japan. We tried to face both the evolution of its economic variables, and the most important factors of its strength and weakness. After having considered the start-up and the development of this industry (chapter 1), in...

The analysis of the technology and costs of the gas distribution networks highlights that the number of customers is more important than the amount of gas delivered, as well as the absence of economies of scale, the presence of economies of density and the significant role of the morphologic and...