1,720,998 research outputs found
A (critical) look to composite indicator construction for European Regions
No full textThe universe of composite indicators is large and variegated, due to the multiple methods used to aggregate the individual components. The choice of the aggregation method is crucial for the construction of the composite indicator and affects the resulting ranking. In this paper we propose a comparison between five different aggregative methods with the purpose of investigating differences and similarities between them from a qualitative and quantitative point of view. To illustrate our proposal, we use five Eurostat variables at regional (NUTS2) level and we compute the correlation and the pairwise Euclidean distance between the composite indicators corresponding to the five aggregation methods considered. Moreover we identify, among the composite indicators, the one that is, respectively, most correlated and closest to the other ones. Results show that the composite indicators identified by the the correlation and distance criteria do not coincide. This suggests that the topological features of the composite indicator is quite affected by the aggregation method. Therefore the choice of the method must be the result of a well-determined objective
Agglomeration economies and the spatial configuration of local labour systems in Italy
No full textChanges in the Italian metropolitan hierarchy are explored by investigating the spatial distribution of per-land value added, assumed as a proxy of urban concentration and economic agglomeration. The analysis is carried out at the level of 686 local labour systems over the period 1996-2005. A spatial autocorrelation analysis of per-land value added standardized by population density identified the spatial structure of the main urban agglomerates and geographical gradients in Italy. An index of local competitiveness based on the elasticity of per-land value added to population density evaluated direction and intensity of change in the Italian urban hierarchy. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and non-parametric correlation analysis were run to disentangle the complexity of local development processes beyond the observed spatial and functional configuration of local districts, considering a large set of socioeconomic and territorial variables. Different levels of per-land value added discriminated local labour systems along the urban gradient, evidencing a clear North-South divide in Italy. Results definitely outline per-land value added as a proxy of the (evolving) metropolitan hierarchy in Italy
How effective are the regional policies in Europe? The role of European Funds
No full textThe European Structural and Investment Funds are the leading policy instrument through which the EU encourages growth-enhancing conditions for less well-off regions in order to make territorial cohesion within countries. In this work, we perform the Difference in Differences technique to assess the effectiveness of the 2007-2013 EU funding in achieving the convergence in employment levels across NUTS2 regions. Controlling for the socio-economic background at the regional level, a special focus is devoted to Italy. Some empirical results suggest that the EU funding was not effective enough to help the convergence for most countries
Population dynamics, agglomeration economies and municipal size: A long-term analysis
Full text linkUnder the hypothesis that modifications in municipal boundaries and creation (or suppression) of new administrative units reflect a progressive adjustment toward a more balanced distribution of population over space, the present study investigates the long-term relationship (1928-2012) between urban expansion, population dynamics and municipal area in a growing metropolitan region (Athens, Greece). In expanding regions, municipal size is a key variable outlining the amount and spatial concentration of services and infrastructures, resulting to be functionally related to population density, agglomeration factors, land availability to building and characteristic socioeconomic profiles of local communities. A statistical analysis of the relationship between population density and municipal area provides basic knowledge to policy and planning adjustments toward a more balanced spatial distribution of population and land among the local government units. Descriptive statistics, mapping, correlation analysis and linear regressions were used to assess the evolution of such relationship over a sufficiently long time period. The average municipal area in Athens decreased moderately over time, with a slight increase in spatial heterogeneity. Conversely, the average population density per municipality increased more rapidly, with a considerable reduction in spatial heterogeneity. The observed goodness-of-fit of the linear relationship between population density and municipal area increased significantly over time. The empirical results of our study indicate that municipal size has progressively adjusted to population density across metropolitan areas, determining a more balanced spatial distribution of the resident population, which was consolidated by the recent administrative reform of the local authorities in Greece (the so called ‘Kallikratis’ law). Such conditions represent a base for the informed analysis of the spatial structure of local administrative units and they contribute to the debate on the optimal size of municipalities and other administrative districts with relevant impact on both urban and metropolitan scales of governance
Evaluating the tourist satisfaction in five famous Italian cities
No full textReasoning on the satisfaction of people visiting a country or a city is very important for at least two reasons. First, more satisfied persons are more likely to spend money. Second, if they are satisfied, there will be a higher chance that they want to come back. In this paper, we investigate the perception that foreign visitors have on five cities around Italy: Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome, and Venice, which are chosen as the main destinations for travelling in Italy. By applying the counting approach and the dominance curve, we compare the perceived tourists’ satisfaction and rank the cities in terms of better performance. Data comes from the annual sample Survey on International Tourism carried out by Bank of Italy for 2016. Our results could be used by policy-makers to monitor the multidimensional aspects of tourist satisfaction in Italy, as well as to evaluate the efficiency of a given policy
A new class of composite indicators: The penalized power mean
Full text linkIn this paper we propose a new aggregation method for constructing composite indicators based on a penalization of the power mean. The idea underlying this approach consists in multiplying the power mean by a factor that accounts for the horizontal heterogeneity among indicators while penalizing units with a larger heterogeneity. In line with the minimum loss of information principle, the penalization factor proposed
is proven to be linked to the loss of information generated when the indicators are substituted with their power means. As a consequence, the aggregation approach gives rise to the class of penalized power means and the penalized Benefit of the Doubt aggregative approach. Including heterogeneity makes the aggregation approach more suitable for refined rankings. Interestingly, the penalized power mean of order one coincides
with the Mazziotta Pareto Index. Some theoretical properties of the penalized power means are proven, thus supporting the Mazziotta Pareto index. An empirical analysis of the Human Development Index in 2019 is presented. Comparisons of the rankings induced by the penalized and non-penalized Benefit of the Doubt and power mean aggregation approaches are shown. There are three main findings: the penalized power means
satisfy the properties characterizing weakly monotone aggregation functions; the penalization reduces ranking variations while differentiating units with close means; and the geometric mean provides composite indicators whose ranking is closest to those obtained with power means of different order
Inlluence of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation on the metabolic profile of patients affected by diabetes mellitus-associated late onset hypogonadism. Tirabassi G., Chelli F.M., Ciommi M., Salvio G., Lenzi A., Balercia G. 38° Congresso Nazionale SIE, Taormina, 27-30 Maggio 2015, P078
No full textStructural changes in the employment composition and wage inequality: A comparison across European countries
No full textMolti paesi stanno assistendo ad un'alterazione nella composizione della propria forza lavoro in seguito ad una progressiva diminuzione delle occupazioni con livelli intermedi di competenze. Alla luce di questi cambiamenti strutturali, si propone un'analisi comparativa della disuguaglianza salariale in Europa. La metodologia RIF, applicata a dati EU-SILC (2005-2013), permette di scorporare, dai differenziali di disuguaglianza, la quota imputabile alle dotazioni dei lavoratori da quella attribuibile alla capacità dei mercati di valorizzare tali risorse. L'assenza di una struttura di mercato ben definita, cui spesso si associa un deterioramento di tutte le occupazioni, può incidere seriamente sulla distribuzione salariale e, in tale processo, la componente "ritorno" riveste un ruolo fondamentale.For several years many countries have been experienced a progressive impoverishment of middle-skill jobs that has led to structural changes in their labour markets (job polarisation, upgrading or downgrading of occupations). This paper investigates how the shifts in the workforce affect wage inequality comparatively for a selection of European countries. The RIF regression, tested on the EU-SILC data
(2005-2013), enables us to assess how much of inequality differentials over time is accounted for by workers' endowments rather than the capabilty of country's labour market to capitalise skills. An outright deterioration of all jobs, irrespective of skill levels required, and the lack of a well-defined structure of the labour market may jeopardise wage distribution and the return effect plays a leading role in this process
Agriculture, climate change and sustainability: The case of EU-28
No full textAgriculture and climate change are characterized by a complex cause-effect relationship. The agricultural sector generates significant quantities of gas emissions that affect climate. The rise in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the increase in temperatures as well as changes in the precipitation regime have repercussions on the volume, quality and stability of the agricultural and zoo technical production, but also on the natural environment in which agriculture is practiced. Based on the above, the purpose of the paper is twofold. Firstly, through the Wroclaw Taxonomic Method, we construct a composite indicator, called the Index of Sustainable Agriculture (ISA), and analyse 28 countries that have joined the European Union from 1 July 2013 to today (EU-28) over the period 2005–2014, according to 16 variables. Secondly, the Granger-causality test for panel data is implemented in order to verify the causal relationship among the ISA, climate change and agricultural production. In other words, we test which of the three analyzed variables turns out to be the cause variable and which, instead, turns out to be the effect variable. Furthermore, we test if there is a bidirectional causality among the variables. This analysis provides a wide overview on how European countries rank according to the ISA and its three crucial pillars, i.e. environmental, economic and social. Moreover, important causality relationships among the ISA, climate changes (approximated by mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation and provided by the Climate Research Unit (CRU) Time-Series (TS) Version 3.22 of the University of East Anglia) and agricultural production (approximated by wheat and spelt yields and provided by EUROSTAT) are identified. In particular, the following hypotheses are verified: 1) there is a negative bidirectional relationship between climate change and agricultural yields; 2) there is a negative bidirectional causal relationship between climate change and sustainable agriculture; 3) conventional agriculture negatively affects sustainable agriculture
Correction to: An Iterative Approach to Stratification: Poverty at Regional Level in Italy (Social Indicators Research, (2020), 10.1007/s11205-020-02440-6) [Correction]
No full textIn the original publication of this article, the Equations 16, 17, 26, 28 and 30 has been published incorrectly
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