311 research outputs found
The economics of collective reputation: Evidence from the wine industry
No full textWe use original data regarding the array of Italian winery coalitions (wine denominations) to analyze the economics and determinants of collective reputation. We first run a cross-sectional analysis with 2008 data and the full set of control variables, then move to the dynamics of collective reputation with panel data analysis on a 30-year time span (1978–2008). Group reputation is history-dependent. In particular, past bad collective behavior increases the probability of being stuck in a “bad reputation trap.” Minimum quality standards and effective enforcement are fundamental drivers of group reputation. The relationship between group size and collective reputation is non-linear: free entry may not be optimal due to free-riding problems. Finally, institutional signals such as the wine classification system are useful because they can be used by consumers as easily available proxies for information that is much more difficult to acquire
Reputazione individuale e collettiva: evidenze dal mercato vinicolo
No full textThe concept of reputation has been used in every field of economic research, given its capacity to affect the outcome of all economic and financial transactions. The theoretical debate on reputation is very rich, but the mechanisms of reputation building have not been explored enough from the empirical viewpoint. In this paper we investigate the determinants of firm reputation taking into consideration the interactions between individual and collective reputation. This paper is one of the first attempts to provide robust evidence on the determinants of firm reputation using a large set of controls applied to a database not affected by self-selection bias. In fact, we constructed a new database containing the "universe" of wineries located in four regions of the North-West of Italy with an established national reputation and focus on the determinants of the «jump» from national to international reputation. Our research confirms the prediction of the theoretical literature and shows the positive effect of firm age, size, investments and producer's intrinsic motivations, and of collective reputation on individual firm reputation. Cooperatives seem to decrease their reputation when the number of associated members rises, due to free-riding and traceability problems. In contrast with previous research, relying on well-known external consultants does not acquire any outside reputation. Finally, by comparing the regression results on the determinants of national and international reputation it emerges the relevance of the mechanisms of the evaluation process: the higher proximity to the wineries of a national observer permits a better and more technical knowledge of the quality provided, allowing small "niche" producers with very low productivity to emerge and be known. For the same reason, the national classification system (i.e. the DOCG system) exerts a significant effect only on the international reputation of wineries, but not on the national one where the effect of collective reputation (i.e. the reputation of single denominations like Barolo) seems to prevail
Seller Reputation: Individual, Collective, and Institutional Factors
No full textIn this paper, we study firm reputation by investigating the interaction between individual reputations of Italian wineries and a large set of (possible) determinants. With respect to winery reputation, we find a positive effect for firm age and size and producer’s intrinsic motivations and a negative effect for outsourcing, while horizontal differentiation, ownership status, and hiring well-known consultants play no role. Further, collective reputation and institutional regulation exert a significantly positive effect on individual reputation
Stay or flee? Hit-and-run accidents, darkness and probability of punishment
No full textEmpirical studies on the economic theory of crime have extensively analyzed the importance of the probability of punishment with regard to premeditated criminal activities. Unplanned crimes also occur, however, and this paper will focus on a very serious and widespread example: the hit-and-run road accident. Using police records for every road accident with injuries or mortalities that took place in Italy in the period 1996–2016, we rely on changes in daylight, both when switching between daylight saving time and winter time and across seasons, as an exogenous source of variation affecting the probability of apprehension and find that the likelihood of hit-and-run conditional on an accident taking place increases by around 20% with darkness. Our results suggest that policies increasing the likelihood of apprehension could be effective in reducing hit-and-run
National or Local Infodemic? The Demand for News in Italy during COVID-19
No full textInformation can have an important impact on health behavior and, according to the World Health Organization, an ‘infodemic’ has accompanied the current pandemic. Observing TV news viewership in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic using actual consumption data, we investigate whether demand for national and local news depends on national or local epidemiological developments, as measured by the number of new positives or the number of current positives on any given day. Exploiting the fact that the impact of the pandemic displays a great deal of variation among the different regions, we find that at the regional level, demand for both national and local news responds to national epidemiological developments rather than to local ones. This has implications regarding the incentives for local politicians to take preventive action
Tasters’ bias in wine guides’ quality evaluations
No full textUsing a new database on Italian wines rated by the Guida dei Vini di Veronelli from 2004 to 2009, we show that the tasters’ quality evaluations are affected by two sources of personal bias, namely generosity and personal preferences towards certain types of wine characteristics
Chone usticensis Giangrande & Licciano & Castriota 2006, sp. nov.
No full textChone usticensis sp. nov. Figures 2 –4 Material examined Type material: Holotype, MNCN 16.01/10325, collected by L. Castriota at station A, 38°41.50’ N 13°09.78’ E, in November 1997, at 50 m depth on a softbottom mainly composed of medium sand, biogenic and volcanic particles, together with a significant amount of red calcareous algae. Paratypes, MNCN 16.01/10326, 3 specimens from the same station. Nontype material from the same locality (held in the personal collection of A. Giangrande): station A, 20 specimens Nov 96, 11 specimens July 97, 25 specimens November 97; station B, 48 specimens November 96, 40 specimens July 97, 59 specimens November 97; station C, 35 specimens November 96, 8 specimens July 97, 522 specimens November 97. Description Holotype complete, with 8 thoracic and 30 abdominal chaetigers (Fig. 2A). Branchial crown length 10 mm, total thoraxabdomen length 20 mm, maximum width 2.5 mm. Branchial lobes each with 10 fully developed radioles and one to two ventral radiolar appendages (Fig. 3A); radioles with palmate membrane for less than half of their length; radiolar flanges present distally to palmate membrane, but with radioles terminating as very long filaments (Fig. 2B). All pinnules of similar length. Radiolar skeleton axis composed of two rows of cells; outer surfaces of radioles flat. Dorsal lips pointed, longer than wide, radiolar appendages not visible, with one or two pinnular appendages. Ventral lips rounded, with radiolar appendage (Fig. 3A, B). Collar high with a middorsal narrow gap, and slightly higher ventrally (Fig. 2C), ventral lobe of anterior peristomial ring pointed and extending slightly beyond ventral collar margin (Fig. 2D). Thoracic notopodia in chaetiger 1 with 4 narrowly hooded chaetae. Notopodial fascicle from chaetigers 2–8 with superior group of 3–4 elongate narrowly hooded chaetae (Fig. 4C) and inferior group with 4–5 paleate chaetae posteriorly and 4–5 bayonet type anteriorly. Paleate chaetae with long tip (Fig. 4D). Neuropodial acicular uncini in number of about 13 per torus, with a series of small teeth of similar size over the main fang, with hood present, and breast only developed as slight swelling; handles very long (Fig. 4E, F). Abdominal neuropodial fascicles with modified, elongate narrowly hooded chaetae, longer in the posterior segment (Fig. 4A, B). Abdominal notopodia with 12–13 avicular uncini, with main fang surmounted by 5–6 rows of small teeth, breast rectangular, not extending beyond distal end of proximal tooth, handles absent. Intertorus variation in morphology present, with uncini from anterior abdominal segments as in Fig. 4H, and uncini from posterior abdominal segments as in Fig 4I. Intratorus variation present as well (Fig. 4G). Pygidium triangular with long cirrus (Fig. 2A, E). Thoracic ventral glandular shields visible in thoracic chaetigers. Body cream coloured. Tube not observed. Remarks Chone usticensis together with another Mediterranean species, C. filicaudata Southern, 1914, and C. americana Day, 1973, have a pygidial cirrus filament. Chone usticensis and C. filicaudata differ in the radiolar flanges which in C. filicaudata are developed until the end of radioles, in the length of palmate membrane, shorter in C. usticensis, in the shape of the paleate chaetae, wider in C. usticensis, and in the shape of the anterior peristomial ring lobe, entire and not incised in C. usticensis. Concerning the latter feature, C. usticensis is similar to C. americana, but differs in the shape of the thoracic uncini, which in C. americana are provided with teeth of unequal size above the main fang (TovarHernández 2005), in the shape of the collar, ventrally lower in C. americana, in the shape of thoracic paleate chaetae, which has a longer tip in C. usticensis, and in the shape of abdominal uncini, which in C. americana have a smaller number of teeth over the main fang. Chone usticensis also shows similarity to some Mediterranean specimens previously collected and reported as Chone sp. (Giangrande 1992). However, the features of the branchial crown, a lower palmate membrane and a shorter filiform tips of the radioles, distinguishes this taxon from C. usticensis. Most of the specimens of the examined population were small sized (around 10 mm in total length). The holotype was selected from the bestpreserved larger specimens because we assume it to be an adult, although gametes were not detected. Oocytes in the abdomen have been observed in some nontype material of a similar size as the holotype. The number of dorsal pinnular appendages seems to vary according to the size of individuals, with only one in smaller (Fig. 3A), and two in larger specimens (Fig. 3B). Type locality Offshore on South Coast of Ustica Island at 38°41.50’ N 13°09.78’ E. Etymology The species is named after the type locality.Published as part of Giangrande, Adriana, Licciano, Margherita & Castriota, Luca, 2006, Description of Chone usticensis sp. nov. (Polychaeta, Sabellidae) from the Mediterranean Sea, pp. 51-58 in Zootaxa 1168 on pages 53-57, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.264553
Points or Prison? The Effects of Different Sanctions on Driving Behavior
No full textWe compare two reforms aimed at reducing road accidents in Italy. The Penalty Points System (PPS) provides drivers with a score and curtails points after infractions. The license is temporarily suspended when points are exhausted. Losing points is easy, but the penalty is mild. The Road Homicide (RH) introduces heavy penalties in the rare event of injuries and/or fatalities. In terms of probability and intensity of the penalty the two policies are therefore diametrically opposed. We find that injuries and fatalities decrease more with PPS than with RH. Comparing costs and benefits, we conclude that strong penalties are not beneficial
Does social capital matter? A study of hit-and-run in US counties
No full textWe investigate the relationship between social capital and a decision that has dire health consequences: fleeing after a road accident. This event is unplanned, and the decision is taken under great emotional distress and time pressure, thus providing a test of whether social capital matters for behaviour in extreme conditions. We merge data from the universe of fatality accidents involving pedestrians in the US over the period 2000–2018 with a dataset on social capital measures at the county level. Using within-state-year variation, our results show that one standard deviation increase in social capital is associated with a reduction in the probability of hit-and-run of around 10.5%. Several falsification tests based on differences in social capital endowment between the county where the accident occurs and the county where the driver resides are suggestive of a causal interpretation of this evidence. Our findings show the importance of social capital in a new context, suggesting a broad impact on pro-social behaviour and adding to the positive returns of promoting civic norms
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