121,807 research outputs found
The Political Economy of Managerial Delegation with Unionized Labor Markets
No full textThe separation in large corporations of ownership from management and the presence of unions in labor markets represent two important widely occurring features of modern economies. Moreover, their importance also seems to be related to the degree of imperfect competition in product markets, since there are theoretically and empirically reasons suggesting that imperfections in the labor market are correlated with imperfections in the product market. This chapter provides a review of the recent contributions in the Industrial Organization game-theoretical literature which analyze the interplay between managerial delegation and union wage bargaining in imperfectly competitive markets. In particular, while the earliest strategic delegation literature points out that delegating strategic decisions to managers acts as a commitment device with a view to altering product market competition, in the presence of unionization, managerial delegation contracts can also be used by firms’ owners to commit to an employment policy, which impacts on the wage bargaining process. The role highlighted by the literature of this wage or bargaining effect related to managerial delegation contracts in affecting product and labor market outcomes, structure and institutions is presented and discussed. Notably, by investigating such issues, those works also contribute to the positive political economy literature. This is because, on the one hand, the underlying processes are based on rational choice and strategic behavior by firms and, on the other hand, their concern includes market institutions and change, as well as welfare and policy implications
Concorrenza ed efficienza nel mercato del commercio elettronico
No full textAs the Internet develops into a robust channel for (e)commerce, many experts state that in online markets competition would be stronger, prices would be much lower and so the market seems to approximate the competitive paradigm. Is this view correct? In this paper we review the growing literature on e-commerce and its market structure, and we analyze, in particular, how the typical ex-post intervention of competition policy could be applied in order to increase digital markets efficiency
TRANSITIONS OUT OF UNEMPLOYMENT: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS' TOPOLOGY AND FIRMS' RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES
No full textIn this paper we study the effects of job contact networks on out-of-unemployment transitions. We find that social connections produce sizable increases in upward mobility from unemployment and, caeteris paribus, symmetric network topologies perform better than asymmetric ones. Furthermore, in scale-free networks the probability of transitions out of unemployment increases in the exponent of the power-law degree distribution, but its value is much lower than the one attainable in Poisson random networks. In addition, and most interestingly, these results strongly depends on the different hypotheses on the firms' recruitment strategy
Rural entrepreneurs and institutional assistance: an empirical study from mountainous Italy
No full textDespite the recognition of entrepreneurship as one of the main determinants of rural economic development, empirical research in this field is relatively sparse. Thus, there is little evidence on the role and function of rural entrepreneurs, the driving force behind the birth, survival and growth of rural enterprises. The present work aims at providing a contribution to filling this gap in knowledge. We present and analyse the results emerging from a questionnaire submitted to a sample of 123 rural entrepreneurs and businesses in a mountainous area of central Italy. In particular, we test for six hypotheses concerning the correlation between different factors, reflecting entrepreneur and business-specific characteristics, and the adoption of instruments of institutional assistance. Entrepreneur's and business's variables are related to (1) entrepreneurial human capital; (2) entrepreneur's local knowledge and social capital; (3) firm's size; (4) entrepreneur's age; (5) firm's age; and (6) busines's sector of activity. Empirical results largely support the importance of variables taken into consideration in explaining differences in the adoption of institutional assistance among businesses of the sample. In the light of our empirical findings, we also examine and propose potential policies for fostering entrepreneurship and the development of the rural region under study
Job Contact Networks, Inequality and Aggregate Output
No full textIn this paper we study the effects of social networks on wage inequality and aggregate production. In particular, we consider a simplified version of the model by Calvò-Armengol and Jackson (2003), with good and bad jobs and skilled and unskilled workers. Our findings are: i) increasing the number of social links increases aggregate output and may reduce inequality; ii) given a number of social connections, output increases if the average distance among worker decreases; iii) a more mixed and well-integrated society, that is a society in which heterogeneous workers share social links, produces more output and less inequality than a society in which some workers are isolated, when productivity of the most productive agents in the best jobs is sufficiently low. We draw some policy implications from these results
Carriere e "tornei" come incentivi nel pubblico impiego: una valutazione teorica alla luce dei recenti sviluppi normativi e contrattuali
No full textIn this paper the possibility to introduce high-powered incentive schemes in public organizations is analyzed taking into account the attempts to reform public service in Italy since Dlgs n. 29/93 until the most recent normative and contractual developments. A simple formal model of promotions is presented and is examined by introducing typical features of public employment such as pensions, lateral entry restrictions and job security. From this model it emerges that with a well-defined system of promotions it is possible to introduce high-powered incentives even when dismissal is not an issue and out-put is hard to measure. In this perspective the last part of the paper is concerned with "tournaments" as means to define promotions. It is pointed out what could be the advantages and the disadvantages of using tournaments in the public sector especially when public employees are risk-adverse as empirical evidence seems to confirm
Competition, efficiency and market structure in online digital markets. An overview and policy implications
No full textAs the Internet develops into a robust channel for (e)commerce, many experts state that in online markets competition would be stronger, prices would be much lower and so the market seems to approximate the competitive paradigm. Is this view correct? In this paper we review the growing literature on ecommerce and its market structure, and we analyze, in particular, how the typical expost intevention of competition policy could be applied in order to increase digital markets efficienc
Microfabric study on the deformational and thermal history of the Alpi Apuane marbles (Carrara marbles), Italy
No full textMarbles from different geometrical and structural positions within the Alpi Apuane metamorphic complex show a large variability in microfabric types as indicated by microstructure, c-axis orientation and temperature analysis. Statically recrystallized samples showing a granoblastic microstructure and polygonal grain boundaries are characterized by a grain size variation from east to west from 80-100 μm to 250-300 μm. This is correlated with an equilibration calcite-dolomite temperature from 360-380°C to 420°-430°C. Two kinds of dynamically recrystallized microstructures have been investigated: a first one exhibiting coarse grains (150-200 μm) with lobate grain boundaries and a strong shape preferred orientation and a second one characterized by a smaller grain size (40-50 μm) and predominantly straight grain boundaries. These microstructural types, associated with localized post-thermal peak shear zones and meter- to kilometer-scale folds, are interpreted as related to high strain and high temperature crystal plastic deformation mechanisms (dislocation creep) associated with predominant grain boundary migration (type-B1) or subgrain-rotation recrystallization (type-B2). These differences in dynamically recrystallized microstructures are related to equilibration temperatures higher in type-B1 (390°C) than in type-B2 (370-340°C). We have been able to relate the development of the different microfabric types to the successive stages of deformation of the Alpi Apuane metamorphic complex. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Marbles from different geometrical and structural positions within the Alpi Apuane metamorphic complex show a large variability in microfabric types as indicated by microstructure, c-axis orientation and temperature analysis. Statically recrystallized samples showing a granoblastic microstructure and polygonal grain boundaries are characterized by a grain size variation from east to west from 80-100 μm to 250-300 μm. This is correlated with an equilibration calcite-dolomite temperature from 360-380°C to 420°-430°C. Two kinds of dynamically recrystallized microstructures have been investigated: a first one exhibiting coarse grains (150-200 μm) with lobate grain boundaries and a strong shape preferred orientation and a second one characterized by a smaller grain size (40-50 μm) and predominantly straight grain boundaries. These microstructural types, associated with localized post-thermal peak shear zones and meter- to kilometer-scale folds, are interpreted as related to high strain and high temperature crystal plastic deformation mechanisms (dislocation creep) associated with predominant grain boundary migration (type-B1) or subgrain-rotation recrystallization (type-B2). These differences in dynamically recrystallized microstructures are related to equilibration temperatures higher in type-B1 (390°C) than in type-B2 (370-340°C). We have been able to relate the development of the different microfabric types to the successive stages of deformation of the Alpi Apuane metamorphic complex
Microstructure evolution in marble tectonites within a crustal-scale shear zone (Alpi Apuane, Italy)
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