IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/juipol/v74y2022ics0957178721001508.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of training on labour productivity in the European utilities sector: An empirical analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Pedrini, Giulio
  • Cappiello, Giuseppe

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of firm training on productivity growth among sustainable utility companies in Europe during the Great Recession (2008–2010). The empirical analysis uses an ad-hoc dataset based on the merge between financial and sustainability reporting. Evidence indicates the existence of positive effects of both training flow and training stock on average labour productivity, showing the crucial role of firm-sponsored human capital development in the utilities sector. Results and implications offer useful insights for a faster recovery of the utilities sector after severe recessions and in presence of major techno-organizational changes through countercyclical training investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Pedrini, Giulio & Cappiello, Giuseppe, 2022. "The impact of training on labour productivity in the European utilities sector: An empirical analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:juipol:v:74:y:2022:i:c:s0957178721001508
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2021.101317
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957178721001508
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jup.2021.101317?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Majumdar, Sumon, 2007. "Market conditions and worker training: How does it affect and whom?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Carvalho, Pedro & Marques, Rui Cunha & Berg, Sanford, 2012. "A meta-regression analysis of benchmarking studies on water utilities market structure," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 40-49.
    3. Iñigo Calvo-Sotomayor & Jon Paul Laka & Ricardo Aguado, 2019. "Workforce Ageing and Labour Productivity in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-16, October.
    4. Sköld, David & Fornstedt, Helena & Lindahl, Marcus, 2018. "Dilution of innovation utility, reinforcing the reluctance towards the new: An upstream supplier perspective on a fragmented electricity industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 220-231.
    5. Alan Barrett & Philip J. O'Connell, 2001. "Does Training Generally Work? The Returns to in-Company Training," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(3), pages 647-662, April.
    6. Wissner, Matthias, 2011. "ICT, growth and productivity in the German energy sector - On the way to a smart grid?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 14-19, January.
    7. Ackerberg, Daniel & Lanier Benkard, C. & Berry, Steven & Pakes, Ariel, 2007. "Econometric Tools for Analyzing Market Outcomes," Handbook of Econometrics, in: J.J. Heckman & E.E. Leamer (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 6, chapter 63, Elsevier.
    8. Lorraine Dearden & Howard Reed & John Van Reenen, 2006. "The Impact of Training on Productivity and Wages: Evidence from British Panel Data," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 68(4), pages 397-421, August.
    9. Daron Acemoglu, 1997. "Training and Innovation in an Imperfect Labour Market," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 64(3), pages 445-464.
    10. Giorgio Brunello & Pietro Garibaldi & Etienne Wasmer, 2007. "Education and training in Europe," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03415950, HAL.
    11. Roeger, Alexandra & Tavares, António F., 2018. "Water safety plans by utilities: A review of research on implementation," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 15-24.
    12. Jorge Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno & María Engracia Rochina-Barrachina, 2019. "ICT Use, Investments in R&D and Workers’ Training, Firms’ Productivity and Markups: The Case of Ecuadorian Manufacturing," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 31(4), pages 1063-1106, September.
    13. Jozef Konings & Stijn Vanormelingen, 2015. "The Impact of Training on Productivity and Wages: Firm-Level Evidence," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(2), pages 485-497, May.
    14. Emilio Colombo & Luca Stanca, 2014. "The impact of training on productivity: evidence from a panel of Italian firms," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(8), pages 1140-1158, October.
    15. Katz, Eliakim & Ziderman, Adrian, 1990. "Investment in General Training: The Role of Information and Labour Mobility," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 100(403), pages 1147-1158, December.
    16. Lynch, Lisa M. (ed.), 1994. "Training and the Private Sector," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226498102, December.
    17. Derek C. Jones & Panu Kalmi & Antti Kauhanen, 2012. "The effects of general and firm-specific training on wages and performance: evidence from banking," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 64(1), pages 151-175, January.
    18. Christian Jaag & Urs Trinkner, 2011. "The interaction between universal service costing and financing in the postal sector: a calibrated approach," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 89-110, February.
    19. Nicole M. Fortin & Thomas Lemieux & Neil Lloyd, 2021. "Labor Market Institutions and the Distribution of Wages: The Role of Spillover Effects," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(S2), pages 369-412.
    20. Almeida, Rita & Carneiro, Pedro, 2009. "The return to firm investments in human capital," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 97-106, January.
    21. Worch, Hagen & Truffer, Bernhard & Kabinga, Mundia & Eberhard, Anton & Markard, Jochen, 2013. "A capability perspective on performance deficiencies in utility firms," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 1-9.
    22. Dietz Daniel & Zwick Thomas, 2020. "Training in the Great Recession – Evidence from an Individual Perspective," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 240(4), pages 493-523, August.
    23. Sandra E. Black & Lisa M. Lynch, 2001. "How To Compete: The Impact Of Workplace Practices And Information Technology On Productivity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 83(3), pages 434-445, August.
    24. Stevens, Margaret, 1994. "A Theoretical Model of On-the-Job Training with Imperfect Competition," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 46(4), pages 537-562, October.
    25. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    26. Graf, Patricia & Jacobsen, Heike, 2021. "Institutional work in the transformation of the German energy sector," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    27. Chang, Chun & Wang, Yijiang, 1996. "Human Capital Investment under Asymmetric Information: The Pigovian Conjecture Revisited," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 14(3), pages 505-519, July.
    28. Juan Manuel Ponce Romero & Stephen H. Hallett & Simon Jude, 2017. "Leveraging Big Data Tools and Technologies: Addressing the Challenges of the Water Quality Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-19, November.
    29. Farsi, Mehdi & Filippini, Massimo, 2009. "An analysis of cost efficiency in Swiss multi-utilities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 306-315, March.
    30. Howitt, Peter & Aghion, Philippe, 1998. "Capital Accumulation and Innovation as Complementary Factors in Long-Run Growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 111-130, June.
    31. Giulio Pedrini, 2017. "Law and economics of training: a taxonomy of the main legal and institutional tools addressing suboptimal investments in human capital development," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 83-105, February.
    32. Brunello, Giorgio & Wruuck, Patricia, 2020. "Employer provided training in Europe: Determinants and obstacles," EIB Working Papers 2020/03, European Investment Bank (EIB).
    33. Martins, Pedro S., 2020. "Jobs Cronyism in Public-Sector Firms," GLO Discussion Paper Series 624, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    34. Elena Feltrinelli & Roberto Gabriele & Sandro Trento, 2017. "The Impact of Middle Manager Training on Productivity: A Test on Italian Companies," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 293-318, April.
    35. Peng, Donna & Poudineh, Rahmatallah, 2019. "Electricity market design under increasing renewable energy penetration: Misalignments observed in the European Union," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    36. J. Branston & Keith Cowling & Philip Tomlinson, 2014. "Profiteering and the degree of monopoly in the Great Recession: recent evidence from the United States and the United Kingdom," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(1), pages 135-162.
    37. Kianto, Aino & Sáenz, Josune & Aramburu, Nekane, 2017. "Knowledge-based human resource management practices, intellectual capital and innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 11-20.
    38. Acemoglu, Daron & Pischke, Jorn-Steffen, 1999. "Beyond Becker: Training in Imperfect Labour Markets," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(453), pages 112-142, February.
    39. Lisa M. Lynch, 1994. "Training and the Private Sector: International Comparisons," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number lync94-1, March.
    40. Lorenzo Sacconi, 2007. "A Social Contract Account for CSR as an Extended Model of Corporate Governance (II): Compliance, Reputation and Reciprocity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 77-96, September.
    41. Alexandra Roeger & António F. Tavares, 2020. "Do Governance Arrangements Affect the Voluntary Adoption of Water Safety Plans? An Empirical Study of Water Utilities in Portugal," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 34(5), pages 1757-1772, March.
    42. John E. Kwoka, 2005. "The comparative advantage of public ownership: evidence from U.S. electric utilities," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(2), pages 622-640, May.
    43. Arcos-Vargas, A. & Núñez-Hernández, F. & Villa-Caro, Gabriel, 2017. "A DEA analysis of electricity distribution in Spain: An industrial policy recommendation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 583-592.
    44. Ruester, Sophia & Schwenen, Sebastian & Batlle, Carlos & Pérez-Arriaga, Ignacio, 2014. "From distribution networks to smart distribution systems: Rethinking the regulation of European electricity DSOs," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 229-237.
    45. Katz, Eliakim & Ziderman, Adrian, 1990. "Shared investment in general training : the role of information," Policy Research Working Paper Series 535, The World Bank.
    46. Orley C. Ashenfelter & Henry Farber & Michael R Ransom, 2010. "Labor Market Monopsony," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 28(2), pages 203-210, April.
    47. John Kwoka, 2005. "The comparative advantage of public ownership: evidence from U.S. electric utilities," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 38(2), pages 622-640, May.
    48. Alison L. Booth & Mark L. Bryan, 2005. "Testing Some Predictions of Human Capital Theory: New Training Evidence from Britain," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 87(2), pages 391-394, May.
    49. Carter B. Casady & Kent Eriksson & Raymond E. Levitt & W. Richard Scott, 2020. "(Re)defining public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the new public governance (NPG) paradigm: an institutional maturity perspective," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 161-183, February.
    50. Arends, Marcel & Hendriks, Paul H.J., 2014. "Smart grids, smart network companies," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 1-11.
    51. Alan Felstead & Francis Green & Nick Jewson, 2012. "An analysis of the impact of the 2008–9 recession on the provision of training in the UK," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 26(6), pages 968-986, December.
    52. Elisa Arrigo, 2020. "Global Sourcing in Fast Fashion Retailers: Sourcing Locations and Sustainability Considerations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-22, January.
    53. Ichniowski, Casey & Shaw, Kathryn & Prennushi, Giovanna, 1997. "The Effects of Human Resource Management Practices on Productivity: A Study of Steel Finishing Lines," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(3), pages 291-313, June.
    54. Antonelli, Gilberto & Cappiello, Giuseppe & Pedrini, Giulio, 2013. "The Corporate University in the European utility industries," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 33-41.
    55. Geoff Mason & Kate Bishop, 2015. "The Impact of Recession on Adult Training: Evidence from the United Kingdom in 2008–2009," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 53(4), pages 736-759, December.
    56. Massarutto, Antonio, 2020. "Servant of too many masters: Residential water pricing and the challenge of sustainability," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    57. Staffan Jacobsson & Anna Bergek, 2004. "Transforming the energy sector: the evolution of technological systems in renewable energy technology," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 13(5), pages 815-849, October.
    58. Jacob Mincer, 1958. "Investment in Human Capital and Personal Income Distribution," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66, pages 281-281.
    59. John Bishop, 1994. "The Impact of Previous Training on Productivity and Wages," NBER Chapters, in: Training and the Private Sector: International Comparisons, pages 161-200, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giulio Pedrini, 2017. "Law and economics of training: a taxonomy of the main legal and institutional tools addressing suboptimal investments in human capital development," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 83-105, February.
    2. Dan A. Black & Lars Skipper & Jeffrey A. Smith & Jeffrey Andrew Smith, 2023. "Firm Training," CESifo Working Paper Series 10268, CESifo.
    3. John S Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn & Annika Pfister, 2020. "Product market competition and employer provided training in Germany [Technical change, inequality and the labor market]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 29(2), pages 533-556.
    4. Christos Bilanakos & Colin P. Green & John S. Heywood & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2017. "Do Dominant Firms Provide More Training?," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 67-95, February.
    5. G. Guidetti & G. Pedrini, 2015. "Systemic flexibility and human capital development: the relationship between non-standard employment and workplace training," Working Papers wp1019, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    6. Jozef Konings & Stijn Vanormelingen, 2015. "The Impact of Training on Productivity and Wages: Firm-Level Evidence," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(2), pages 485-497, May.
    7. Picchio, Matteo & van Ours, Jan C., 2011. "Market imperfections and firm-sponsored training," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 712-722, October.
    8. Alison L. Booth & Pamela Katic, 2011. "Men at Work in a Land Down‐Under: Testing Some Predictions of Human Capital Theory," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(1), pages 1-24, March.
    9. Andrea Bassanini & Ekkehard Ernst, 2002. "Labour market regulation, industrial relations and technological regimes: a tale of comparative advantage," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 11(3), pages 391-426, June.
    10. Maria De Paola & Vincenzo Scoppa, 2002. "Firms' Training Decisions and Unemployment in Italian Labour Markets," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 61(1), pages 103-126, June.
    11. Achyuta Adhvaryu & Namrata Kala & Anant Nyshadham, 2018. "The Skills to Pay the Bills: Returns to On-the-job Soft Skills Training," NBER Working Papers 24313, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Liu, Qing & Lu, Ruosi, 2016. "On-the-job training and productivity: Firm-level evidence from a large developing country," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 254-264.
    13. de Grip, A. & Sieben, I.J.P., 2003. "The Effects of Human Resource Management on workers' wages and firms' productivity," ROA Research Memorandum 9E, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    14. Michael Gerfin & Robert E. Leu & Reto Nyffeler, 2003. "Berufliche Weiterbildung in der Schweiz," Diskussionsschriften dp0318, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    15. Malcomson, James M. & Maw, James W. & McCormick, Barry, 2003. "General training by firms, apprentice contracts, and public policy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 197-227, April.
    16. Andries de Grip & Inge Sieben, 2005. "The effects of human resource management on small firms' productivity and employees' wages," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(9), pages 1047-1054.
    17. Daron Acemoglu & Jorn-Steffen Pischke, 1999. "The Structure of Wages and Investment in General Training," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(3), pages 539-572, June.
    18. Mohrenweiser, Jens & Zwick, Thomas, 2009. "Why do firms train apprentices? The net cost puzzle reconsidered," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 631-637, December.
    19. William Collier & Francis Green & Young-Bae Kim & John Peirson, 2011. "Education, Training and Economic Performance: Evidence from Establishment Survival Data," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 336-361, December.
    20. Jung-Seung Yang, 2022. "Dynamics of Firm’s Investment in Education and Training: An Agent-based Approach," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 60(4), pages 1317-1351, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:juipol:v:74:y:2022:i:c:s0957178721001508. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/utilities-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.