IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/52446.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Small and medium-sized firms' competitiveness and territorial characteristics/assets: The cases of Bari, Varna and Thessaloniki

Author

Listed:
  • METAXAS, THEODORE
  • KALLIORAS, DIMITRIS

Abstract

The paper investigates the importance of territorial characteristics/assets (i.e. agglomeration economies, urban infrastructure, factors of labor and cost, development policies, qualitative factors, inter alia) on small- and medium-sized firms’ competitiveness. The analysis uses primary data from 374 small- and medium-sized firms located in Bari (Italy), Varna (Bulgaria) and Thessaloniki (Greece). These firms operate in the sectors of industry, commerce and services. Through the use of exploratory factor analysis and econometric analysis, the importance of particular factors for the competitiveness of firms has been analyzed, coming out in valuable conclusions not only for the firms and the areas considered but also for firms and areas with similar characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Metaxas, Theodore & Kallioras, Dimitris, 2013. "Small and medium-sized firms' competitiveness and territorial characteristics/assets: The cases of Bari, Varna and Thessaloniki," MPRA Paper 52446, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:52446
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/52446/1/MPRA_paper_52446.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edward L. Glaeser, Jed Kolko, and Albert Saiz, 2001. "Consumer city," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 27-50, January.
    2. Crozet, Matthieu & Mayer, Thierry & Mucchielli, Jean-Louis, 2004. "How do firms agglomerate? A study of FDI in France," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 27-54, January.
    3. Hong Shangqin & Philip McCann & Les Oxley, 2013. "Innovation in New Zealand: issues of firm size, local market size and economic geography," Chapters, in: Frank Giarratani & Geoffrey J.D. Hewings & Philip McCann (ed.), Handbook of Industry Studies and Economic Geography, chapter 19, pages 459-478, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Mihir A. Desai & C. Fritz Foley & James R. Hines, 2004. "Economic Effects of Regional Tax Havens," NBER Working Papers 10806, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. G. M.P. Swann, 2009. "The Economics of Innovation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13211.
    6. Redding, Stephen & Venables, Anthony J., 2004. "Economic geography and international inequality," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 53-82, January.
    7. G.A. Marlet & C. van Woerkens, 2005. "Tolerance, aesthetics, amenities or jobs? Dutch city attraction to the creative class," Working Papers 05-33, Utrecht School of Economics.
    8. Daniel J. Graham, 2007. "Agglomeration Economies and Transport Investment," OECD/ITF Joint Transport Research Centre Discussion Papers 2007/11, OECD Publishing.
    9. Disdier, Anne-Celia & Mayer, Thierry, 2004. "How different is Eastern Europe? Structure and determinants of location choices by French firms in Eastern and Western Europe," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 280-296, June.
    10. Vernon Henderson, J., 1986. "Urbanization in a developing country : City size and population composition," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 269-293.
    11. Doeringer, Peter & Evans-Klock, Christine & Terkla, David, 2004. "What attracts high performance factories? Management culture and regional advantage," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 591-618, September.
    12. Emilia Vázquez Rozas, 2009. "Foreign Direct Investment In The Southern And The New Acceding European Countries: Replacement Of Activities?," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 9(1).
    13. White, Halbert, 1980. "A Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimator and a Direct Test for Heteroskedasticity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(4), pages 817-838, May.
    14. Keith Head & Thierry Mayer, 2004. "Market Potential and the Location of Japanese Investment in the European Union," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(4), pages 959-972, November.
    15. Devereux, Michael P. & Griffith, Rachel, 1998. "Taxes and the location of production: evidence from a panel of US multinationals," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 335-367, June.
    16. Rebecca Henderson & Iain Cockburn, 1994. "Measuring Competence? Exploring Firm Effects in Pharmaceutical Research," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(S1), pages 63-84, December.
    17. Robert J. Rogerson, 1999. "Quality of Life and City Competitiveness," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 36(5-6), pages 969-985, May.
    18. Henry Kaiser, 1958. "The varimax criterion for analytic rotation in factor analysis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 23(3), pages 187-200, September.
    19. Doutriaux, J. & Barker, M., 1995. "The University-Industry Relationship in Science and Technology," Gouvernement du Canada - Industrial Organization 11, Gouvernement du Canada - Industry Canada.
    20. Chang, Shih-Chia & Yang, Chen-Lung & Cheng, Hsin-Chia & Sheu, Chwen, 2003. "Manufacturing flexibility and business strategy: An empirical study of small and medium sized firms," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(1), pages 13-26, January.
    21. Lee Cronbach, 1951. "Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 16(3), pages 297-334, September.
    22. Theodore Metaxas, 2011. "The Entrepreneurial Capacity Of Local Authorities In South-Eastern Europe - An Enterprise Perspective," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 6(1), pages 18-36, March.
    23. Galindo-Rueda, Fernando & Haskel, Jonathan, 2005. "Skills, Workforce Characteristics and Firm-Level Productivity: Evidence from the Matched ABI/Employer Skills Survey," IZA Discussion Papers 1542, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    24. Nachum, Lilach & Keeble, David, 2003. "MNE linkages and localised clusters: foreign and indigenous firms in the media cluster of Central London," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 171-192.
    25. Trofimenko, Natalia, 2010. "Factors affecting location decisions of the economic headliners - exporters and foreign-owned firms - in China," Kiel Working Papers 1645, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    26. Pison, Greet & Rousseeuw, Peter J. & Filzmoser, Peter & Croux, Christophe, 2003. "Robust factor analysis," Journal of Multivariate Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 145-172, January.
    27. Johansson, U. & Elg, U., 2002. "Relationships as entry barriers: a network perspective," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 393-419, September.
    28. Papadaskalopoulos, Athanasios & Karaganis, Anastasios & Christofakis, Manolis, 2005. "The spatial impact of EU Pan-European transport axes: City clusters formation in the Balkan area and developmental perspectives," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(6), pages 488-499, November.
    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. Metaxas, Theodore & Duquenne, Marie Noelle, 2015. "Small and Medium Sized Firms’ Competitiveness and Territorial Characteristics by using a MLR approach," MPRA Paper 66848, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Theodore METAXAS & Athina ECONOMOU, 2016. "Assesing The Determinantts Of Firms’ Competitiveness In Greece: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysys," Review of Economic and Business Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 17, pages 91-113, June.
    3. METAXAS, Theodore, 2011. "Territorial Assets And Firms’ Competitiveness In Southern Europe: Industrial Vs Commercial Firms Using Exploratory Factor Analysis," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 11(1).
    4. Metaxas, Theodore & Economou, Athina, 2012. "Assessing the determinants of Firms’ Competitiveness in Greece: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis," MPRA Paper 42794, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Theodore Metaxas, 2012. "Urban Advantages and Disadvantages in Southeastern Europe: An Appreciation of Industrial Firms by Using Exploratory Factor Analysis," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 81-104.
    6. Mayer, T. & Mejean, I. & Nefussi, B., 2010. "The location of domestic and foreign production affiliates by French multinational firms," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 115-128, September.
    7. Riccardo Crescenzi & Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti, 2012. "Innovation Drivers, Value Chains and the Geography of Multinational Firms in European Regions," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 53, European Institute, LSE.
    8. Marc-Andreas Muendler & Sascha O. Becker, 2010. "Margins of Multinational Labor Substitution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(5), pages 1999-2030, December.
    9. Roberto Basile & Davide Castellani & Antonello Zanfei, 2009. "National boundaries and the location of multinational firms in Europe," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 88(4), pages 733-748, November.
    10. Disdier, Anne-Celia & Mayer, Thierry, 2004. "How different is Eastern Europe? Structure and determinants of location choices by French firms in Eastern and Western Europe," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 280-296, June.
    11. Aikaterini Kokkinou & Yannis Psycharis, 2005. "Foreign Direct Investment and Regional Attractiveness in Southeastern European countries," ERSA conference papers ersa05p382, European Regional Science Association.
    12. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/c8dmi8nm4pdjkuc9g8mcgcdbi is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Matthieu Crozet, 2004. "Do migrants follow market potentials? An estimation of a new economic geography model," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(4), pages 439-458, August.
    14. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/c8dmi8nm4pdjkuc9g8mcgcdbi is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Basile, Roberto & Castellani, Davide & Zanfei, Antonello, 2008. "Location choices of multinational firms in Europe: The role of EU cohesion policy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 328-340, March.
    16. Nielsen, Bo Bernhard & Asmussen, Christian Geisler & Weatherall, Cecilie Dohlmann, 2017. "The location choice of foreign direct investments: Empirical evidence and methodological challenges," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 62-82.
    17. Nelly Exbrayat, 2008. "The Impact of Trade Integration and Agglomeration Economies on Tax Interactions : Evidence from OECD Countries," Post-Print hal-00270067, HAL.
    18. Riccardo Crescenzi & Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti, 2014. "Innovation drivers, value chains and the geography of multinational corporations in Europe," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(6), pages 1053-1086.
    19. Mayer, T. & Mejean, I. & Nefussi, B., 2010. "The location of domestic and foreign production affiliates by French multinational firms," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 115-128, September.
    20. Jonas Kleineick & Andrea Ascani & Martijn Smit, 2020. "Multinational investments across Europe: a multilevel analysis," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 40(1), pages 67-105, April.
    21. Marie-Line Duboz & Nathalie Kroichvili & Julie Le Gallo, 2016. "Do Foreign Investors’ Location Determinants in Service Functions Differ According to Sectors? An Empirical Analysis of EU for 1997 to 2011," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 39(4), pages 417-456, October.
    22. Andrea Ascani & Riccardo Crescenzi & Simona Iammarino, 2015. "Economic Institutions and the Location Strategies of European Multinationals in their Geographical Neighbourhood," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 97, European Institute, LSE.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    firms’ competitiveness; territorial characteristics/assets; exploratory factor analysis; econometric analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R50 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:pra:mprapa:52446. 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: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    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.