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Wage--size relation and the structure of work-force composition in Italian manufacturing firms

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  • Giulio Bottazzi
  • Marco Grazzi

Abstract

In this paper we study the impact of firms' productivity and scale of activity on the cost of labour for Italian manufacturing firms, investigating how the work-force composition affects the total expenditures for wages. Our analysis reveals that once productivity differences among firms are accounted for, size still retains a positive effect on cost of labour. We show that the source of this phenomenon is the relatively higher proportion of non-production workers in bigger firms, which results in a cost of labour for white collar workers that increases with increasing firm size. Copyright The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Giulio Bottazzi & Marco Grazzi, 2010. "Wage--size relation and the structure of work-force composition in Italian manufacturing firms," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 34(4), pages 649-669.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:cambje:v:34:y:2010:i:4:p:649-669
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/cje/bep046
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Francesco Bogliacino & Dario Guarascio & Valeria Cirillo, 2015. "Where Does the Surplus Go? Disentangling the Capital-Labor Distributive Conflict," Documentos de Trabajo, Escuela de Economía 13535, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, FCE, CID.
    2. Francesco Bogliacino & Dario Guarascio & Valeria Cirillo, 2018. "The dynamics of profits and wages: technology, offshoring and demand," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(8), pages 778-808, September.
    3. André Lorentz & Tommaso Ciarli & Maria Savona & Marco Valente, 2016. "The effect of demand-driven structural transformations on growth and technological change," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 219-246, March.
    4. Ciarli, Tommaso & Savona, Maria, 2019. "Modelling the Evolution of Economic Structure and Climate Change: A Review," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 51-64.
    5. Marco Grazzi, 2009. "Trade and Profitability: Is there an export premium? Evidence from Italian manufacturing firms," LEM Papers Series 2009/16, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    6. Giulio Bottazzi & Federico Tamagni, 2011. "Big and fragile: when size does not shield from default," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(14), pages 1401-1404.
    7. Andre Lorentz & Tommaso Ciarli & Maria Savona & Marco Valente, 2019. "Structural Transformations and Cumulative Causation: Towards an Evolutionary Micro-foundation of the Kaldorian Growth Model," Working Papers of BETA 2019-15, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    8. Giulio Bottazzi & Marco Grazzi, 2014. "Dynamics Of Productivity And Cost Of Labour In Italian Manufacturing Firms," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(S1), pages 55-73, December.
    9. Marco Grazzi, 2012. "Export and Firm Performance: Evidence on Productivity and Profitability of Italian Companies," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 413-444, December.
    10. Francesco Serti & Chiara Tomasi & Antonello Zanfei, 2010. "Who Trades with Whom? Exploring the Links between Firms' International Activities, Skills, and Wages," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(5), pages 951-971, November.
    11. Ciarli, Tommaso & Valente, Marco, 2016. "The complex interactions between economic growth and market concentration in a model of structural change," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 38-54.
    12. Francesco Serti & Chiara Tomasi, 2014. "Export and import market-specific characteristics," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 1467-1496, December.
    13. Giovanni Dosi & Marco Grazzi & Chiara Tomasi & Alessandro Zeli, 2012. "Turbulence underneath the big calm? The micro-evidence behind Italian productivity dynamics," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 1043-1067, November.

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