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Intangible factors and productivity: Evidence from Europe at the regional level

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  • Anneli Kaasa

Abstract

This study investigates how a region’s labour productivity could be influenced by intangible factors such as social capital, government quality, cultural dimensions andreligion – factors that have not received much attention in the previous literature. As another novelty, regional-level data (78 regions of 22 European countries) were analysed. In order to take into account the relationships between various factors of productivity, the structural equation modelling approach is used enabling to find out both direct and indirect effects. The results showed institutional trust and civic participation to be the most important for productivity. Individualism appeared to have a positive and masculinity and power distance a negative total effect on labourproductivity.

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  • Anneli Kaasa, 2018. "Intangible factors and productivity: Evidence from Europe at the regional level," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center, vol. 14(2), pages 300-325, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:pdc:jrnbeh:v:14:y:2018:i:2:p:300-325
    DOI: 10.15208/beh.2018.23
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity; social capital; institutional quality; culture; religion; Europe;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • K40 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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