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ICT and R&D as inputs or efficiency determinants? Analysing Italian manufacturing firms (2007–2009)

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  • Graziella Bonanno

    (University of Calabria)

Abstract

Are Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Research & Development (R&D) productive inputs or efficiency determinants? This is the topic of this paper, which analyses a sample of 2691 Italian manufacturing firms over the period 2007–2009. Data are from a merged EFIGE–AIDA dataset. The empirical setting is based on a production function estimated through the stochastic frontier approach. ICT and R&D are used once as inputs, once as efficiency determinants. The results show that the elasticities of production with respect to ICT and R&D investments are quite high (0.08 for ICT and 0.04 for R&D) when they enter into the model only as inputs. We also documented that ICT and R&D contribute positively to explain the efficiency scores.

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  • Graziella Bonanno, 2016. "ICT and R&D as inputs or efficiency determinants? Analysing Italian manufacturing firms (2007–2009)," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 6(3), pages 383-404, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurasi:v:6:y:2016:i:3:d:10.1007_s40821-015-0035-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s40821-015-0035-z
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ICT; R&D; Stochastic frontier approach; Efficiency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L69 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Other
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights

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