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Export, Productivity and Product Switching: The Case of Italian Manufacturing Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Sergio de Nardis

    (ISAE-Institute for Studies and Economic Analyses)

  • Carmine Pappalardo

    (ISAE-Institute for Studies and Economic Analyses)

Abstract

During the first half of the current decade, with rising competitive pressures, Italian manufacturing firms were forced to undertake a process of restructuring which had positive repercussions on export performance. This paper carries out empirical analysis using a panel of exporting firms obtained by matching firm-level information gathered by ISTAT and ISAE surveys. Two main channels of adjustment are investigated: inter and intra-firm. On the inter-firm side, we find that exporters were actually more productive: exporting was an essential outcome of pre-existing productivity advantages that led to self-selection of more productive businesses in international markets. As for the intra-firm adjustment, we show that the high frequency of product switching behaviour within exporting firms was significantly correlated with firm-level productivity growth, and that it contributed to a reallocation of economic activity within firms to more productive uses.

Suggested Citation

  • Sergio de Nardis & Carmine Pappalardo, 2009. "Export, Productivity and Product Switching: The Case of Italian Manufacturing Firms," ISAE Working Papers 110, ISTAT - Italian National Institute of Statistics - (Rome, ITALY).
    • Handle: RePEc:isa:wpaper:110
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sergio De Nardis & Marco Ventura, 2010. "The Effects of Product Dropping on Firm's Productivity and Employment Composition," ISAE Working Papers 127, ISTAT - Italian National Institute of Statistics - (Rome, ITALY).
    2. Jaan Masso & Priit Vahter, 2012. "The Role Of Product Level Entry And Exit In Export And Productivity Growth: Evidence From Estonia," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 86, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia).
    3. Nakhoda, Aadil, 2012. "The effect of foreign competition on product switching activities: A firm level analysis," MPRA Paper 39167, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Valeria Gattai, 2015. "Internationalisation and performance at the firm-level: what we learn from Italy," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 42(4), pages 475-509, December.
    5. A. Arrighetti & F. Landini, 2018. "Eterogeneità delle imprese e stagnazione del capitalismo italiano," Economics Department Working Papers 2018-EP01, Department of Economics, Parma University (Italy).
    6. Valeria Gattai, 2015. "Foreign exposure and heterogeneous performance of Italian firms: A survey of the empirical literature (1992-2014)," Working Papers 300, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Apr 2015.
    7. Jules Leichter & Cristina Mocci & Stefania Pozzuoli, "undated". "Measuring External Competitiveness:An Overview," Working Papers 2, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
    8. Claudio, Vicarelli & Carmine, Pappalardo, 2012. "Euro introduction and export behaviour of Italian firms," MPRA Paper 43386, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    heterogeneity; exporting; productivity; product switching.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance

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