nep-eff New Economics Papers
on Efficiency and Productivity
Issue of 2025–11–17
six papers chosen by
Angelo Zago, Universitàà degli Studi di Verona


  1. Measuring SME Competitiveness in Italy's Cultural and Creative Industries: Firm-Level Evidence By I. Etzo; L. Ciucci
  2. Geospatial Analysis of Rice Productivity and Technical Inefficiency Assessment of Irrigated Rice Farms in Cabusao, Camarines Sur Province, Philippines By Albis, Anthony James C.; Reyes, Julieta A. Delos; Quilloy, Antonio Jesus A.; Reyes, Jaine C.
  3. Work from Home and Firm Productivity: The Role of ICT and Size By Filippo Boeri; Riccardo Crescenzi; Davide Rigo
  4. Intangible Assets and Productivity at the Firm Level: R&D versus non-R&D Intangibles By Roth, Felix; Rammer, Christian
  5. The Innovation Long-Run Risk Component By Fabio Franceschini
  6. Cross-border transmission of climate policies through global production networks By Fourné, Marius

  1. By: I. Etzo; L. Ciucci
    Abstract: This study investigates the competitiveness and efficiency of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) in Italy, using a comprehensive firm-level dataset from 2019 to 2023. We estimate Total Factor Productivity (TFP) to analyze firm performance, addressing endogeneity concerns through panel fixed-effects models and employing a Translog production function for flexible input elasticity. Our findings reveal significant spatial heterogeneity, with central and north-western regions exhibiting higher CCI productivity than southern areas. Furthermore, we uncover disparities related to firm size, age, and specialization within Creative versus Cultural domains. The largest and oldest CCI firms show a higher TFP. The Creative industry demonstrates greater productivity than the Cultural industry. We provide evidence that manufacturing-oriented CCI tend to exhibit lower productivity compared to service-oriented CCI. The results underscore the importance of targeted policies to address regional disparities and sectorspecific challenges within the CCI ecosystem, promoting innovation and sustainable growth.
    Keywords: Cultural and creative industries;total factor productivity;SMEs;Italian regions
    Date: 2025
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cns:cnscwp:202514
  2. By: Albis, Anthony James C.; Reyes, Julieta A. Delos; Quilloy, Antonio Jesus A.; Reyes, Jaine C.
    Keywords: Production Economics, Productivity Analysis
    Date: 2025–09–15
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:asea25:373399
  3. By: Filippo Boeri; Riccardo Crescenzi; Davide Rigo
    Abstract: Using administrative firm-level data covering the universe of remote workers in Italy, and leveraging exogenous pre-pandemic variation in firm-specific access to fibre broadband as an instrument, this paper investigates the impact of post-pandemic adoption of work from home (WFH) on firm productivity. We find that WFH had a large negative impact on productivity during the pandemic. However, larger firms and those with prior ICT investments mitigated these losses. In the longer term, the impact of WFH is no longer significant. Yet, we find suggestive evidence that firms employing highly qualified workers experienced productivity gains.
    Keywords: work from home, firms, productivity
    JEL: D22 J21 J24 L25 O33
    Date: 2025
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12253
  4. By: Roth, Felix; Rammer, Christian
    Abstract: Intangible assets have increasingly been identified as a main source of productivity gains. Since the pioneering work by Corrado, Hulten, and Sichel (2005), empirical research has largely focused on macro and industry-level studies, while firm-level studies have often been confined to a limited set of intangible assets, especially Research and Development (R&D). This paper employs a unique firm-level panel database that contains information on four types of intangible assets: R&D, software & databases (S&D), firm-specific human capital (HC), and brand value (BV). For R&D, we find much lower productivity returns than for S&D and HC. R&D even loses significance once controlling for other intangibles, except for high-tech manufacturing. In contrast to R&D, we find that S&D and HC tend to be the primary drivers of productivity gains, particularly in services. Our findings have implications for research policy, suggesting a stronger focus on supporting investment in non-R&D intangibles, including S&D and HC.
    Keywords: Non-R&D intangibles, Productivity, R&D, Digitalisation, Firm-specific human capital, Brand value, Firm-level panel data
    JEL: E22 O33 O38 D24
    Date: 2025
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:uhhhdp:20
  5. By: Fabio Franceschini
    Abstract: This paper provides robust empirical evidence that shocks to aggregate Research and Development (R&D) have persistent effects on macroeconomic dynamics and represent a significant risk for investors, as predicted by the 'long-run risk' literature. The analysis focuses on a single variable, 'effective R&D', which captures the entire contribution of R&D to productivity growth, flexibly accounting for knowledge spillovers and product proliferation effects. Deviations of effective R&D from its equilibrium level can be empirically identified leveraging the error correction term in the cointegration relationship among R&D, total factor productivity, and the labor force. In US data, structural effective R&D shocks affect productivity and consumption growth rates beyond business cycle horizons and are associated with a significant risk premium in a cross section of stock and bond portfolios (around 2% annually), with cash-flow sensitivities proving a key determinant.
    JEL: E32 E44 G12 O30
    Date: 2025–11
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bol:bodewp:wp1215
  6. By: Fourné, Marius
    Abstract: Climate policies do not operate in isolation but propagate through global production networks, affecting industries beyond national borders. This paper combines international input-output data with a granular instrumental variable approach to capture how foreign regulations transmit through upstream and downstream linkages. Distinguishing between market-based policies, non-market regulations, and technology support, the analysis shows that foreign climate policies can enhance domestic productivity, with effects shaped by industry characteristics and operating through technological adjustment along supply chains. The results underscore the importance of accounting for international spillovers when evaluating the economic impact of environmental regulation.
    Keywords: climate policy, environmental regulations, global value chains, green innovation, international trade, productivity
    JEL: F18 L16 O44 Q37
    Date: 2025
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iwhdps:330918

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