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on Heterodox Microeconomics |
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Issue of 2025–12–22
thirteen papers chosen by Carlo D’Ippoliti, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” |
| By: | De Nicolo, Gianni; Lopez, Irene Martinez; Zago, Angelo |
| Abstract: | The performance evaluation of wine cooperatives is complicated by distinctive governance and accounting practices. Traditional ratios such as Return on Assets (ROA) provide only partial insights, as they depend on contractual arrangements and surplus distribution mechanisms. This paper develops a simple model of the wine value chain that treats the cooperative as a vertically integrated firm jointly determining grape and wine production, while setting grape input prices to maximize member profits. The model yields a theoretically grounded ROA-based measure that serves as a frictionless benchmark, independent of contractual heterogeneity. Using data from Spanish and Italian wine cooperatives, we empirically assess how determinants identified in the literature-such as firm size, governance, and member-oriented metrics- affect cooperative ROA, farmer ROA, and the integrated ROA benchmark. Results highlight complementarities and trade-offs between cooperative and farmer performance, offering a unified framework for evaluating the profitability of wine cooperatives. |
| Keywords: | Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Agrifood Cooperatives, Returns on Assets |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa26:379049 |
| By: | Chiaf, Elisa; Corsini, Alberto; Miniaci, Raffaele; Urgilés Salinas, María Paz |
| Abstract: | Unemployment and limited access to decent job opportunities disproportionately affect individuals facing various forms of vulnerability. In Italy, policies designed to promote the participation of this disadvantaged labour force grant Work Integration Social Cooperatives (WISC) tax benefits and contribution revenues. In return, WISCs employing disadvantaged individuals generate public finance savings by lowering publicly funded health care and social assistance expenditures, while also creating value added through increased VAT revenues. This paper investigates whether the net balance for public finances of such labour policies is negative or positive. We employ a monetary cost-benefit analysis of 6, 892 job placements facilitated by social cooperatives in Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto between 2014 and 2023. Specifically, we use VALORIS, an evaluation approach that assesses the financial sustainability of every single job placement of disadvantaged workers, and apply it to 92 WISCs followed between 2014 and 2023. Our results indicate that the Italian active labour policy of work integration of disadvantaged workers in social cooperatives is self-financing. Moreover, we find heterogeneity in the costs and benefits associated with different types of disadvantages. Finally, we highlight the relevance of the job placement of workers who are signalled as vulnerable by social services, but who do not receive incentives for their hiring, in producing positive effects on the public budget. |
| Keywords: | Work Integration Social Enterprises, Active labour market policy, Disadvantaged workers, Policy evaluation |
| JEL: | J68 P13 H43 J14 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:333976 |
| By: | Heck, Raphael; Hahn, Paul; Schultmann, Frank |
| Abstract: | The transition to a sustainable bioeconomy represents a crucial strategy for mitigating climate change and reducing dependence on fossil resources. Central to this strategy is the development of bio-based alternatives through innovative technologies, such as biorefineries. The success of this transition, however, depends on farmers' adoption of these technologies. The factors influencing their decision to participate or not are complex and not fully understood. This study developed and analysed an agent-based model that integrates georeferenced data on biomass availability with socio-economic factors driving farmers' willingness to participate in a biorefinery operating system. The model uses spatial and sectoral data sources to simulate farmer interactions, decision-making processes, and the formation of cooperative biorefinery operating systems in a spatially explicit environment. The results show that cooperation is a prerequisite for establishing comprehensive industrial production of bio-based platform chemicals in decentralized integrated biorefineries. Key barriers to adoption extend beyond techno-economic feasibility and include social factors that together influence a farmer's willingness to participate in novel bioeconomy value creation networks. The model also highlights a first-mover advantage for early adopters, as they have better access to the limited amount of biomass and cooperation partners. The findings of this study suggest that policy interventions should prioritize improving information flow and facilitating coordination among farmers to translate biorefinery potential into widespread practice, as these measures are expected to enhance technology adoption. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:kitiip:333903 |
| By: | Arief Rahman (Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia Author-2-Name: Sri Gunani Partiwi Author-2-Workplace-Name: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, 60111, Surabaya, Indonesia Author-3-Name: Ratna Sari Dewi Author-3-Workplace-Name: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, 60111, Surabaya, Indonesia Author-4-Name: Sri Rachmi Dewi Author-4-Workplace-Name: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, 60111, Surabaya, Indonesia Author-5-Name: Author-5-Workplace-Name: Author-6-Name: Author-6-Workplace-Name: Author-7-Name: Author-7-Workplace-Name: Author-8-Name: Author-8-Workplace-Name:) |
| Abstract: | "Objective - This research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of university culture dissemination by introducing cultural entropy as an objective metric and by modeling its evolution under agent interactions in social networks. The analysis served as an empirically calibrated test of the dynamics of culture dissemination using a simulation framework. Methodology/Technique - Employees from five university divisions participated in an organizational culture survey. This survey was used to create individual cultural profiles. A modified Axelrod model was adopted to simulate the spread of cultural values in an agent-based environment. Furthermore, division-level cultural profiles were mapped using entropy. Forward projections were also used to assess entropy reduction and reveal polarization patterns. Findings - The estimated university-wide cultural entropy was 1.52, indicating significant dispersion in cultural values. Simulations showed that two divisions could experience rapid reductions in entropy, suggesting faster cultural balance. Meanwhile, three divisions showed continued high entropy or slow improvement. Polarization analysis identified that certain standard cultural values became more dominant. Some were weakened since cultural unification progressed unevenly across divisions. Novelty - This research showed novelty in three ways, namely (i) the use of an Axelrod-based model calibrated with higher-education survey data. (ii) Introduction of cultural entropy as a simple metric for tracking dissemination at the university and division level. (iii) The use of real survey results to set up an agent-based model that connects actual culture to simulated interactions. Type of Paper - Empirical" |
| Keywords: | organizational culture; Axelrod model; agent-based simulation; cultural entropy; higher education. |
| JEL: | C63 D8 I23 L16 Z13 |
| Date: | 2025–12–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gtr:gatrjs:jmmr355 |
| By: | Pétronille Rème-Harnay (AME-SPLOTT - Systèmes Productifs, Logistique, Organisation des Transports et Travail - Université Gustave Eiffel, AME - Département Aménagement, Mobilités et Environnement - Université Gustave Eiffel) |
| Abstract: | What role can alternatives to traditional freight transport play? The aim of this article is to analyze the role of alternatives to traditional road freight organizations. To do so, it identifies the limits of these organizations, particularly in terms of employment and energy transition. More specifically, three markets are distinguished : long-distance transport, parcel delivery services and platform delivery. For each of these markets, we have carried out qualitative field studies that enable us to identify the market structure and economic imbalances that characterize them, in order to show the consequences for delivery drivers and the energy transition. Faced with these limitations, we then analyze the initiatives created by players in these transport systems. We seek to determine what forms of production organization and business models can make economic performance, dignified work and resource conservation compatible. In the course of our investigations, we identified five alternative forms of organization: couriers cooperatives, groupings of long-distance carriers, a grouping of parcel delivery small companies, a new intermediary for large volumes and a cooperative of farmers and carriers. The article shows that none of these alternatives worked in the parcel delivery sector. On the contrary, in the long-haul and platform delivery sectors, several organizations are proving to be sustainable. Pooling resources and sharing profits seem to be interesting ways of ensuring economic performance, dignified work and energy transition. However, the widespread adoption of these initiatives still raises questions. Geographically, it is limited by the scope of deliveries, and economically, by the need to maintain a high quality of service. |
| Abstract: | L'objectif de l'article est d'analyser la place des alternatives aux organisations classiques de transports routiers de marchandises. Pour ce faire, il identifie les limites de ces organisations notamment en termes d'emploi et de travail. Nous distinguons plus précisément trois marchés, celui des transports en longue distance, celui de la messagerie et celui de la livraison pour des plateformes. Sur chacun de ces marchés, nous avons réalisé des enquêtes empiriques qui nous permettent d'identifier la structure du marché et les déséquilibres économiques qui les caractérisent pour en montrer les conséquences sur les livreurs. Face à ces limites, nous analysons ensuite les initiatives créées par des acteurs de ces systèmes de transport. Nous cherchons à déterminer quelles formes d'organisation de la production, de modèles d'entreprises, peuvent rendre compatible performance économique et travail digne. Lors de nos enquêtes, nous avons identifié plusieurs formes d'organisation alternatives : des coopératives de coursiers, des groupements de transporteurs, un nouvel intermédiaire pour les gros volumes. L'article montre qu'aucune alternative n'a fonctionné dans le secteur de la messagerie. Au contraire, dans le secteur des transports en longue distance et de la livraison de repas, plusieurs organisations se montrent pérennes. La répartition des bénéfices semblent une voie intéressante pour assurer performance économique et travail digne. Cependant la généralisation de ces initiatives pose encore question. Sur un plan géographique, elle est limitée par le périmètre de livraisons et sur le plan économique, par le maintien d'une qualité de service élevée. |
| Keywords: | groupings, pooling, cooperatives, delivery drivers, freight road transport, groupements, Transports routiers de marchandises, chauffeurs-livreurs, coopératives, mutualisations |
| Date: | 2025–12–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04558638 |
| By: | Nicolás Cachanosky; Emilio Ocampo |
| Abstract: | Recent inflationary episodes in advanced economies have reignited interest in Conflict Theories of Inflation (CTI), which attribute price level increases to conflicts over income distribution rather than monetary factors. These heterodox perspectives, rooted in Marxist and post-Keynesian traditions, emphasize the roles of labor-capital tensions, corporate pricing strategies, and broader sociological struggles. This brief note evaluates the theoretical foundations of CTI and examines their policy implications. It highlights how measures inspired by CTI historically result in higher inflation and lower economic growth. The analysis concludes with a critique of CTI’s reductionist framing and a call for policies grounded in a balanced understanding of monetary and conflict dynamics. |
| Keywords: | Conflict, inflation |
| JEL: | E31 |
| Date: | 2024–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cem:doctra:887 |
| By: | Zakaria Savon (University Mohamed V - Souissi) |
| Abstract: | The financial crisis of 2007-2008 compelled economists to reevaluate the impacts and trajectories of monetary policy. It highlighted the new challenges central banks face, particularly in integrating financial stability into the monetary policy-making process. Financial stability is closely connected to monetary policy. The financial sector plays a vital role as a channel for monetary policy to affect the real economy. Numerous studies have investigated the impact of monetary policy on the stability of conventional banking institutions. Nonetheless, a substantial study vacuum persists concerning the impact of monetary policy on the stability of Islamic financial institutions. Our research aims to investigate this matter. The study analyzed a sample of 34 financial institutions across 11 countries with dual banking systems, spanning the years 2013-2022. It utilized a random effects estimator and a system GMM estimator. The findings demonstrate a substantial and negative impact of the monetary policy rate on the stability of Islamic banks. The study's conclusions have significant consequences, especially for infrastructure and monetary policy. The advancement of the Islamic money market signifies a crucial development in the strength and expansion of Islamic financial organizations. Furthermore, monetary policymakers must evaluate the effects of interest rate-oriented monetary policy on the stability of Islamic banks. |
| Keywords: | Stability, Z-score, GMM, Islamic Banks, Monetary Policy |
| Date: | 2025–10–13 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05321401 |
| By: | Bachmann, Robin; Gleibs, Ilka H.; Delaney, Liam |
| Abstract: | Social identity research has yet to fully engage with identity economics. This article bridges the two by examining capital market participation and capital income inequality – a critical economic behaviour and a societal issue that remain understudied in social psychology. We integrate psychological concepts and metrics of social identity with large‐scale, representative UK data on household economics, encompassing 60, 156 individuals and 130, 598 observations from 2010 to 2023. Examining gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, politics, age and family as aspects of individuals' self‐concept, our findings show that between‐ and within‐person variations in these identities, beyond mere group memberships, were uniquely associated with both the presence and amount of capital income. Rather than reinforcing group membership effects, which could suggest adherence to group norms around capital market participation, our results highlight the importance of identity domains. Gender and ethnic identity were associated with lower capital income, whereas educational and political identity were linked to higher capital income. These patterns persisted across different groups and income strata. Importantly, the predictive power of social identities was comparable to traditional sociodemographic variables. This study extends social identity research to understudied economic behaviours and contributes to the emerging fields of identity economics and the psychology of inequality. |
| Keywords: | social identity; identity economics; economic inequality; capital income; household data; United Kingdom |
| JEL: | J1 |
| Date: | 2026–01–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:130373 |
| By: | Davide Antonioli (Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara; Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS)); Elisa Chioatto (Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara; Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS)); Ginevra Coletti (Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara; Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS)); Asia Guerreschi (Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara; Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS)); Susanna Mancinelli (Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara; Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS)); Massimiliano Mazzanti (Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara; Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS)); Giuseppe Rocco (Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara; Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS)); Emy Zecca (Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara; Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies (SEEDS)) |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a collection of large-scale empirical surveys investigating how Italian territories, firms, institutions, and communities are navigating processes of sustainability, innovation, and socio-economic transformation. The document brings together five original surveys covering: (i) sustainable school mobility in Ferrara (Walking School Bus), (ii) innovation and circular economy practices among Italian manufacturing firms (TINKER project), (iii) circular-oriented innovation in the Emilia–Romagna construction sector (SPIDER project), (iv) sustainability, circularity and innovation strategies among regional firms within the ECOSISTER project, (v) circular and digital innovation in Italian manufacturing cooperatives (Climate Circular Coop), and (vi) socio-economic impacts of cultural heritage on tourists and residents (Cultural Heritage Impact Survey). Each survey relies on structured sampling strategies and mixed CAWI/CATI methodologies and provides a comprehensive dataset on behavioural, organisational, and contextual dynamics. Together, these contributions offer a multidimensional empirical framework for analysing Italy’s twin transition—ecological and digital—and the role of local contexts, human capital, financial constraints, and institutional frameworks in shaping sustainability pathways. |
| Date: | 2025–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:srt:wpaper:1725 |
| By: | Eva Jacob; Kevin Wirtz |
| Abstract: | This article presents a quantitative history of basic income (BI) research within the Social Sciences from the 1960s to the present, utilizing bibliometric analysis on OpenAlex data. We identify five main research communities; Social Justice, Experiment, Tax and Labor Supply, Degrowth, and Others, and four major international collaboration clusters. Through this framework, we identify three major periods in BI research; an early experimental focus (1960–1980), a shift toward taxation, labor supply, and social justice (1980–2000), and a recent diversification into ecological concerns, thinking on social protection in South Africa and Germany, and care economics (2000–2020). A key insight from our study is the enduring influence of Negative Income Tax (NIT) and Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) within BI research. Although the conceptual boundaries of BI have expanded to include broader social justice and ecological perspectives, the Experiment and Tax/Labor Supply communities continue to engage deeply with NIT and MIG. This persistence reflects long-standing research traditions, underscoring the distinct policy concerns shaping different strands of BI research. Ultimately, our study deepens our understanding of BI as an evolving research field, shaped by distinct intellectual traditions, regional specializations, and shifting policy priorities over time. |
| Keywords: | Basic income, Negative income tax, quantitative history of economic thought, social network analysis |
| JEL: | B2 B4 D63 P4 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulp:sbbeta:2025-47 |
| By: | Houdret, Annabelle; Ftouhi, Hind; Bossenbroek, Lisa; Belghazi, Amal |
| Abstract: | In many arid and semi-arid regions, rural women are at the heart of water-related dynamics - and therefore greatly affected by its scarcity. This scarcity affects their daily lives, farming activities, economic initiatives and solidarity networks, which are directly dependent on the availability of this resource. These women are often more vulnerable to climate change because of the difficulties they sometimes experience in accessing public services, land, water and institutions. At the same time, they play a central role in the rural development of the oases, in particular through their know-how, initiatives and ability to adapt. This policy brief analyses the experiences of women in the oases of south-eastern Morocco. It shows that water stress acts as a multidimensional factor which redefines women's domestic tasks, agricultural practices, economic opportunities and forms of sociability, as well as their contribution to development. It highlights three major challenges facing women in vulnerable rural areas: (a) limited access to resources (land, credit, infrastructure and education); (b) training that is often ill-suited to rural realities and their needs; and (c) social norms that restrict their participation in decision-making bodies and spaces. The heterogeneity of the women encountered and of their needs underlines the necessity for targeted and diverse approaches. The example of Moroccan oases also shows the importance of considering water in all its dimensions: domestic, agricultural, economic and institutional. This would provide a better understanding of both women's vulnerabilities and their contributions to sustainable development. The lessons learnt from the Moroccan oases provide a benchmark for other arid countries, highlighting four action areas for Moroccan institutions and development policies: 1. Produce and disseminate gendered data • Collect information disaggregated by gender, age, socio-economic status and other factors. • Map women's vulnerabilities, resources and skills. • Ensure better circulation of these data between the field and decision-makers to provide appropriate support. 2. Support women's access to public services, land and credit • Promote access to health and education services according to specific needs, as well as access to credit and land. 3. Support women's initiatives • Support collective and individual initiatives through appropriate training, access to finance, and product development and marketing. 4. Support changes in social norms and institutional representation • Integrate the cultural and social dimensions into development policies and programmes. • Promote changes in the social representations of women's roles and abilities. • Promote the diversity of women's initiatives and facilitate the participation of women in governance institutions, including water governance, through training and awareness-raising. |
| Keywords: | climate change, gender, Morocco, water resources, rural development, cooperatives, oases, water scarcity, Middle East North Africa |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:idospb:333606 |
| By: | Benoit Decerf (Development Finance and Public Policies, University of Namur); Merry Ferrando (Tilburg School of Economics and Management, Tilburg University); Balint Menyhert (University of Turku) |
| Abstract: | Poverty is inherently multidimensional, encompassing both monetary and nonmonetary dimensions. However, these outcomes are often collected in separate surveys, leaving the joint distribution partially unobserved. To improve social poverty comparisons, we propose a new simple method to address this data constraint: assume a fixed value for the missing part of the joint distribution. This approach allows the integration of outcomes collected from different surveys, unlike the mainstream method currently in use. Drawing on household surveys from six developing countries where both dimensions are observed, we show that our method systematically outperforms traditional single-survey measures and “mash-up” measures. Monte Carlo simulations further confirm the robustness of our results across a wide range of datagenerating scenarios. Our findings highlight the value of our proposed method for monitoring multidimensional poverty and suggest it may also benefit other social indicators facing similar data limitations. |
| Date: | 2025–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nam:defipp:2504 |
| By: | Graves, Thomas Anthony; Pownall, Madeleine (University of Leeds); Prosser, Annayah Miranda Beatrice (University of Bath) |
| Abstract: | Many developments to reform the research landscape have occurred over the past decade. These changes have been made with broad goals to improve the ‘openness’ of research and often assumed to be ‘methodologically -agnostic’; that is, they ostensibly have benefits for all researchers occupying all epistemological and methodological positions. ‘Open science’ initiatives such as study pre-registration (i.e., specifying research aims and analytical plan ahead of data access), open data sharing, open-access publication, and open materials sharing are becoming increasingly mainstream across many fields within social research and the natural sciences. While there has been much criticism of these interventions, largely from the qualitative research community, we want to draw attention to a troubling trend in the promotion of open science: the leaking of standards relevant only to quantitative research to all paradigms. Or, as others refer to it, “positivism creep”. Here, we situate positivism creep (i.e., the creeping of positivist conventions to all research) within research policy, we highlight its increasing prevalence within open science reforms, and we warn against a future which could alienate many non-positivist scholars. We argue that the primary framing of open science as the pursuit of reproducibility and objectivity risks promoting positivism creep in the social sciences and humanities. In particular, we suggest that overly strict open research requirements placed by funders may reduce the range and variety of epistemological positions that can be taken by researchers, with particularly deleterious effects for qualitative researchers. |
| Date: | 2025–12–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:nphjc_v1 |