Carlo Trigilia

The paradox of the region: economic regulation and the representation of interests

This article deals with the relationship between economic regulation and interes-group representation at the regional level in advanced capitalist societies. The importance of an ‘intermediate government’ of economic development at the regional level has increased in recent years within such societies as a result of the crisis of the Keynesian wlfare state and the decline of Fordism. At the same time, however, the growing need for regional regulation does not necessarily call into being an explicit demand for and supply of efficient regional government within the existing institutional framework. This ‘paradox fo the region’ is explored int he context of the Italian case, characterized by strong local but weak regional identities organizations of business and labour for an effective intermediate government of the economy, an proposes a strategy for reinforcing such organizatons at this level through the reform of regional government administration and the supervised delegation of public powers to them.

Italy: rise, decline and restructuring of a regionalized capitalism

Abstract During recent decades, the varieties of capitalism approach has provided one of the most important contributions on the analysis of advanced capitalism. However, there are national experiences that seem to be hard to explain from this theoretical perspective. In this artricle we underline that this is particularly true for countries that are characterized by a high degree of internal diversity, such as the Italian case. For this reason we propose to combine the national and regional dimensions, studying what can be defined as a ‘regionalized capitalism’: a complex and heterogeneous system that entails both remarkable dysfunctions and elements of strength. Analysing the Italian case, we show the importance of centre–periphery relations, which produce a mix of local economic dynamism and national public disorder (public deficit and debt, inefficient policies). At a local level, SMEs and their networks cooperate in a flexible and neo-voluntaristic way to produce territorial competitive advantages: a networked economy based on relational capacities. However, the success of local economies has delayed the adjustment of public policies at a central level. In the last decade, this process has endangered economic development, while Italian firms were challenged by increasing globalization. Drawing attention to the regional dimension, this research approach offers not only useful insights for understanding a single national case study, but also holds broad theoretical implications for the analysis of change and restructuring of advanced economies.

Unbalanced Growth Why is Economic Sociology Stronger in Theory than in Policies

The aim of this article is to discuss the relationship between economic sociology and economic policies. In the last few decades, economic sociology has made significant achievements in terms of theory and research, but its influence on policies has remained weak. While this was inevitable in earlier decades, when scholars had to concentrate most of their effort on defining the role and contribution of economic sociology, it has since become a constraint for the institutionalization and recognition of the discipline. The return to economic sociology, since the 1980s, has brought about important theoretical achievements, especially in the analysis of economic organization at the micro level in terms of social and cultural embeddedness. The role of social relations in contemporary economy has clearly emerged, but its implications for policies to promote economic development have remained more latent so far. Although a weaker institutionalization and a poorer connection to policy-making certainly affect the political influence of economic sociology in comparison to economics, the article focuses on the research perspective. A shift of the research focus from the statics to the dynamics of economic organization could be useful. In this framework, particular attention is drawn to the study of local development and innovation through a closer relationship of economic sociology with comparative political economy. A separation between these two approaches does not favour a full exploitation of the potential contribution of economic sociology to policies.

North and south in the current crisis

The Italian Minister for Territorial Cohesion, Carlo Trigilia, reviews the current condition of the Italian south (the Mezzogiorno) and sets out the policies that the present government is seeking to implement. Underlining the need for long-term strategies and for close cooperation with European Union funding agencies, the Minister emphasizes the need to remove the political and institutional obstacles to development and promote human capital through measures designed to improve training, education and welfare programmes. He concludes the lack of economic growth in the southern regions poses serious dangers to the growth prospects of the national economy.

Crescita squilibrata: perché la sociologia economica ha più successo nella teoria che nelle politiche?

The aim of this article is to discuss the relationship between economic sociology and economic policiespolicy. In the last decades, economic sociology has made significant achievements in terms of theory and research, but its influence on policies policy has remained weak. While this was inevitable in earlier decades, when scholars had to concentrate most of their effort on defining the role and contribution of economic sociology, it has since become a constraint for the institutionalization and recognition of the discipline. The return to economic sociology, since the 1980s, has brought about important theoretical achievements, especially in the analysis of economic organization at the micro level in terms of social and cultural embeddedness. The role of social relations in contemporary economy has clearly emerged, but its implications for policies to promote economic development have remained more latent so far. Although a weaker institutionalization and a poorer connection to policymaking certainly affect the political influence of economic sociology in comparison to economics, the paper focuses on the research perspective. A shift of the research focus from the statics to the dynamics of economic organization could be useful. In this framework, particular attention is drawn to the study of local development and innovation through a closer relationship of economic sociology with comparative political economy. A separation between these two approaches does not favor a full exploitation of the potential contribution of economic sociology to policies.

Estrategias de flexibilidad: empresarios, sindicatos y gobierno local. El caso de Prato

Es casi imposible hablar de estrategias de flexibilidad en Italia sin hablar de Prato. Este distrito industrial textil de Toscana ha estado, de hecho, en el centro de los estudios y debates sobre el desarrollo de los sistemas territoriales de pequeñas empresas. Normalmente se subraya que el componente esencial del éxito económico de Prato, y de otras áreas similares, está constituido por vínculos menores entre las empresas en el uso flexible del trabajo. Sin embargo, este asunto, ciertamente fundado, ha llevado a infravalorar el papel del sindicato, de las organizaciones empresariales y del mismo gobierno local. A menudo ha surgido una más o menos explícita asimilación entre flexibilidad del trabajo y «libre» funcionamiento de los mecanismos de mercado. Por otro lado, se ha corrido el riesgo de cambiar un modelo de relaciones industriales más cooperativo y consensual que el difundido en las grandes empresas, durante los anos setenta, con la pura y simple ausencia del sindicato y de la negociación. En realidad, el cuadro es más complejo. No se trata de cambiar esquemáticamente la imagen conocida, pero puede ser útil demostrar cómo flexibilidad y relaciones industriales no están necesariamente en contraste. Más en general, la flexibilidad de las áreas de pequeña empresa es el producto de una compleja arquitectura institucional. Esta puede ser entendida mejor si se asume como unidad de referencia el contexto territorial -el distrito industrialen el que las unidades productivas individuales están colocadas, y si se considera el papel de las instituciones locales. Leída en esta clave, la experiencia de las áreas de economía difusa) puede incluso ofrecer puntos concretos de reflexión, para el debate corriente sobre problemas de reestructuración de las relaciones industriales planteados desde la petición creciente de flexibilidad que proviene de las empresas y desde los mismos trabajadores. Por otra parte, puede hacer emerger un cuadro más variado de lazos entre procesos de reestructuración productiva y relaciones industriales, que fundamentalmente tenga en consideración las caracteristicas sectoriales y territoriales de las estructuras económicas. Desde este punto de vista, el caso de Prato -incluso con sus especifkidadesofrece una oportunidad concreta. Tras años de crecimiento ininterrumpido, el sistema local ha acusado, desde principios de 1986, serias dificultades en el reparto crucial de la lana cardada. Para Prato, como, por oira parte, para las áreas de pequeñas empresas, se plantean hoy nuevos problemas de reestruturación., y modernización . . _