Magda Bianco

Le donne e l'economia italiana (Women and the Italian Economy)

I divari di genere sul mercato del lavoro, ai vertici delle imprese, nelle retribuzioni restano significativi in Italia. Nel lavoro, che sintetizza i principali risultati di un progetto di ricerca volto a individuare gli effetti economici e le principali cause di tali divari, vengono discusse alcune evidenze relative ai differenziali salariali, ai divari nei vertici e nell’accesso al credito. Tra le cause dei persistenti divari vengono individuati sia fattori di offerta (da parte delle donne), sia di domanda (da parte del mercato del lavoro). Tra i primi rilevano la scarsità di strumenti di conciliazione e l’organizzazione del lavoro, ancora poco flessibile; per alcuni aspetti, anche l’istruzione. Tra i secondi rilevano le componenti culturali e fenomeni di discriminazione “implicita�?, per cui vengono premiate sul mercato del lavoro caratteristiche più diffuse tra gli uomini, sebbene non rilevanti per il lavoro svolto. Si discutono inoltre alcune delle politiche volte a ridurre i divari: la normativa nazionale e le politiche regionali; gli incentivi all’imprenditoria femminile; una tassazione che non scoraggi il lavoro femminile. Gender gaps in the labour market, in boardrooms and in wages are still significant in Italy. This paper, which summarizes the main results of a research project aimed at identifying the economic consequences of these gaps and their main causes, presents some evidence regarding wage differentials, differences in the gender composition of boards and differentials in access to credit. The causes of these persistent gaps are found both in labour supply and demand factors. Among the former we count the dearth of policies and programmes to reconcile work and family commitments and the lack of flexibility in the workplace; education is also relevant in some respects. Among the latter, we include cultural factors and “implicit�? discrimination, i.e. when the labour market rewards traits more commonly found in men even when they have no bearing on specific job requirements. Some policies to narrow gender gaps are discussed: national and regional legislation; subsidies for female entrepreneurship; a tax system that does not discourage female labour supply.

The Big Players in Italian Local Public Services - Constraints, Opportunities and Growth Strategies

One of the objectives of the reforms and liberalization of the last 15 years in local public services was to reduce the traditional fragmentation of production. This was to be achieved through restructuring that reduced inefficiencies and made it more possible to exploit economies of scale, thereby stimulating the emergence of national “big players”. In this paper we analyze the evolution and current position of the largest operators that have emerged in the different sectors of local public services. The aim is to identify factors that have helped or hindered the growth process. Through an analysis of twelve among the largest businesses we identify four evolutionary paths. In our view the main drivers have been: a) a presence in the energy sector (mainly due to its high profitability); b) a favourable local political framework; and c) a tradition of efficient internal organization and independence of local politics.