Marco Ferdinando Martorana

Efficiency assessment and convergence in teaching and research in Italian public universities

This paper investigates the pattern of teaching and research performances, the relationship between them, and the convergence for Italian public HEIs in the period 2000–2010, by comparing different bootstrap robust non-parametric frontier estimators. Overall we find an efficiency improvement, mainly driven by research, whereas teaching efficiency increases only in the very first years of the sample period. We also ascertain a slightly positive relationship between research and teaching performances. Furthermore, we find that Italian HEIs converge, in the observed period, although research and teaching do it at a different pace. Our empirical findings are robust to alternative estimators and bootstrapped bias correction.

Technology and Public Access to Cultural Heritage: The Italian Experience on ICT for Public Historical Archives

The introduction and diffusion of digital technologies have had a tremendous impact on the production, preservation and utilisation of cultural heritage. In Italy, the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MiBACT) has undertaken several programs involving the use of digital technology to promote a larger access to cultural heritage, through the collection of metadata on cultural products preserved in the country and the provision of digital cultural products. Digitisation techniques and web infrastructures affect most activities carried out by such institutions: the production of cultural goods, the use and valorisation of cultural heritage, as well as the costs of preservation. This study analyses the digital projects carried out by the MiBACT for the preservation and utilisation of cultural heritage that is managed by public historic archives so as to evaluate their impact on the access to cultural products.

The efficiency change of Italian public universities in the new millennium: a non-parametric analysis

The paper assesses the evolution of efficiency of Italian public universities for the period 2000–2010. It aims at investigating whether their levels of efficiency showed signs of convergence, and if the well-known disparity between northern and southern regions decreased. For this purpose, we use a refinement of data envelopment analysis, namely window analysis, which allows for measuring efficiency in cross-sectional and time-varying data. We find that the efficiency of most universities registered only marginal changes in the period, although a notable re-ranking occurred. However, changes in the management of universities, consequential to the reform processes, did not affect the long-run tendencies, such as the persisting difference in performance between north and south.

Comparing the Efficiency of Hospitals in Italy and Spain: A Non-parametric Approach

This paper studies the efficiency of hospitals in the period 2005-2009 in Italy and Spain. The aim is to assess the dynamics of efficiency at regional level in the two countries in a comparative perspective, to investigate whether geographical differences in terms of performance diminished in the observed period. It uses a non-parametric partial frontier estimator (order-m), which overcomes some drawbacks of traditional non-parametric techniques and allows for measuring efficiency robustly with respect to outliers. We find that Italian hospitals are slightly more efficient than Spanish ones. In addition, public ownership is associated to better performance in both countries. From a dynamic perspective, results show that a process of convergence occurred in Italy that, however, did not lessen the longstanding gap between northern and southern Regions. In contrast, Spanish Comunidades Autonomas diverged in the period.

Participation in the Arts and Social Inclusion in Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods

This study investigates the problem of cultural participation in economically and socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It aims at ascertaining if and how arts can contribute to reduce the problems of social inclusion and foster urban regeneration. The analysis provides a comparative overview of different types of private supply of cultural goods, which are investigated with respect to their effectiveness in accomplishing these goals. Past experiences in the disadvantaged areas of the city of Catania are then used as a case study to identify critical aspects of each investigated form of private supply and to derive general suggestions for the design of public policies.

The Multi-product Nature of the Firm in the Arts Sector: The Case of ‘Centro Zo’

This chapter studies the relevance of the multi-product nature of a firm whose core-business rests in the performing arts sector. A specific case study is presented concerning ‘Centro Zo’, which was born in Catania (Italy) about 15 years ago, to supply performing arts. Now it is a multi-product firm, offering different goods and services. The multi-product choice is investigated from the firm’s perspective, and from the consumers’ standpoint. Data, collected in 2013, are used to investigate how consumers evaluate the different products, and their propensity to joint consumption. We show that the interest for different goods changes across different groups of consumers attending live performances at Centro Zo. However, the multi-product choice allows the firm to sustain its core business, and—we suggest—makes it more independent from the local policy-makers.