Romina Giuliano

Short Notice, Big Difference? The Effect of Temporary Employment on Firm Competitiveness across Sectors

This paper is one of the first to examine how the use of fixed-term employment contracts (FTCs) affects firm competitiveness (i.e. productivity, wages and profits) while controlling for key econometric issues such as time-invariant unobserved workplace characteristics, endogeneity and state dependence. We apply dynamic panel data estimation techniques to detailed Belgian linked employer-employee data covering all years from 1999 to 2010. Results show that the effects of FTCs on firm competitiveness vary across sectors: while temporary employment is found to enhance productivity and profits in (labour-intensive) services, this is not the case in manufacturing and construction.

Does corporate social responsibility make over-educated workers more productive?

ABSTRACT This article provides first evidence on whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) influences the productivity effects of over-education. By relying on detailed Belgian-linked employer–employee panel data covering the period 1999–2010, our empirical results exhibit a positive and significant impact of over-education on firm productivity. Moreover, they suggest that the effect of over-education is positively enhanced when the firm implements a CSR process, especially when it aims to have: (i) a good match between job requirements and workers’ educational level, (ii) a diverse workforce in terms of gender and age, and (iii) a long-term relationship with its workers. When focussing on required education and over-education, the results suggest that CSR, besides representing an innovative and proactive approach for the firms’ stakeholders, may also be beneficial for the firm itself through a bigger increase in productivity for each additional year of required education or over-education.

Productivity, wages and profits among Belgian firms: do fixed-term contracts matter?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of fixed-term contracts (FTCs) on labour productivity, wages (i.e. labour cost), and productivity-wage gaps (i.e. profits). Design/methodology/approach – The authors apply dynamic panel data techniques to detailed Belgian linked employer-employee panel data covering the period 1999-2006. Findings – Results indicate that FTCs exert stronger positive effects on productivity than on wages and (accordingly) that the use of FTCs increases firms’ profitability. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first to examine the FTC-productivity-wage nexus while addressing three important methodological issues related to the state dependency of the three explained variables, to firm time-invariant heterogeneity, and to the endogeneity of FTCs.

Le groupe cimentier Eternit et le scandale de l'amiante : essai d'explication par la gouvernance

L’objet de recherche de cet article est d’analyser les modalites de controle du groupe cimentier Eternit. Nous nous interessons a cette entreprise dans la mesure ou elle a connu dans le passe des problemes sanitaires ayant engendre des maladies incurables. A ce titre, plusieurs initiatives juridiques ont ete entreprises par les victimes de l’amiante ou leurs descendants : les plus mediatisees etant le proces de Turin en 2009 et, plus recemment, le proces de Bruxelles en 2011. L’objectif de cette recherche est de se positionner sur la comprehension de l’orchestration du negationnisme d’Eternit par rapport aux problemes engendres par le contact de l’amiante en s’appuyant sur l’analyse des modalites de gouvernance de cette entreprise. Dans cette optique, nous demontrons que le maintien des activites de l’entreprise, sans remise en question des modalites de production, a ete favorise par la consolidation d’interets familiaux et par la mise en place de structures de gouvernance specifiques. Les modifications orchestrees a la fin des annees 1990 aux processus de production sont en fait le reflet d’une institutionnalisation des problemes lies a l’amiante et ont eu lieu grâce a un transfert, par l’entremise des medias, vers la sphere publique de problemes qui bien longtemps etaient demeures confines dans la sphere professionnelle.