Rosella Nicolini

ON THE DETERMINANTS OF REGIONAL TRADE FLOWS

This article proposes an empirical investigation of regional trade flows following a cross-section method. For this purpose, the author refers to a regional context looking at a chosen sample of European regions. She mainly intends to assess the role of the home market effect and the level of transport costs in driving regional export flows. In particular, she is interested in testing the importance of spatial components in regional trade analysis. By simply adapting the gravity model approach to her framework, she is able to prove that physical distance smooths the intensity of trading flows while local transport facilities as well as local demand foster them.

Labour productivity in Spain: 1977–2002

This study examines the evolution of labour productivity across Spanish regions during the period from 1977 to 2002. Applying the kernel technique, we estimate the effects of the transition process on labour productivity and its main sources. We find that Spanish regions experienced a major convergence process in labour productivity mostly driven by human capital in the 1977–1993 period. Conversely, the dynamics of investment in physical capital appear to be neutral with respect to the transition dynamics of labour productivity. Finally, from 1995 to 2002, no dynamic processes seemed to have taken place. Spanish regions exhibit a persistent relative position with established convergence clubs: the human capital effect is less important and the investment in physical capital seems not to have a triggering effect on labour productivity growth.

Market Potential, Productivity and Foreign Direct Investment: Some Evidence from Three Case Studies

This paper aims at analysing the importance of local determinants to foreign direct investment (FDI) in three European regional case studies. The originality of the approach lies in the use of disaggregated data by sector and by region. The results are three-fold. First, regional demand and productivity are fundamental FDI determinants, confirming most studies with national data. Second, regional FDI inflows are more dependent on regional than national determinants. Finally, the effect of market potential measured with absolute gross domestic product (GDP) on regional FDI diminishes linearly with distance and does not when measured with GDP per capita.

Local Networks and Regional Development: Features and Perspectives

The aim of this paper is to draw attention to the role of local industrial networks in regional development processes. A one-region model is built with which to investigate the conditions under which local networks arise, distinguishing between spontaneous and supported networks. Taking into account the difference between incomplete and fully coordinated agreements among firms, I establish the values of parameters that allow for the rise of each type of network. Finally, I discuss the positive effects that local networks yield to the regional internal product, making them a reliable support for regional economic take-off.

Organization of land surrounding airports

We analyze the conditions driving the organization of the territory near airports by studying the distribution of economic activities. We consider how commercial firms, service operators, and consumers compete for land. The theoretical setting identifies an aerotropolis (airport city) as a land equilibrium outcome characterized by the following spatial sequence: services area, commercial area, residential area. Using data on the distribution of establishments in the United States, we analyze the existence and determinants of aeropolitan configurations. Estimations performed with parametric methods detect some interesting dynamic patterns affecting the density and distribution of activities around selected U.S. airports. (JEL R12, R15)

Organization of Land Surrounding Airports: The Case of the Aerotropolis

We analyze the conditions driving the organization of the territory near airports by studying the distribution of economic activities. We consider how commercial firms, service operators, and consumers compete for land. The theoretical setting identifies an aerotropolis (airport city) as a land equilibrium outcome characterized by the following spatial sequence: services area, commercial area, residential area. Using data on the distribution of establishments in the United States, we analyze the existence and determinants of aeropolitan configurations. Estimations performed with parametric methods detect some interesting dynamic patterns affecting the density and distribution of activities around selected U.S. airports.

Institutions and Market Creation: Evidence from the Experience of Transition Countries

This paper proposes an empirical analysis for asessing the extent to which multinational firms can effectively support market creation strategies. Our setting focuses on the transition countries, namely ex-socialist countries. Focusing on the lending policy of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), we build an original database by organizing the public records of the credit contracts signed by the EBRD. Our empirical strategy is able to disentangle that the credit selection that favored the entry of foreign multinational corporations into these countries served as one of the pillars for consolidating their transition to the market economy.

ON THE POPULATION DENSITY DISTRIBUTION ACROSS SPACE: A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH: ON THE POPULATION DENSITY DISTRIBUTION ACROSS SPACE

Working within a Bayesian parametric framework, we develop a novel approach to studying the distribution of regional population density across space. By exploiting the Gamma distribution, we are able to introduce heterogeneity across space without incurring an a priori definition of territorial units. Our contribution also permits the inclusion of an approximation of individual preferences as a further driving force in location choices. We perform an empirical application to the case of Massachusetts. Our results demonstrate that a subjective measure of distance performs well in replicating the population distribution across Massachusetts.

Random or Referral Hiring: When Social Connections Matter

This study investigates the existence of hiring criteria associated with the degree of social connections between skill and low-skill workers. We provide evidence about to what extent managers rely on their social connections in recruiting low-skill workers rather than on random matching. As one unique feature we follow an approach for a posted wage setting that reflects the main features of the Spanish labor market. By working with sub-samples of high and low-skill workers we are able to assess that the recruitment of low-skill immigrants quite often follows a referral strategy and we identify interesting irregularities across the ethnic groups. As a common feature, referral hiring is usually influences by the ethnicity of the manager and the relative proportion of immigrants within the firm. Under these perspectives, our study outlines new insights to evaluate the future perspectives of the Spanish labor market.

Modelling population density over time: how spatial distance matters

ABSTRACT Modelling population density over time: how spatial distance matters. Regional Studies. This study provides an empirical application of the Bayesian approach for modelling the evolution of population density distribution across time. It focuses on the case of Massachusetts by tracking changes in the importance of spatial distance from Boston concerning citizens’ choices of residence according to data for 1880–90 and 1930–2010. By adopting a Bayesian strategy, results show that Boston reinforced its attractiveness until the 1960s, when the citys accessibility no longer represented the unique determinant of population density distribution. Referring to selected historical evidence, a few possible interpretations are presented to endorse these results.