The aim of this article is to test the effects on firm profitability of the adoption of both high performance work practices (HPWPs) and changes in organizational design relating to the depth of the corporate hierarchy and the allocation of decision authority. For this purpose, we resort to...

This paper investigates the determinants of the start-up size of new technology-based firms. While previous empirical studies generally focussed on industry-specific variables, we draw attention to the characteristics of founders, notably their human capital. In the empirical section, we...

This paper aims to contribute to the empirical literature on industrial demography. It analyzes a stratified sample of the Italian metalworking industry composed of 810 plants with more than 10 employees. It considers plant closure over the period 1989-1997. Probit type econometric models are...

In spite of the diffusion of science parks in Europe, it is still unclear whether they have been successful in fostering the establishment and growth of new technology-based firms (NTBFs). This paper aims to contribute to answer such question. For this purpose, a sample composed of 45 Italian...

The financial literature claims that venture capital (VC) financing spurs the growth of new technology-based firms (NTBFs). Nevertheless, the benefits and costs for portfolio companies may depend upon the type of investor. In this paper we distinguish financial intermediaries (FVC) and...