Enrico Zaninotto’s research while affiliated with University of Trento and other places

This study examines the association between investments in automation technologies and employment outcomes at the firm level, utilizing a panel dataset of about 10,450 Italian firms. Focusing on the proliferation of non-standard, flexible labor contracts introduced by labor market reforms in the 2000s, we identify a positive relationship between automation investments and the adoption of flexible labor arrangements. With the aid of a conceptual framework, we interpret these findings as evidence of complementarity between flexible capital, represented by automation technologies, and flexible labor, manifested through non-standard contractual arrangements. This complementarity is crucial for enhancing operational flexibility , a critical determinant of firm performance in the modern market environment. However, while this adaptability is beneficial for firms, it raises concerns about job security, the potential for lower wages among workers, and the reduction of workers' incentives to invest in human capital. In terms of policy implications, our analysis underscores the need for measures that safeguard workers' interests without compromising the efficiency gains from automation.

Drawing on human capital theory, this study examines the role of different components of human capital-education (level and type), tenure, and career variety (functional, industry, firm, and country variety)-in the rapid or "fast-track" career ascent of individuals to their first top management position (highest level of organisational hierarchy) as chief executive officer (CEO) or non-CEO Senior Manager (SM). Using a retrospective approach to the career trajectories of over 7500 CEOs and non-CEO SMs s in European listed firms, we show the commonalities and differences in the composition of human capital in the career progressions of both groups. The results reveal that the human capital that accelerates CEOs' careers include an MBA degree and long tenure, especially when combined with firm variety. In contrast, for non-CEO SMs, a high level of education and low functional variety accelerated their career ascent. For non-CEO SMs, tenure has a negative effect that is alleviated by career variety. By explicating the components of human capital, we suggest that many forms of career variety, such as experience acquired across countries, industries, or firms, are not valued in a fast-track career, and hardly create valuable human capital for top positions. Our study paves the way for exploring the composition of human capital not only for different organisational roles, but also for different hierarchical levels.

This work discusses and empirically investigates the relationship between labor regulation and robotization. In particular, the empirical analysis focuses on the relationship between the discipline of workers' dismissal and the adoption of industrial robots in nineteen Western countries over the 2006-2016 period. We find that high levels of statutory employment protection have been negatively associated with robot adoption, suggesting that labor-friendly national legislations, by increasing adjustment costs (such as firing costs), and thus making investment riskier, provide less favorable environments for firms to invest in industrial robots. We also find, however, that the correlation is positively mediated by the sectoral levels of capital intensity, a hint that firms do resort to industrial robots as potential substitutes for workers to reduce employees' bargaining power and to limit their holdup opportunities , which tend to be larger in sectors characterized by high levels of operating leverage.

This work discusses and empirically investigates the relationship between labor regulation and robotization. In particular, the empirical analysis focuses on the relationship between the discipline of workers' dismissal and the adoption of industrial robots in nineteen Western countries over the 2006-2016 period. We find that high levels of statutory employment protection have been negatively associated with robot adoption, suggesting that labor-friendly national legislations, by increasing adjustment costs (such as firing costs), and thus making investment riskier, provide less favorable environments for firms to invest in industrial robots. We also find, however, that the correlation is positively mediated by the sectoral levels of capital intensity, a hint that firms do resort to industrial robots as potential substitutes for workers to reduce employees' bargaining power and to limit their holdup opportunities , which tend to be larger in sectors characterized by high levels of operating leverage.

Atypical work has been proven to worsen employment conditions, reduce labour productivity and hinder firms from competing in higher quality market segments, yet companies still hire atypical workers to provide flexibility in response to unstable market conditions. Previous research has examined the relationship between specific job features and the incidence of atypical work. Using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis technique, we analysed interviews of service firms' managers to identify configurations that limit the use of atypical workers. We found evidence that firms limit the use of atypical contracts not only in cases of firm-specific and complex tasks but also in cases of simple and nonspecific tasks when supported by human resource management practices that aim to increase internal flexibility. Firms can take advantage of a stable workforce by strategically using human resource management flexibility practices as an alternative to labour market flexibility.

Italian universities submit a compulsory survey to students for the evaluation of teaching activities. The questionnaire, designed by the Italian National Agency for University and Research System Evaluation (ANVUR), aims to evaluate four dimensions of teaching quality (course, instructor, personal interest and overall satisfaction) through twelve questions on a four-level scale. This paper addresses first the issue of the questionnaire’s reliability in the representation of the four evaluation dimensions. The main result is that the questionnaire do not represent properly the four dimensions of evaluation which it is intended for. Secondly, through a preliminary statistical analysis, it discusses the use of the survey for comparative purposes. A comparative analysis can be adversely affected by several contextual and subjective factors, like the size of the class and the gender of the instructor. The paper concludes by discussing the difficulty of finding proper conditioning, and raises doubts regarding an uncritical comparative use of student evaluations of teaching activities.