Research Interests

• Development Economics

• Labor Economics

• Political Economy

I study market frictions and their impact on the productivity and efficiency of organizations, focusing primarily on firms and labor markets in low-income countries.

Working Papers and Work in Progress

The Employment Effects of Ethnic Politics (with G. Chiovelli and S. Hohmann)

• Revise and Resubmit, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics

Work Style Diversity and Diffusion Within and Across Organizations: Evidence from Soviet-style Hockey (with S. Hoey and J. Schneider)

• Revise and Resubmit, Management Science

Selection, Absolute Advantage, and the Agricultural Productivity Gap (with F. Alvarez and M. Poschke)

Labor Market Power, Self-employment, and Development (with P. Medina and M. Morlacco)

Weather Shocks Affect Trade Policy: Evidence from PTAs (with L. Baccini, G. Chiovelli and M. Di Maio)

FDI, Labor Market Power, and Structural Transformation (with H. Pham and M. Sanfilippo)

Trade Liberalization and Political Violence: Evidence from North-South PTAs  (with L. Baccini, G. Chiovelli and M. Di Maio) 

• Revise and Resubmit, Economic Policy

Evaluating Export Benefits Along the Value Chain (with G. Chiovelli and S. Frache)

Main Publications

Input Allocation, Workforce Management and Productivity Spillovers: Evidence from Personnel Data (with M. A. Martinez)

• The Review of Economic Studies 2018, 85(4), 1937-1970 [wp version] [online appendix]

Ethnicity and Violence During Democratic Transitions: Evidence from South Africa (with G. Chiovelli)

• Journal of the European Economic Association 2018, 16(4), 1234-1280 [wp version] 

Making Do with What You Have: Conflict, Input Misallocation and Firm Performance (with M. Di Maio)

• The Economic Journal 2018, 128(615), 2559-2612 [wp version] [online appendix]

Security, Trade, and Political Violence (with L. Baccini and M. Di Maio)

• Journal of the European Economic Association 2021, 19(1), 1-37 [wp version] [online appendix]

Agricultural Comparative Advantage and Legislators' Support for Trade Agreements  (with L. Baccini, G. Chiovelli and M. Di Maio)

• The Journal of Politics 2022, 84(2), 1244-1249 [wp version]

Workplace Incentives and Organizational Learning (with M. A. Martinez)

• Journal of Labor Economics, forthcoming [wp version]

Measuring Labor Market Power in Developing Countries: Evidence from Colombian Plants (with N. de Roux)

• Journal of Labor Economics, accepted [wp version]

Other Publications

Crime Protection Investment Spillovers: Theory and Evidence from the City of Buenos Aires

• Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 2019, 159, 626-649 [wp version]

Bribes vs. Taxes: Market Structure and Incentives (with J. Choi, G. De Giorgi and A. Rahman)

• Journal of Comparative Economics 2022, 50(2), 435-453 [wp version]

Pre-colonial Ethnic Institutions and Party Politics in Africa (with G. Chiovelli and D. Munson)

• Journal of Comparative Economics 2022, 50(4), 969-980 [wp version]

Policy Briefs and Research Notes

• Labor Market Power, Self-employment, and Development (with P. Medina and M. Morlacco ) [pdf]

• Working in Export Manufacturing: A Blessing or a Curse? (with A. Menzel) [pdf]

• The Effect of the Italian Support System for Refugees and Asylum Seekers on the Local Economy (with A. Martelli and C. Paoli) [pdf] 

• Trade Restrictions Lead to Lower Wages and More Violence (with M. Di Maio) [pdf] 

Media/Posts

• Reforming Montreal's transit system (with V. Geloso), Montreal Gazette, January 2023 [link]

• Push to resume pay hikes for essential retail workers, CBC The National, January 2022 [link]

• Immigration could help Quebec nursing shortage, CTV News, January 2022 [link]

• Health-care staff shortages? Let's talk immigration, Montreal Gazette, January 2022 [link]

• Pay Out Emergency Benefits or Subsidize Wages, Montreal Gazette, March 2020 [link]

• How conflict disrupts the economy: New evidence from the West Bank and Gaza (with M. Di Maio), voxeu.org, December 2018 [link]

• Se i Rifugiati Danno Posti di Lavoro agli Italiani (with A. Martelli and C. Paoli), lavoce.info, October 2018 [link]

• Feedback rating to decrease bribery: Evidence from the Kyrgyz Republic (with J. Choi, G. De Giorgi and A. Rahman), voxdev.org, July 2018 [link]

• Il Ventennio Boom del Divario Generazionale (with A. Martelli), linkiesta.it, June 2014 [link]

• Firms in Conflict: Adapt or Perish (with M. Di Maio), sipri.org, May 2014 [link]

• Percepciones y Realidad sobre el tema de los Delitos en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (with L. Freira), focoeconomico.org, February 2013 [link]

Miscellanea

Bari Dialect

Porti di Puglia

La Ruta del Poble Sec

Montreal Street Art