Research

       On-Going Projects 

• The Impact of Scheduled Breaks and Cyberloafing on Productivity: Evidence from a Continuous-Time Real-Effort Experiment, with Corazzini L., Fisar M., Larocca V.  Manuscript available upon request; full draft forthcoming. 

Abstract

This paper examines how scheduled breaks and access to online distractions affect productivity in cognitively demanding tasks. We conduct a continuous-time real-effort experiment with 271 participants, generating over 57,000 second-by-second observations, enabling high-frequency measurement of productivity dynamics. We find that scheduled breaks substantially increase performance, both by restoring cognitive resources and by mitigating anticipatory fatigue. Cyberloafing also improves productivity, because it provides workers with autonomy over attentional shifts rather than simply reducing distraction. Importantly, combining breaks with internet access attenuates the appeal of unscheduled browsing, further sustaining performance. These effects are robust across individual differences in self-control, grit, and personality traits. Our results highlight the dual role of breaks as productivity enhancers and behavioral anchors, suggesting that organizations might benefit from exploring strategic micro-break policies rather than relying on restrictive internet bans.

• Do Cooperative Narratives Shape Prosocial Behavior? with Corazzini L., Fisar M. and Larocca V.

• Restoring the Environement: An Experimental Study on Responsibility and Social Norms, with G. Andrighetto, A. Guerra, E.Vriens, S.Gil-Gallen

•  Dynamic strategies within organised crime groups: An evolving landscape, with Deriu R., Dettori M.D., Pulina M. 

Abstract

This paper examines the strategic diversification of organised crime groups (OCGs) within a pivotal peripheral region undergoing increasing strategic importance in the international drug trade. Building on rational choice and socio-economic theories, it explores how OCGs transition from a violent model to an entrepreneurial model influenced by social capital and institutional contexts. Using qualitative analysis of judicial documents, media reports, and official sources, we provide comprehensive insights into this hidden phenomenon. Social capital, disentangled into bonding, bridging, linking and symbolic as a novel thread of research, is key in lowering detection risks and enabling market adaptation. The findings show that strong bonding capital underpins internal logistics, bridging and linking capital support intergroup cooperation and access to illicit markets, while symbolic capital mirrors reputational and trust mechanisms, substituting for formal legal contracts. Our conceptual framework explains how criminal organisations adapt to peripheral contexts by dynamically adjusting profit-maximisation strategies based on local market conditions.

     Working Papers

• Dynamics and trends of drug dealing: a local labour system perspective, with M. Pulina (2024)

Abstract

This study provides a dynamic analysis of illegal drug trafficking in the Italian region of Sardinia, using the Local Labour Systems (LLS, ISTAT) framework. Data from major regional newspapers (January 2017- De-cember 2022) were validated through institutional reports. A multivariate biplot analysis reveals an increase in drug seizures and the Island’s role as a hub for national and international drug trade, facilitated by local and traditional mafia organizations. Related crimes are also infiltrating the le-gal economy, particularly in the coastal real estate market. This study high-lights the urgent need for targeted institutional and community strategies to protect younger people, who are increasingly involved in trafficking.