Abstract

In recent years, Italian capitalism has been widely investigated at both the theoretical and empirical levels. Within this literature an important strand concentrates on business groups. The starting point of this particular stream is the recognition that groups are not specific only to certain industries; business groups are a typical means for managers and entrepreneurs to control and expand their business activities. Based on this perspective this paper aims to empirically investigate the role of technology and spatial agglomeration in influencing the growth strategies of Italian business manufacturing groups. Particular emphasis is given to the choices made about vertical integration. The work takes advantage of a new and original data-set, recently developed by Istat, which refers to 2001.