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As water utilities operate as natural monopolists and they provide essential services for human life, their activities are regulated by public authorities. The sustainable use of water resources and a specific attention on social needs should be essential goals for this kind of firms, so that the evaluation of their business should go beyond their profitability and their financial solvency. Keeping pace with the new Circular Economy paradigm and the evolution of the water regulatory framework, in this paper we suggest a global composite indicator apt to evaluate in a novel way the water utilities performance, encompassing financial and economic indexes together with environmental sustainability and service quality measures. To show its empirical implementation we evaluate the performance of Italian water utilities. The operating context is also under scrutiny focusing on specific water utility features such as size, geographical location, degree of diversification and ownership. In this light, operating in the Centre and being large are considered favourable background conditions, while the South and the medium size display a significant unfavourable influence on the water utility performance. Multi-utilities are more advantaged with respect to the mono-utilities and no significant distinction can be made among the different ownership models.
Giovanna D’Inverno; Laura Carosi; Giulia Romano. Environmental sustainability and service quality beyond economic and financial indicators: A performance evaluation of Italian water utilities. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences 2021, 75, 100852 .
AMA StyleGiovanna D’Inverno, Laura Carosi, Giulia Romano. Environmental sustainability and service quality beyond economic and financial indicators: A performance evaluation of Italian water utilities. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences. 2021; 75 ():100852.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanna D’Inverno; Laura Carosi; Giulia Romano. 2021. "Environmental sustainability and service quality beyond economic and financial indicators: A performance evaluation of Italian water utilities." Socio-Economic Planning Sciences 75, no. : 100852.
The collection of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a public service with notable effects on the environment and public health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of selective collection and recycling of MSW on the performance of municipalities in providing MSW services. By employing the data envelopment analysis method, the efficiency and eco-efficiency scores for a sample of 298 municipalities in Chile were analyzed and compared. The efficiency estimation focused on the economic performance of the municipalities in the provision of MSW services, whereas the eco-efficiency assessment also integrated the environmental performance. The results indicated that the selective collection and recycling of MSW had a significant impact on the performance of the municipalities in providing these services. The percentages of efficient and eco-efficient municipalities were very low (4.70% and 4.36%, respectively), thus demonstrating the large room for performance improvement by Chilean municipalities in the management of MSW. The efficient and eco-efficient municipalities were heterogeneously distributed throughout the country, revealing the lack of collaboration between municipalities at the regional level. Finally, exogenous variables to the management of MSW carried out by the municipalities, including the population served, population density, tourism and waste generated per capita, all had an impact on the efficiency and eco-efficiency scores. The results and conclusions of this study are of great relevance for policy makers at the regional and local levels to improve the management of MSW in the context of a circular economy.
Paula Llanquileo-Melgarejo; María Molinos-Senante; Giulia Romano; Laura Carosi. Evaluation of the Impact of Separative Collection and Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste on Performance: An Empirical Application for Chile. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2022 .
AMA StylePaula Llanquileo-Melgarejo, María Molinos-Senante, Giulia Romano, Laura Carosi. Evaluation of the Impact of Separative Collection and Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste on Performance: An Empirical Application for Chile. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2022.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaula Llanquileo-Melgarejo; María Molinos-Senante; Giulia Romano; Laura Carosi. 2021. "Evaluation of the Impact of Separative Collection and Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste on Performance: An Empirical Application for Chile." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2022.
This study analyzes the association between the environmental performance of waste management and occurrences of corruption and maladministration. Italy is considered one of the most corrupt Western European countries; its high corruption levels have been highlighted for decades. In Italy, waste management has frequently garnered interest during crises and emergencies, owing to problems faced in terms of waste collection, transport, and treatment. The existence of a relationship between corruption and urban solid waste management, which is one of the most relevant services of general interest, needs investigation. The study aims to investigate the potential impact of corruption and public maladministration on Italy’s waste management environmental performance. Sixty-six Italian provinces for which relevant data were available over a 3-year period (2015–2017) were studied, and propensity score matching under the potential outcomes framework of causality was applied. Official data on the number of convictions for crimes committed against the public administration were used. The results demonstrated that provinces with higher levels of corruption and maladministration also had higher production of urban waste per capita, requiring further management and treatment; thus, more opportunities exist to commit crimes while pursuing private interests at the expense of public administrations and citizens. No relevant differences were found with reference to separate-waste collection rates and landfill use.
Giulia Romano; Lucio Masserini; Ginevra Virginia Lombardi. Environmental performance of waste management: Impacts of corruption and public maladministration in Italy. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 288, 125521 .
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, Lucio Masserini, Ginevra Virginia Lombardi. Environmental performance of waste management: Impacts of corruption and public maladministration in Italy. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 288 ():125521.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; Lucio Masserini; Ginevra Virginia Lombardi. 2020. "Environmental performance of waste management: Impacts of corruption and public maladministration in Italy." Journal of Cleaner Production 288, no. : 125521.
This paper assesses the performance of waste services in the region of Tuscany in Italy. It adopts non-parametric techniques for this purpose. Furthermore, it investigates the influence of the operational environment on the estimated performance by using the robust order-m technique. Meaningful levels of inefficiency were found in the Italian waste services. A specification of the ownership of the operator entrusted with waste management by municipalities and the formal adoption of the zero-waste strategy are included as environmental variables. The study concludes that the influence of the operational environment is a determinant of performance. The income per capita is negatively associated with efficiency, while population density is positively associated. Furthermore, efficiency levels are lower for municipalities with higher mixed waste per capita produced. Improving good pro-environmental behaviours is likely to improve efficiency and, thus, tariffs. The empirical results support the idea that it is necessary to make relevant organizational decisions that imply higher costs to increase the refuse collection rate. An increase in the separate collection rate beyond 50% is associated with the reduction of the efficiency level reached. Efficiency analysis does not consider the additional costs and the opportunities for municipalities to get revenues by selling them as secondary raw materials. Besides, the adoption of a zero-waste strategy is related to higher efficiency in MSW service provision. Finally, results about the ownership issue support the idea that privatization is not necessarily associated with the performance improvement of the waste services.
Giulia Romano; Diogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques; Laura Carosi. Waste services' performance assessment: The case of Tuscany, Italy. Waste Management 2020, 118, 573 -584.
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, Diogo Cunha Ferreira, Rui Cunha Marques, Laura Carosi. Waste services' performance assessment: The case of Tuscany, Italy. Waste Management. 2020; 118 ():573-584.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; Diogo Cunha Ferreira; Rui Cunha Marques; Laura Carosi. 2020. "Waste services' performance assessment: The case of Tuscany, Italy." Waste Management 118, no. : 573-584.
In response to the call for new studies on the so-called fifth stage of intellectual capital (IC), this study has two main goals. First, it aims to explore how IC affects sustainability in a triple bottom line perspective, namely, the joint and synergic achievement of economic, social, and environmental results in the waste management sector. Second, this study aims to understand how (private vs. public) ownership affects the IC–sustainability relationship. After carrying out a qualitative study on an Italian waste management firm with a strong sustainability orientation and a circular economy business model, we find first, that, IC contributes to the triple bottom line performance to the extent that the commitment to sustainability is integrated into the full range of governance and managerial processes, including those involving IC. Second, we find that stakeholders’ proactive involvement in IC processes is crucial to develop, exploit, and then replicate and scale sustainable business models. Third, we conclude that public ownership is more suitable than private ownership for directing IC processes toward sustainable performance, owing to lower pressure on profits and dividends, willingness to invest with delayed returns, and stronger relationships with the community.
Mario Minoja; Giulia Romano. Managing intellectual capital for sustainability: Evidence from a Re-municipalized, publicly owned waste management firm. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 279, 123213 .
AMA StyleMario Minoja, Giulia Romano. Managing intellectual capital for sustainability: Evidence from a Re-municipalized, publicly owned waste management firm. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 279 ():123213.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMario Minoja; Giulia Romano. 2020. "Managing intellectual capital for sustainability: Evidence from a Re-municipalized, publicly owned waste management firm." Journal of Cleaner Production 279, no. : 123213.
This paper describes a path-dependent regulatory process to define a new water-tariff calculation method for European regions and provinces requiring context-specific regulation. In 2017, South Tyrol, an autonomous province in north Italy, decided to design a new water tariff-setting method. The case of South Tyrol illustrates the application of the action research method. It offers insights on the regulatory tools available to define new water-tariff methods that comply with national and international frameworks, while considering contextual specificities that require simplicity (i.e., clarity and administrative ease). The results encourage using different regulatory instruments, following a contingency approach, to create diverse tariff structures.
Giulia Romano; Andrea Guerrini; Thomas Senoner. Establishing a new water tariff method that complies with european principles and respects statutory autonomy: The case of South Tyrol. Utilities Policy 2020, 64, 101050 .
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, Andrea Guerrini, Thomas Senoner. Establishing a new water tariff method that complies with european principles and respects statutory autonomy: The case of South Tyrol. Utilities Policy. 2020; 64 ():101050.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; Andrea Guerrini; Thomas Senoner. 2020. "Establishing a new water tariff method that complies with european principles and respects statutory autonomy: The case of South Tyrol." Utilities Policy 64, no. : 101050.
The efficient provision of municipal solid waste (MSW) services is essential from an economic and environmental perspective. This paper investigates the effect of ownership type on the eco-efficiency of MSW management in Tuscan municipalities. In the first stage of the analysis, the authors use a data envelopment analysis metafrontier approach with the integration of unsorted waste as an undesirable output. Three different clusters of municipalities are created based on the ownership type of the municipal waste operators: public, private, and mixed. In the second stage of analysis, the paper investigates factors affecting eco-efficiency in order to provide new knowledge that can be used by policy and decision makers to improve eco-efficiency. The results show that eco-efficiency is higher for municipalities that entrust the delivery of waste services to publicly owned firms compared to municipalities with delivery by mixed and private firms. Moreover, eco-efficiency in MSW management is higher for municipalities with younger residents, a larger population, and an overall higher population density. Smaller municipalities and those with less tourism manage their waste services more eco-efficiently than do bigger municipalities and those with more tourism. The results indicate that policy-makers should improve communication and engagement activities with older residents in smaller, less densely populated areas. In municipalities featuring heavy tourism, eco-taxes could be used to support these activities, avoiding any impact on residents.
Giulia Romano; María Molinos-Senante. Factors affecting eco-efficiency of municipal waste services in Tuscan municipalities: An empirical investigation of different management models. Waste Management 2020, 105, 384 -394.
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, María Molinos-Senante. Factors affecting eco-efficiency of municipal waste services in Tuscan municipalities: An empirical investigation of different management models. Waste Management. 2020; 105 ():384-394.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; María Molinos-Senante. 2020. "Factors affecting eco-efficiency of municipal waste services in Tuscan municipalities: An empirical investigation of different management models." Waste Management 105, no. : 384-394.
The debate about the role of corporations with regard to water also involves the influence that paying returns to shareholders could have on the investment policy of utilities, influencing the development of new infrastructure or the renewal of existing ones. This study investigated the dividend policy of water utilities by analyzing the data of 128 Italian firms during 2009–2014. Data show that the majority of utilities do not distribute any return to shareholders. On average, large utilities pay more frequent returns than medium-sized and small ones. Moreover, water utilities that are part of a group, multi-utilities, and those located in the center of Italy pay more frequent returns than do others. Southern firms usually do not pay returns. As expected, privately owned water utilities pay dividends more frequently and have higher returns to equity. In all the observed years, at least one-third of such utilities paid returns. Empirical results provide water regulators, water utility managers, and stakeholders with information that can impact future regulatory and managerial decisions related to management and strategic model choices in the water industry and how these decisions affect investments to improve water quality, water quantity, and/or water services.
Giulia Romano; Andrea Guerrini. Paying Returns to Shareholders of Water Utilities: Evidence from Italy. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2033 .
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, Andrea Guerrini. Paying Returns to Shareholders of Water Utilities: Evidence from Italy. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (7):2033.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; Andrea Guerrini. 2019. "Paying Returns to Shareholders of Water Utilities: Evidence from Italy." Sustainability 11, no. 7: 2033.
Using a large 2012–2015 cross-sectional dataset for all 279 municipalities in Tuscany, Italy (the location of the first municipality in Europe to adopt a zero-waste strategy in 2007), this study investigates whether and how municipal waste production and re-cycling activities are related to two waste management policies of municipalities: the adoption of a zero-waste strategy and ownership type of the entity entrusted with urban waste management services. Population density, the municipal average age of inhabitants, municipality area, and the average taxable income of individuals per capita are considered as control variables in the panel data regression models. The study demonstrates the relevance of municipal policies on waste management performance. Specifically, the results show that municipal waste production is higher when urban waste services are managed by privately owned companies, as well as when the average taxable income of individuals per capita is lower. The adoption of a zero-waste strategy by municipalities significantly improves the separate collection rate in Tuscan municipalities. Municipalities that have entrusted solid waste collection and disposal services to mixed-owned firms have lower rates of separate collection than do municipalities that directly manage the service or entrust it to publicly owned firms. Furthermore, the separate collection rate is higher where population density and the average taxable income of individuals per capita are higher. The analysis helps policy and decision makers to identify policies with higher probabilities of reducing waste production and improving the separate collection rate, thereby reaching high standards of waste reduction and recycling.
Giulia Romano; Agnese Rapposelli; Lorenzo Marrucci. Improving waste production and recycling through zero-waste strategy and privatization: An empirical investigation. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2019, 146, 256 -263.
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, Agnese Rapposelli, Lorenzo Marrucci. Improving waste production and recycling through zero-waste strategy and privatization: An empirical investigation. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2019; 146 ():256-263.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; Agnese Rapposelli; Lorenzo Marrucci. 2019. "Improving waste production and recycling through zero-waste strategy and privatization: An empirical investigation." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 146, no. : 256-263.
The aim of this Special Issue is to gather evidence on the impact of price policies (PP) and non-price policies (NPP) in shaping residential water use in a context of increased water scarcity. Indeed, a large body of the empirical economic literature on residential water demand has been devoted to measuring the impact of PP (water price increases, use of block rate pricing or peak pricing, etc.). The consensus is that the residential water demand is inelastic with respect to water price, but not perfectly. Given the low water price elasticity, pricing schemes may not always be effective tools for modifying household water behaviors. This is puzzling since increasing the water price is still viewed by public authorities as the most direct economic tool for inducing water conservation behaviors. Additional evidence regarding the use of PP in shaping residential water use is then required. More recently, it has been argued that residential consumers may react to NPP, such as water conservation programs, education campaigns, or smart metering. NPP are based on the idea that residential water users can implement strategies that will result in water savings via changing their individual behaviors. Feedback information based on smart water metering is an example of approach used by some water utilities. There are still large gaps in the knowledge on the residential water demand, and in particular on the impact of PP and NPP on residential water use, household water affordability and water service performance. These topics are addressed in this Special Issue “Advances in the Economic Analysis of Residential Water Use”.
Arnaud Reynaud; Giulia Romano. Advances in the Economic Analysis of Residential Water Use: An Introduction. Water 2018, 10, 1162 .
AMA StyleArnaud Reynaud, Giulia Romano. Advances in the Economic Analysis of Residential Water Use: An Introduction. Water. 2018; 10 (9):1162.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArnaud Reynaud; Giulia Romano. 2018. "Advances in the Economic Analysis of Residential Water Use: An Introduction." Water 10, no. 9: 1162.
The environmental efficiency of 96 Tuscan (Italian) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is investigated taking into account the quality of the outgoing water in terms of pollutant. In this regard, the presence of the residual nitrogen in the outgoing treated water is considered as undesirable output. The efficiency analysis is performed by applying a novel integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process/Non-radial Directional Distance Function (AHP/NDDF) approach, combining the benefits of the two techniques. Similarly to the standard NDDF approach, the suggested model allows to include simultaneously inputs, desirable and undesirable outputs and not to overestimate the efficiency scores. At the same time, the AHP inclusion gives the possibility to directly take into account the decision maker preferences in the weighting system and to encompass some existing directional distance function models as special cases.The obtained results are then used to identify the efficiency explanatory variables: among them, the facilities' capacity, the percentage of wastewater discharged by the industrial and agricultural activities and the level of compliance with the pollutant concentration threshold set by the legislator have a significant impact on the WWTP performance. The integrated performance assessment allows the water authorities to combine the WWTP efficiency together with the environmental sustainability issue and it has the potential for further promising environmental inspections
Giovanna D'Inverno; Laura Carosi; Giulia Romano; Andrea Guerrini. Water pollution in wastewater treatment plants: An efficiency analysis with undesirable output. European Journal of Operational Research 2018, 269, 24 -34.
AMA StyleGiovanna D'Inverno, Laura Carosi, Giulia Romano, Andrea Guerrini. Water pollution in wastewater treatment plants: An efficiency analysis with undesirable output. European Journal of Operational Research. 2018; 269 (1):24-34.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanna D'Inverno; Laura Carosi; Giulia Romano; Andrea Guerrini. 2018. "Water pollution in wastewater treatment plants: An efficiency analysis with undesirable output." European Journal of Operational Research 269, no. 1: 24-34.
Knowledge of attitudes towards water conservation, potential reactions to incorporating supplementary costs into water prices, and the willingness to pay for water services is vitally important to decision makers wishing to implement policies that effectively promote more conscious water consumption and mitigate increasingly important water scarcity issues. This study aims to examine the relationships among these dimensions and their potential explanatory factors—such as family values, knowledge about problems related to water scarcity, attitude and propensity to pro-environmental behavior, and social pressure that individuals receive to behave in a certain manner—through a sample survey on 429 students enrolled at the University of Pisa (Italy). A set of hypotheses were formulated among eight latent variables that reflect the previous constructs and were tested through a structural equation model. As for key findings, we highlight the importance of family values as the main determinant of pro-environmental behaviors, which result in more responsible water use, greater support for price increases to encourage water saving practices, and a greater willingness to pay more for improved water and water service quality. Policymakers should consider these findings when developing policies and strategies to incentivize effective water saving practices among younger generations.
Masserini Lucio; Romano Giulia; Corsini Lorenzo. Investigating Attitudes towards Water Savings, Price Increases, and Willingness to Pay among Italian University Students. Water Resources Management 2018, 32, 4123 -4138.
AMA StyleMasserini Lucio, Romano Giulia, Corsini Lorenzo. Investigating Attitudes towards Water Savings, Price Increases, and Willingness to Pay among Italian University Students. Water Resources Management. 2018; 32 (12):4123-4138.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMasserini Lucio; Romano Giulia; Corsini Lorenzo. 2018. "Investigating Attitudes towards Water Savings, Price Increases, and Willingness to Pay among Italian University Students." Water Resources Management 32, no. 12: 4123-4138.
The spending review carried out by many governments of the member countries of the European Union, which did away with a large part of public subsidies, recognizes that exercising control over operating and capital expenditure is one of the most important means to secure financial resources for public services. This study measures the inefficiency of 43 Italian water utilities, the main aim being to identify specific performance drivers among scale of operations, customer density, quality of water mains and wastewater treatment plants, and ownership structure. The novelty of this research lies in the procedures adopted for efficiency measurement. Besides a traditional approach to stochastic frontier analysis, the study applies true fixed effects in which time-invariant heterogeneity is introduced and kept separate from the inefficiency term. Further, we use the pairwise difference estimator for heteroskedastic normal–exponential specifications, wherein inefficiency follows a first-order autoregressive process, and we model inefficiency variance as a function of exogenous covariates. The results show that economies of scale do affect the Italian water sector, first benefiting utilities serving less than 50,000 customers, followed by those serving 50,000 to 150,000 customers. Similarly, population density improves efficiency, and firms operating in densely populated areas such as cities achieve the lowest cost of delivery per cubic meter of water. This evidence not only supports the choice of the national water regulatory authority to promote aggregations of firms using the tariff method, but also suggests the importance of considering density as a relevant variable to adjust the efficiency measures.
Andrea Guerrini; Giulia Romano; Chiara Leardini. Economies of scale and density in the Italian water industry: A stochastic frontier approach. Utilities Policy 2018, 52, 103 -111.
AMA StyleAndrea Guerrini, Giulia Romano, Chiara Leardini. Economies of scale and density in the Italian water industry: A stochastic frontier approach. Utilities Policy. 2018; 52 ():103-111.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Guerrini; Giulia Romano; Chiara Leardini. 2018. "Economies of scale and density in the Italian water industry: A stochastic frontier approach." Utilities Policy 52, no. : 103-111.
The Italian water sector has changed substantially over the past ten years. This study assesses the impact of the latest water sector regulatory reform, which follows a performance-based approach, using utility financial data. To understand the effects of reform on the sector, we analyze the performance of 136 Italian water utilities during 2009–2014. To this end, this study employs the non-parametric Luenberger productivity indicator, which shows improvement only between 2012 and 2013. The findings indicate the need for incentives for cost saving and productivity improvement, as well as the need for more investment.
Andrea Guerrini; María Molinos-Senante; Giulia Romano. Italian regulatory reform and water utility performance: An impact analysis. Utilities Policy 2018, 52, 95 -102.
AMA StyleAndrea Guerrini, María Molinos-Senante, Giulia Romano. Italian regulatory reform and water utility performance: An impact analysis. Utilities Policy. 2018; 52 ():95-102.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Guerrini; María Molinos-Senante; Giulia Romano. 2018. "Italian regulatory reform and water utility performance: An impact analysis." Utilities Policy 52, no. : 95-102.
The backwardness of the water utilities sector necessitates urgent investment in infrastructure to improve water quality and efficiency in water supply networks. A policy of tariff growth represents the main source to sustain such investments. Therefore, customer engagement in the form of willingness to pay (WTP) is highly desirable by water utilities to obtain social legitimization and support. This study examines the determinants of consumers' WTP for improvement programs for three drinking water issues: quality of water sources, renewal of water mains, and building of new wastewater treatment plants. The study is based on a survey conducted among a sample of 587 customers of a water utility located in the province of Verona in the north of Italy. The contingence valuation method is used to measure WTP. Specifically, an ordinal logistic regression model yields the following significant determinants of WTP: quality of water and services provided, preference for privatization of the water utility, sustainable consumption of water, and some socio-demographic variables. The findings provide interesting insights into the drivers of WTP as well as managerial recommendations for water utilities. In particular, the findings show that water utilities need to improve service and water quality to increase customers' acceptance of tariff growth. In addition, utilities should invest in customer education and communication activities focusing on specific age groups (e.g., older customers) to enhance their WTP. Finally, communication strategies should reinforce the possible role of liberalization and privatization in supporting infrastructure investments.
Andrea Guerrini; Vania Vigolo; Giulia Romano; Federico Testa. Levers supporting tariff growth for water services: evidence from a contingent valuation analysis. Journal of Environmental Management 2018, 207, 23 -31.
AMA StyleAndrea Guerrini, Vania Vigolo, Giulia Romano, Federico Testa. Levers supporting tariff growth for water services: evidence from a contingent valuation analysis. Journal of Environmental Management. 2018; 207 ():23-31.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Guerrini; Vania Vigolo; Giulia Romano; Federico Testa. 2018. "Levers supporting tariff growth for water services: evidence from a contingent valuation analysis." Journal of Environmental Management 207, no. : 23-31.
The determinants of the performance of water utilities are a topical issue worldwide. This paper analyzes the relationship between efficiency and corporate governance in Italian water utilities, measured through data envelopment analysis. Using an M-quantile regression model, efficiency estimations are ranked considering relevant governance (board size and composition; firm size) and strategy features (membership of a corporate group; provision of wholesale services) in order to provide decision-makers with indications regarding the best corporate governance and strategic choices to improve the efficiency. Results show that fully publicly owned firms reach lower levels of efficiency than their counterparts with an ownership structure that also includes private partners. Moreover, higher levels of efficiency are reached by utilities with more than six board members and by firms in which the presence of politically connected directors is substantial (more than two-thirds of board members being politically connected). The empirical results also show that the worst situation is where the entirety or the great majority of board members are not graduates or over a certain age and where the firm size is ‘median’. Finally, being part of a group and having the opportunity to provide wholesale services to other firms contribute to improving efficiency.
Giulia Romano; Nicola Salvati; Andrea Guerrini. Governance, strategy and efficiency of water utilities: the Italian case. Water Policy 2017, 20, 109 -126.
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, Nicola Salvati, Andrea Guerrini. Governance, strategy and efficiency of water utilities: the Italian case. Water Policy. 2017; 20 (1):109-126.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; Nicola Salvati; Andrea Guerrini. 2017. "Governance, strategy and efficiency of water utilities: the Italian case." Water Policy 20, no. 1: 109-126.
A. Guerrini; Giulia Romano. Contract renegotiation by an Italian wastewater utility: Action research to promote effective tariff revision. Utilities Policy 2017, 48, 176 -183.
AMA StyleA. Guerrini, Giulia Romano. Contract renegotiation by an Italian wastewater utility: Action research to promote effective tariff revision. Utilities Policy. 2017; 48 ():176-183.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Guerrini; Giulia Romano. 2017. "Contract renegotiation by an Italian wastewater utility: Action research to promote effective tariff revision." Utilities Policy 48, no. : 176-183.
The relevance of wastewater treatment service has increased in recent years, since it has a significant impact on the natural environment. A treatment plant facilitates energy generation, the recovery of products from waste, and the reuse of wastewater for industrial and irrigation purposes. An indirect environmental effect is the high energy consumption for pumping water and for tank aeration. The objective of this research is to develop a tool for measuring the energy costs of wastewater treatment plants and identifying how they can be reduced. The method adopted is double-bootstrap data envelopment analysis. The results show that the variables with a significant influence on efficiency are the chemical oxygen demand concentration; plant capacity; rate of used capacity, which positively affects efficiency; weight of industrial customers, which exerts a negative impact; and aeration system, with a negative impact for turbines. This paper suggests the adoption of an effective control tool to monitor the costs drivers and energy expenditure of water utilities.
Andrea Guerrini; Giulia Romano; Alessandro Indipendenza. Energy Efficiency Drivers in Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Double Bootstrap DEA Analysis. Sustainability 2017, 9, 1126 .
AMA StyleAndrea Guerrini, Giulia Romano, Alessandro Indipendenza. Energy Efficiency Drivers in Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Double Bootstrap DEA Analysis. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (7):1126.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Guerrini; Giulia Romano; Alessandro Indipendenza. 2017. "Energy Efficiency Drivers in Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Double Bootstrap DEA Analysis." Sustainability 9, no. 7: 1126.
Giulia Romano; Andrea Guerrini; Rui Cunha Marques. European Water Utility Management: Promoting Efficiency, Innovation and Knowledge in the Water Industry. Water Resources Management 2017, 13, 591 -2353.
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, Andrea Guerrini, Rui Cunha Marques. European Water Utility Management: Promoting Efficiency, Innovation and Knowledge in the Water Industry. Water Resources Management. 2017; 13 (8):591-2353.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; Andrea Guerrini; Rui Cunha Marques. 2017. "European Water Utility Management: Promoting Efficiency, Innovation and Knowledge in the Water Industry." Water Resources Management 13, no. 8: 591-2353.
In Italy’s water industry, publicly owned utilities (PWCs) coexist with public-private partnerships (PPPWCs), that could\ud contribute expertise for operations, funds, and relationships. This paper examines the effect of ownership structures on\ud efficiency by comparing Veneto (with almost all PWCs) and Tuscany (with almost all PPPWCs). This comparison is\ud highly debated, with possible economic, social, environmental, and political implications. A Data Envelopment Analysis\ud approach, that uses both quantitative and qualitative variables to represent the lack of service quality, was adopted.\ud Results suggest that PWCs perform slightly better when quality issues are excluded, while PPPWCs perform better\ud when considering both variable type
Giulia Romano; María Molinos-Senante; Andrea Guerrini. Water utility efficiency assessment in Italy by accounting for service quality: An empirical investigation. Utilities Policy 2017, 45, 97 -108.
AMA StyleGiulia Romano, María Molinos-Senante, Andrea Guerrini. Water utility efficiency assessment in Italy by accounting for service quality: An empirical investigation. Utilities Policy. 2017; 45 ():97-108.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Romano; María Molinos-Senante; Andrea Guerrini. 2017. "Water utility efficiency assessment in Italy by accounting for service quality: An empirical investigation." Utilities Policy 45, no. : 97-108.