Title: Identifying the factors affecting firm performance and growth: the case of Italian publicly listed companies

Authors: Panagiotis Charalampakis; Antonios Georgopoulos; Ilias Makris; Stavros Stavroyiannis

Addresses: University of Patras, University Campus, 26504, Rio Achaia, Greece ' University of Patras, University Campus, 26504, Rio Achaia, Greece ' University of Peloponnese, Antikalamos 24100, Kalamata, Greece ' University of Peloponnese, Antikalamos 24100, Kalamata, Greece

Abstract: The 2008 financial crisis affected almost all of the Eurozone's member states but not in the same way. Italy, the 3rd largest country member of the Eurozone, in terms of GDP, was hit heavily by the economic crisis. Italy's GDP fell, income per capita has had a zero increase and gross debt has reached previously unthinkable levels. In this research, economic data of a large number of publicly listed Italian companies are examined, between 2008 and 2018. The aim is to identify common characteristics that are associated with company performance and growth during the period examined. A panel data analysis has been performed with focus on how firms' financial performance and growth are being affected by their financial health, internationalisation, and size. Similar studies are presented, and their findings are compared to investigate the factors that are crucial for firm growth, especially during a recessionary period.

Keywords: financial crisis; Italy; publicly listed firms; performance; sales; debt; international sales.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEBR.2022.124291

International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 2022 Vol.24 No.1/2, pp.257 - 270

Received: 27 Nov 2020
Accepted: 15 Jan 2021
Published online: 21 Jul 2022 *

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