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on Entrepreneurship |
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Issue of 2014‒05‒09
eight papers chosen by Marcus Dejardin University of Namur and Universite' Catholique de Louvain |
| By: | Michael Fritsch; Michael Wyrwich |
| Abstract: | We use the historical self-employment rate as an indicator of a regional culture of entrepreneurship and link this measure to economic growth in recent periods. The results indicate that German regions with a high level of entrepreneurship in the mid-1920s have higher start-up rates about 80 years later. Furthermore, we find that the effect of current start-up activity on regional employment is significantly higher in regions with a pronounced entrepreneurial culture. We conclude that a regional culture of entrepreneurship is an important resource for regional growth. |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneurship, economic development, self-employment, new business formation, entrepreneurship culture, institutions |
| JEL: | L26 R11 O11 |
| Date: | 2014–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:egu:wpaper:1411&r=ent |
| By: | Stefano Bianchini; Giulio Bottazzi; Federico Tamagni |
| Abstract: | Theoretical and empirical studies of industry dynamics have extensively focused on the process of growth. Theory predicts that production efficiency, profitability and financial status are central channels through which some firms can survive, grow and eventually achieve outstanding growth performance. Is the same conceptual framework a convincing explanation to account for persistent corporate high growth? Exploiting panels of Italian, Spanish, and French firms we find no evidence that this is the case: companies experiencing persistent high growth are not more productive nor more profitable, and do not display peculiarly sounder financial conditions than firms that only exhibit high, but not persistent, growth performance. The finding is robust across countries, across sectors displaying different innovation patterns, and also controlling for demographic characteristics such as age and size. |
| Keywords: | High-growth firms, Persistent high-growth, Productivity, Firm age, Firm size |
| Date: | 2014–04–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ssa:lemwps:2014/11&r=ent |
| By: | Segarra Blasco, Agustí, 1958-; Teruel, Mercedes |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the effect of R&D investment on firm growth. We use an extensive sample of Spanish manufacturing and service firms. The database comprises diverse waves of Spanish Community Innovation Survey and covers the period 2004–2008. First, a probit model corrected for sample selection analyses the role of innovation on the probability of being a high-growth firm (HGF). Second, a quantile regression technique is applied to explore the determinants of firm growth. Our database shows that a small number of firms experience fast growth rates in terms of sales or employees. Our results reveal that R&D investments positively affect the probability of becoming a HGF. However, differences appear between manufacturing and service firms. Finally, when we study the impact of R&D investment on firm growth, quantile estimations show that internal R&D presents a significant positive impact for the upper quantiles, while external R&D shows a significant positive impact up to the median. Keywords : High-growth firms, Firm growth, Innovation activity. JEL Classifications : L11, L25, L26, O30 |
| Keywords: | Empreses -- Creixement, Innovacions tecnològiques, Emprenedoria, Investigació industrial, 33 - Economia, |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:urv:wpaper:2072/228402&r=ent |
| By: | Tischler, Joachim |
| Abstract: | Young technology ventures are strongly affected by technological environmental conditions. In the light of opportunity theory, this study focuses on the interaction of a young firm’s technological base and the pace of technological development in its field. It distinguishes three technological characteristics: radicalness, scope, and the degree of collaborative development. Empirical results support the hypothesis that young technology-based firms commercializing radical technologies grow faster in rapidly developing technology fields. By contrast, young firms commercializing technologies that are developed through research collaborations with established firms outperform others when the pace of technological progress is relatively slow. This study provides empirical evidence of a beneficial interplay between technological characteristics and technological environment and offers a modified patent-citation-based criterion for measuring the pace of technological development in different technology fields. -- |
| Keywords: | academic spin-off,technology venture,pace of technological progress,patent data,technological base |
| JEL: | L25 L26 M13 O33 |
| Date: | 2014–04–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:96156&r=ent |
| By: | Cunningham, James (National University of Ireland); Link, Albert (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This paper advances our understanding of university-industry research and development (R&D) collaborations. These strategic relationships are a dimension of entrepreneurial activity, and they are thus important drivers of economic growth and development. Business collaboration with universities increases the efficiency and effectiveness of industrial investments. Previous studies have found that universities are more likely to collaborate with industry if the business is mature and large, is engaged in exploratory internal R&D, and there are not major intellectual property (IP) issues between both parties. Businesses gain from such collaborations through increased commercialisation probabilities and economies of technological scope. Based on publicly available data collected by the Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre of Germany as part of a European Commission project, our paper focuses on two key questions. First, why are there cross-country differences in the extent to which universities collaborate with business in R&D? Second, are there covariates with these differences that might offer insight into policy prescriptions and policy levers for enhancing the extent to which such collaboration takes place? We find that access is positive and statistically significant in relation to fostering university business R&D collaborations. Our results, albeit that they are tempered by a small sample of data, have implications how national innovation systems support further harmonization of IP regimes across universities and how universities priorities its own investments and incentives. |
| Keywords: | R&D collaborations; entrepreneurship; university-industry partnerships; European Union |
| JEL: | O31 O32 O33 O38 |
| Date: | 2014–04–28 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:uncgec:2014_003&r=ent |
| By: | Catherine McLaughlin; Adam Swinburn |
| Abstract: | This brief found that small businesses that continue to offer coverage will face changes in what plans are available to offer. As individual and Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchanges are developed, employees of small businesses will likely receive more choices and more comprehensive coverage, possibly at more competitive prices. |
| Keywords: | Health Insurance, Small Businesses, Survey, Alabama, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Oregon |
| JEL: | I |
| Date: | 2014–04–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mpr:mprres:8110&r=ent |
| By: | Marta Auricchio (Bank of Italy); Marco Cantamessa (Polytechnic of Turin); Alessandra Colombelli (Polytechnic of Turin); Roberto Cullino (Bank of Italy); Andrea Orame (Bank of Italy); Emilio Paolucci (Polytechnic of Turin) |
| Abstract: | The Italian economy has suffered from structural problems for the last fifteen years, which have weakened its competitiveness. The innovation gap, by international standards, is one of those problems. Business incubators are one of the solutions proposed in the economic literature and put into practice in many countries in order to increase the birth and survival rates of extremely innovative firms. With the help of an empirical survey of a highly representative sample of Italian business incubators and a significant subset of incubated start-ups, this paper draws an institutional and functional map of business incubators in Italy. Italian incubators are mostly small and heavily dependent on public funding. They mainly provide logistical services, less frequently higher value added ones like consulting and networking. According to the firms interviewed, the role played by incubators is on average useful but not essential for the success of the start-up. |
| Keywords: | innovation, start-up, public policy |
| JEL: | M13 G28 O31 |
| Date: | 2014–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_216_14&r=ent |
| By: | Heinrichs, Simon; Tischler, Joachim; Walter, Achim |
| Abstract: | Inkubatoren unterstützen Neugründungen und junge Unternehmen beim Aufbau ihrer Geschäftstätigkeit. In diesem Beitrag wird auf Basis einer Stichprobe von 72 deutschen Inkubatoren eine Klassifizierung der Inkubatorlandschaft auf Basis ihrer Leistungsangebote vorgenommen. Anhand einer Clusteranalyse können drei Inkubatortypen identifiziert werden, deren Leistungsangebote sich deutlich voneinander unterscheiden. Für den Vergleich und die Konzeption differenzierter Leistungsprofile von Inkubatoren bietet die empirische Analyse gezielt Anhaltspunkte. Auffallend selten stehen Inkubatoren ihren Unternehmen bei der Erstellung von Marktanalysen zur Seite. -- Incubator organizations support new ventures in their early business development. Based on a sample of 72 business incubators located in Germany we classify these organizations corresponding to their service offerings. Using cluster analysis we are able to identify three types of business incubators which differ fundamentally in their type and intensity of new venture support. Our results offer guidelines for future empirical studies which aim to compare incubators with similar services. Our findings reveal that incubators rarely offer assistance in market research. |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneurship Inkubator,Start-ups,Technologie-und Gründerzentren,Typisierung |
| JEL: | C38 M13 R38 |
| Date: | 2014–04–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:96158&r=ent |