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on Entrepreneurship |
| By: | Oberschachtsiek, Dirk; Scioch, Patrycja (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany]) |
| Abstract: | "This paper focuses on the question of whether improving the competence of new business founders by means of coaching and training programs enhances the dura-tion of self-employment. In our analysis we focus on support activities that are pro-vided in addition to a financial subsidy and which mainly focus on providing external expertise for founders who started a business from a position of unemployment. We find that the inflow into the related schemes is strongly determined by regional pat-terns and time while individual characteristics are less important. This reflects a par-ticular regional specialization in the set-up of the promotion of self-employment. A statistical matching approach is used to control for selectivity and is performed in a way that explicitly takes into account differences across regions and over time. The results show that treatment effects tend to be insignificant in statistical and economic terms. We also find evidence that external expertise reduces the duration of self-employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en)) |
| JEL: | J68 J23 |
| Date: | 2011–07–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iab:iabdpa:201116&r=ent |
| By: | Philip McCann (University of Groningen); Raquel Ortega-Argilés (Instituto Superior Técnico) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the arguments underpinning the smart specialisation concept, an idea which originally emerged from the sectoral growth literature, and one which has recently been applied with to the regional policy context. The shift from a sectoral to a regional context appears prima facie to be quite straightforward but this paper explains that translating the idea to a regional policy context is rather more complex that it at first appears and implies some changes in both interpretation and implications. The outcomes of this are that in a regional policy setting the smart specialisation logic is seen to be broadly consistent with the overall reforms of EU Cohesion Policy. However, in a regional policy setting there is no reason why ICTs should be prioritised over many forms of intangible capital, and the promotion of technological diversification via entrepreneurship may need to be related to specific sectors or activities. |
| Keywords: | Smart, specialisation, EU, cohesion policy, innovation, sector, place-based |
| JEL: | O31 O33 R11 R58 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ieb:wpaper:2011/7/doc2011-14&r=ent |
| By: | Yukichi Mano (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies); Alhassan Iddrisu (The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ghana); Yutaka Yoshino (The World Bank); Tetsushi Sonobe (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies) |
| Abstract: | The vast majority of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in developing countries are located in industrial clusters, and the majority of such clusters have yet to see their growth take off. The performance of MSE clusters is especially low in Sub-Saharan Africa. While existing studies often attribute the poor performance to factors outside firms, problems within firms are seldom scrutinized. In fact, entrepreneurs in these clusters are unfamiliar with standard business practices. Based on a randomized experiment in Ghana, this study demonstrates that basic-level management training improves business practices and performance. |
| Keywords: | Africa, Ghana, industrial development, survival clusters, management training, randomized experiment |
| Date: | 2011–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ngi:dpaper:11-06&r=ent |
| By: | Agné Paliokaité (ISM, University of Management and Economics, Vilnius, Lithuania) |
| Abstract: | Purpose. In this paper, I argue that corporate foresight can play the important role not only for large multinational companies, but also for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Rohrbeck et al (2010) proposed that effective corporate foresight can be organized without a process model but with certain capabilities and activities. In this paper it is hypothesized that the latter approach could be suitable for SMEs. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that organizational future orientation of an SME can be also enhanced by engaging in networks with other stakeholders. Therefore, the paper aims to explore the different routes to enhance corporate foresight capabilities in SMEs. The fundamental research question addressed in this paper is: what are the key corporate foresight capabilities and how can these capabilities be built in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance strategic thinking and future orientation in these companies? More specific objectives are: (1) To establish what the key capabilities within the corporate foresight practices are; (2) To establish what kind of value contributions can be expected from corporate foresight; (3) Based on research results, to propose a benchmarking framework of CF capabilities with a distinction between different routes SMEs can take for achieving higher value associated with CF. (4)To propose how the variables in the networking route could be measured. The analysis in this paper is comprised of three main parts. The first part is to formally establish the need for corporate foresight capabilities in the Lithuanian high technology SMEs. The second part, which is the crux of this paper, is to propose the benchmarking framework for corporate foresight in SMEs, following three different routes: structural approach, cultural approach, networking approach. The third part provides conclusions and discussion. |
| Keywords: | Corporate foresight, networking, SMEs, weak signals, weak tie networks, strong tie networks, Lithuania |
| JEL: | D81 D85 L14 M10 O52 |
| Date: | 2010–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ieu:wpaper:31&r=ent |