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on Entrepreneurship |
| By: | Ronize Cruz (Centre for Business and Economics Research, University of Coimbr); Francisco Nobre (University of Surrey, School of Economics); João Pereira dos Santos (Queen Mary University of London; ISEG - University of Lisbon, REM/ UECE; IZA) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the rapid rise in short-term rentals (STRs) in Portugal and their impact on the performance of local businesses. Using comprehensive firm-level data covering all private companies, we find that exposure to STRs increases the probability of business closures, particularly for low-performing firms. For surviving incumbent firms, we estimate a significant surge in sales for both resident- and tourist-oriented businesses, along with increases in employment, wage bill, and liquidity for the latter. In civil parishes with greater STR exposure, we observe a higher probability of new firm entry, reshaping the urban business landscape. |
| Keywords: | Short-term rentals, Local businesses, Tourism, Portugal |
| JEL: | R12 L25 L83 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gmf:papers:2024-04 |
| By: | Joep Konings; Aaron Putseys |
| Abstract: | We assess how subsidies for on-the-job training affect firm performance. Using a difference-in- differences research design, we find that these subsidies positively influence firm size, wages, and productivity. Over four years, employment increases by 3.55%, value added by 5.68%, and labor costs by 3.60%. Average wages and labor productivity grow by 1.95% and 2.12%, respec- tively. In the first year of treatment, a notable discrepancy exists between the wage (1.21%) and productivity (2.18%) effects, indicating incomplete rent-sharing. These positive effects are primarily seen in smaller firms, which significantly increase training expenditures and hours in the year they receive subsidies, resulting in more trained and skilled workers. Larger firms do not show similar effects, highlighting the possibility that these firms relabel existing training ac- tivities to take advantage of the training subsidy program. Additionally, we find that subsidies focused on training in human resource management, logistics, and business skills drive these positive outcomes for firm size at the firm level. |
| Keywords: | Productivity, Programme evaluation, SMEs growth, Training subsidies |
| Date: | 2025–01–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ete:ceswps:757420 |
| By: | Alex Buckland (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin University); Abebe Hailemariam (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin University); Daniel Kiely (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, Curtin Business School); Angelica Munoz (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, Curtin University); Panagiotis Sotirakopoulos (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, Curtin University) |
| Abstract: | Dare to Venture: Startups and the innovation ecosystem in Western Australia, the eighteenth report in the BCEC Focus on WA series, seeks to better understand the startup and innovation ecosystem in Western Australia, to inform policies that support entrepreneurship and startups in the state, and curate an innovation ecosystem within which startups can thrive. This report finds that Western Australia’s startup and innovation ecosystem requires targeted reforms and investment to unlock its full potential, calling for improvements in talent development, gender diversity and access to capital and infrastructure to support a more diversified economy. The report highlights WA’s strengths in mining, energy and resources but WA should look to grow emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and data analytics and finds that strengthening WA’s innovation ecosystem could create up to 350 new businesses, generating 3, 500 highly skilled jobs and broader economic benefits. |
| Keywords: | venture capital, entrepreneurship, innovation, business ecosystem, small and medium enterprises, small business, business investment. |
| JEL: | G2 L2 L26 O3 O31 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ozl:bcecrs:fwa18 |
| By: | Oscar Csibi (GRM - Groupe de Recherche en Management - EA 4711 - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur) |
| Abstract: | The research is motivated by the need to understand how sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) behaviors and practices influence the internationalization strategies and outcomes of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Sustainability has become a significant topic in business research, especially with the recognition of the triple bottom line (TBL) concept, which integrates environmental, social, and economic aspects in business practices (Casado-Belmonte et al., 2020). SE merges these sustainability goals with entrepreneurial activities, emphasizing ecological and social responsibilities alongside economic growth (Isaak, 2002; Shepherd & Patzelt, 2011). A crucial area for future research involves the relationship between SMEs and sustainability (Sanders, 2022). Research has shown that the values of owners, directors, and employees in German Mittelstand companies often differ from those in other firms, showing a stronger commitment to sustainability (De Massis et al., 2018). It remains uncertain if these differences extend more broadly to SMEs. Locally embedded SMEs and family businesses, with their intergenerational planning horizons, long-term orientation, and high levels of social responsibility, may be uniquely positioned to tackle today's significant challenges. This potential sustainability advantage underscores the importance of exploring how these firms can integrate sustainability into their global strategies to achieve competitive advantage and address socio-environmental issues. This study aims to explore this intersection to uncover how SMEs can incorporate sustainability into their international strategies to achieve competitive advantage and address socio-environmental challenges? This research will investigate the mechanisms through which SE practices affect the internationalization of SMEs by focusing on the pivotal role of social networks. Social networks are instrumental in providing SMEs with critical resources, building trust, enhancing knowledge, and developing capabilities necessary for successful international ventures (Han et al., 2024). The study will delve into how these networks facilitate market choice, entry mode, and performance, influencing the overall internationalization process of SMEs. Understanding the interplay between SE and internationalization is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, SMEs make up a significant portion of global business, accounting for 90% of companies and over half of global employment (Audretsch & Guenther, 2023). Despite their prevalence, the success of SMEs is not guaranteed; their performance varies widely based on contextual factors and their ability to innovate and internationalize. SE offers a pathway for SMEs to enhance their competitiveness by integrating sustainability into their core strategies, addressing both market demands and global sustainability challenges (Shepherd & Patzelt, 2011; Hull et al., 2007). Secondly, the role of social networks in facilitating internationalization is pivotal. Social networks provide SMEs with critical resources, build trust, enhance knowledge, and develop capabilities needed for successful international ventures (Han et al., 2024). These networks help SMEs navigate the complexities of foreign markets, from initial entry to post-entry operations, by leveraging interorganizational collaborations and personal relationships (Lindstrand & Hånell, 2017; Zahoor & Al- Tabbaa, 2021). Recent research has extended the examination of social networks from organizational to individual and national levels, revealing their profound impact on market choice, entry mode, internationalization degree, and performance (Han et al., 2024). Moreover, collaborative innovation strategies, as highlighted by Audretsch and Guenther (2023), enable SMEs to overcome resource constraints associated with their smaller size. Engaging in inter-organizational collaborations (IOC) is a critical strategy for SMEs to access new markets, share resources, and foster innovation, which are essential for successful internationalization. Given the global push for sustainable development, there is a pressing need to understand how SE can be leveraged for international growth. Internationalization offers a viable pathway for sustainable businesses to scale their impact and reach. Historically, research on internationalization has focused on traditional entrepreneurial ventures that prioritize economic gains. However, the integration of sustainability into international business strategies remains underexplored, creating a significant research gap (Zolfaghari Ejlal Manesh & Rialp-Criado, 2019). Moreover, the success of SMEs in the global market can contribute significantly to global economic stability and growth. SMEs are identified as engines of internationalization, contributing substantially to global economic activity (Del Sarto et al., 2021). Innovative and internationalized SMEs tend to be concentrated in specific spatial and institutional contexts, highlighting the importance of local ecosystems in supporting these activities (Guenther et al., 2022). |
| Keywords: | Sustainable Entrepreneurship, SMEs' internationalization, Sustainability |
| Date: | 2024–08–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04812579 |
| By: | Henrekson, Magnus (Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN)); Johansson, Dan (Örebro University School of Business, Örebro, Sweden) |
| Abstract: | The neo-Schumpeterian growth models, which appeared in the early 1990s, have ostensibly reintroduced the entrepreneur into mainstream growth theory. However, we show that by ignoring genuine uncertainty and by assuming that profits follow an objectively true and ex ante known probability distribution, the entrepreneur is made redundant. Thus, the theory fails to exhaustively explain innovation, the role of ownership competence, profits, the function of financial markets, wealth and income distribution, and, ultimately, economic growth. These shortcomings risk leading to erroneous or overly narrow policy conclusions by overestimating the importance of supporting R&D investments. Rather, the presence of genuine uncertainty forms a fundamental theoretical basis for the importance of new venture creation as a source of innovation-driven growth; entrepreneurs must establish and expand firms to capture the subjectively perceived profit opportunities. Therefore, tax policy is decisive for the commercialization and dissemination of innovations by providing incentives to uncertainty-bearing, not only for entrepreneurs, but also for intrapreneurs and financiers taking an active part in the governance and development of firms based on innovations characterized by genuine uncertainty. Furthermore, taxation can distort the evolutionary selection of innovations and firms, for instance, by taxing owners and firms differently. |
| Keywords: | Creative destruction; Economic growth; Entrepreneur; Entrepreneurship policy; Innovation; Judgment; Knightian uncertainty |
| JEL: | B40 O10 O30 |
| Date: | 2025–01–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:1514 |
| By: | Juha, Sharmin Jahan; Mizan, Arefin |
| Abstract: | Recent research in the emerging field of ‘Indigenous Entrepreneurship’ is revealing that there are various conditions and values present when it comes to Indigenous businesses and enterprises, that fundamentally challenges the common assumptions about entrepreneurship. This study aims to address the challenges that ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, otherwise known as Indigenous people (IP), face in their entrepreneurial ventures while remaining in the informal sector, and recommend policy initiatives to counteract those challenges. We hypothesize that the Indigenous economy’s entrepreneurial landscape mainly comprises informal entrepreneurship. Which inevitably creates barriers to accessing financial institutions, incentives and services provided by the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and other formal institutions, necessary for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to scale up and maximize market development. For this study, we used 67 case studies of IP-led businesses and startups in Bangladesh, in conjunction with the Future of Business Survey Data from Facebook. We use Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Fs/QCA), a novel analytical method to identify complex interacting causal factors from a large body of case studies. We hope to provide a sound basis for policy interventions based on practical and perceived needs of IPs, which are required to make entrepreneurship in Bangladesh more inclusive and ensure that IPs have a level playing field in the formal economy of Bangladesh. |
| Date: | 2025–01–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:d3c8z |
| By: | Jaelyn S. Liang; Rehaan S. Mundy; Shriya Jagwayan |
| Abstract: | E-commerce is rapidly transforming economies across Africa, offering immense opportunities for economic growth, market expansion, and digital inclusion. This study investigates the effects of e-commerce on select African regions. By utilizing readiness factors, including mobile money deployment, GDP per capita, internet penetration, and digital infrastructure, the preparedness of African countries for e-commerce adoption is quantified, highlighting significant disparities. Through case studies in urban and rural areas, including Lagos, Kano, Nairobi, and the Rift Valley, the study shows e-commerce's significant effects on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), employment, and market efficiency. Urban centers demonstrated significant gains in productivity and profitability, whereas rural regions experienced slower growth due to limited internet access and infrastructural barriers. Despite these challenges, localized solutions such as mobile money systems and agricultural e-commerce platforms are bridging gaps. This study highlights the significant potential of e-commerce in Africa while emphasizing the need for targeted investments and strategies to address existing regional disparities. |
| Date: | 2024–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2412.03879 |
| By: | Stéphanie Heichelbech (UPCité - Université Paris Cité); Mathieu Le Moal (UM - Université de Montpellier, UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3); Jean-Marie Estève (UM - Université de Montpellier); Olivier Torrès (UM - Université de Montpellier) |
| Abstract: | Abstract: The mental health of SME leaders is a growing field of research. Numerous findings suggest that while entrepreneurs often appear to have better mental health, they face significant mental workload challenges. These include long working hours, recurrent stress, high uncertainty regarding orders, and isolation. These conditions may increase the risk of burnout among entrepreneurs. This communication aims to present a burnout prevention tool for entrepreneurs—Amarok e-Santémis, developed by a team of French researchers. One of its key advantages is its digitalized approach, which helps avoid desirability bias associated with face-to-face interactions. The implementation of this tool was supported by key partners, including AGEFICE, since its launch on December 1, 2020. By April 2024, nearly 80 French Occupational Health Prevention Services (SPST) were utilizing the tool, demonstrating the growing impact and recognition of this innovative approach. |
| Abstract: | Résumé : La santé mentale des dirigeants de PME est un champ en pleine expansion. De nombreux résultats montrent que bien que les entrepreneurs semblent avoir une meilleure santé mentale, ces derniers sont soumis à des charges mentales de travail plus importantes, notamment liés aux nombreuses heures de travail, à un stress récurrent, à une forte incertitude du carnet de commande et à de la solitude… Les conditions d'existence des entrepreneurs peuvent occasionner des risques de burnout. L'objet de cette communication est de présenter un dispositif de prévention du burnout des entrepreneurs -Amarok e-Santémis au point par une équipe de chercheurs français -dont l'une des vertus est la digitalisation qui permet d'éviter le biais de désirabilité lié au face à face avec une autre personne. Le déploiement du dispositif a bénéficié du soutien de partenaires clés (l'AGEFICE) dès son lancement le 1er décembre 2020 et en avril 2024 près de 80 Services français de Prévention en Santé au Travail (SPST) mobilisent le dispositif, démontrant l'impact et la reconnaissance croissante de cette approche. |
| Keywords: | Dirigeants de PME, Santé mentale, Prévention du burnout, Digitalisation, Biais de désirabilité, Richesse versus audience, santé mentale dirigeants de PME prévention du burnout digitalisation biais de désirabilité, santé mentale, dirigeants de PME, prévention du burnout, digitalisation, biais de désirabilité |
| Date: | 2024–10–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04845412 |