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on Entrepreneurship |
| By: | Stefan Schneck |
| Abstract: | This exploratory study examines the effects of parental socialization and parental role models at ages 7 to 10 on the entrepreneurial intentions of their children in adolescence. Analysis of German household data and more than 1, 400 observations shows a moderation effect between parental role models and socialization. An adolescent’s willingness to become self-employed in the future is influenced by parental role models and moderated by parental child-rearing practices related to risk-taking during childhood. While child-rearing practices not focused on risk-avoidance reinforce the parental role model effect and increase an adolescent’s intentions to become self-employed, parental child-rearing practices geared toward risk aversion nullify any positive effects of having self-employed parents as role models. Parental socialization during childhood thus casts a long-term shadow and may explain why some children with self-employed parents have as little intention of becoming self-employed as children of employees. Early parental socialization practices may, thus, contribute to explaining the lack of willing entrepreneurs and family business successors. |
| Keywords: | entrepreneurial intentions; life course theory; role model; self-employment; socialization |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp1233 |
| By: | Kay, Rosemarie; Bijedić-Krumm, Teita; Brink, Siegrun; Nielen, Sebastian |
| Abstract: | Objectives: The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of public childcare provision on women's and men's start-up rates in Germany. Going beyond previous studies, we also analyze its impact on the extent of the gender gap in start-up rates. Literature review: The current state of research indicates that public childcare provision generally reduces women's startup propensity. However, recent studies suggest that the relationship between public childcare provision and women' start-up propensity is not that clear-cut. It rather depends on the age group childcare is provided for. As the evidence regarding public childcare's impact on men's start-up propensity is mixed, it is unclear whether public childcare contributes to closing the gender gap in entrepreneurial activities. Approach/Method: We analyze the impact of public childcare provision on the start-up rate of women and men, as well as its impact on the corresponding Gender Parity Score (GPS) at a regional level. To do this, we generated a database based on public statistics covering the years 2012 up to 2018 and estimated Fixed Effect models. Results/Findings: Our results show that the effect of public childcare provision on women's and men's start-up propensity depends on the type of the venture and the age group the childcare is provided for. Moreover, public childcare affects women's and men's start-up propensity differently. All in all, public childcare provision decreases the GPS, indicating a widening of the gender gap. Implications and Value: As important as public childcare provision for women's general labor market participation is, it does neither improve their start-up propensity (quite the contrary) nor contribute to closing the entrepreneurial gender gap generally. Thus, public childcare provision seems not to be a policy for reducing the gender gap in entrepreneurship, apart from establishing economically substantial businesses. |
| Abstract: | Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert die Auswirkungen öffentlicher Kinderbetreuungsangebote auf die Gründungsraten von Frauen und Männern in Deutschland basierend auf öffentlichen Daten aus den Jahren 2012 bis 2018 auf Regionalebene. Während eine höhere Verfügbarkeit von Kinderbetreuungsangeboten die geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschiede im Unternehmertum insgesamt sogar noch vergrößert, verringert sie diese Unterschiede bei wirtschaftlich substanzhaltigen Unternehmen und bei der Betreuung von Kindern im Alter zwischen drei und sechs Jahren. |
| Keywords: | Public childcare provision, Start-up propensity, Gender |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifmwps:333923 |
| By: | Giulio Valerio Corbelli (Università degli Studi di Ferrara; SEEDS, Italy) |
| Abstract: | This working paper investigates how Italian innovative startups integrate sustainability, innovation, and inclusion within their strategic and organizational frameworks. Drawing on a national survey of 1, 000 firms registered under the Italian Start-up Act, the study examines the structural, behavioral, and perceptual dimensions of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship. The empirical analysis combines descriptive, comparative, and multivariate methods—including hierarchical and K-means cluster analyses—to identify typologies of startups that reflect different configurations of technological intensity, environmental commitment, and inclusiveness. The results show that Italian innovative startups are predominantly small, recently founded, and highly research-oriented, with a strong concentration in knowledge-intensive sectors. Sustainability- oriented startups—those identifying as “green†or “partially green†—represent almost half of the sample. They tend to be younger, employ a higher share of R&D personnel, and meet a greater number of legal requirements for innovative status. However, gender inclusiveness remains limited: female participation among founders and managers is low, and only a minority of startups implement formal inclusion policies. Cluster analysis reveals two main archetypes: (1) Technological Mainstream startups—larger, R&D- intensive firms focused on technological performance—and (2) Sustainable and Gender- Balanced startups—smaller but more inclusive and institutionally embedded. Within the subset of sustainability-oriented firms, two additional groups emerge: Tech-Green Operative Firms, focused on eco-efficiency and technological solutions, and Sustainable & Inclusive Champions, integrating environmental, social, and economic objectives. Finally, a set of econometric models was estimated to assess whether sustainability orientation systematically predicts key performance, innovation, and perception outcomes. The results confirm that green and partially green startups display distinct behavioral and strategic patterns even after controlling for size, age, sector, and regional factors. |
| Keywords: | Sustainable entrepreneurship; Innovation ecosystems; Startups; Italy; Inclusion; Resource Based View; Institutional Theory; Cluster analysis. |
| Date: | 2025–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:srt:wpaper:1425 |
| By: | Engbom, Niklas (NYU – Stern); Malmberg, Hannes (Minnesota); Porzio, Tommaso (Columbia); Rossi, Federico (University of Warwick); Schoellman, Todd (Minneapolis Fed) |
| Abstract: | Chandler (1977) shows that large firms require hierarchies of white-collar workers to coordinate complex production. We document that this insight continues to hold globally today, and we show that low education levels in developing countries limit the supply of white-collar workers and constrain firm size. We extend the occupational choice model of Lucas (1978) to allow entrepreneurs to reorganize their firms by allocating administrative tasks to hired professionals, which brings the firm closer to constant returns to scale. We calibrate the model to be consistent with cross-sectional microdata and validate it using quasi-experimental and experimental evidence on the effects of educational expansions and management training interventions. Skills explain two-thirds of the reorganization of production into large firms with economic development, while structural transformation and reductions in barriers are needed to explain the remaining shift |
| Keywords: | skills ; white-collar workers ; returns to scale ; firm size ; endogenous duality |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:warwec:1591 |
| By: | Amoa-Gyarteng, Karikari |
| Abstract: | Why does globalization reduce unemployment in some countries but not others? This policy synthesis addresses a puzzle: global market integration helps the UK maintain 4.5% unemployment while South Africa faces 33% joblessness despite similar openness to trade. Drawing on recent comparative research, this paper argues that the key difference lies not in the degree of openness, but in whether entrepreneurial ecosystems enable early-stage ventures to scale into stable, job-creating firms. In the United Kingdom, accessible finance, efficient regulation, and reliable infrastructure allow startups to expand and hire. In South Africa, funding shortages, regulatory hurdles, and infrastructure breakdowns trap most startups in early stages, limiting employment gains from globalization to large incumbents. Based on this analysis, the paper proposes a simple but practical, sequenced policy framework organized around four pillars: finance (co-investment funds, credit guarantees), regulation (digital one-stop shops, startup legal designation), infrastructure (reliable power, broadband), and skills/ networks (targeted training, accelerator support). Reforms in Rwanda, Morocco, Tunisia, and India demonstrate that rapid progress is feasible when policymakers focus on removing binding constraints. The core message for emerging economy policymakers: globalization creates opportunities, but jobs grow only when ecosystem conditions enable local startups to capture them. |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Globalization, Job Creation, Entrepreneurship Policy, Policy Recommendations |
| JEL: | O1 O10 O2 |
| Date: | 2025–11–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:126735 |
| By: | Neil Ferguson; Tatiana Orozco García |
| Abstract: | An increasing proportion of the world’s poor live in fragile states, and efforts to build economic and social stability increasingly focus on those settings. Fragility harms the political and economic ecosystem, as well as individual endowments. Interventions that only focus on overcoming individual constraints might be insufficient. Support for entrepreneurs to overcome skills or credit constraints might have limited impacts if local economies cannot sustain the businesses they start, limiting impact on economic and social stability. This paper tests the effect of SME support in the context of localized development, which aims to develop local economies by boosting individual entrepreneurship capacity in demand-driven growth sectors. The intervention increased business startup and registration, but the relative income of beneficiaries declined. Moreover, for beneficiaries with positive outcomes, there are associated impacts on social outcomes, including reduced tolerance of violence, increased trust, and increased social participation. |
| Keywords: | economic development, entrepreneurship, fragility, jobs programmes, poverty, social stability |
| JEL: | D74 J24 L26 O12 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hic:wpaper:447 |
| By: | Payal Malik (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER)); Aman Sinha; Saloni Dhadwal; Jayati Sareen; Harishankar Jagadeesh |
| Abstract: | This report addresses a critical gap in policy discussions on the standard-essential patent (SEP) licensing ecosystem by examining the perspectives of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India. Global policy debates on SEPs typically focus on balancing the interests of SEP holders and implementers, while overlooking the unique challenges faced by emerging firms in intellectual property creation, monetisation, participation in standard-setting processes, and navigating the complexities of SEP licensing. Our analysis finds that many economic concerns surrounding SEPs are overstated when assessed against real-world evidence. Industries built on standardized technologies have thrived under the current SEP framework, where fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) commitments have supported innovation and interoperability without imposing undue burdens on consumers or follow-on innovators. The key challenge for India lies not in systemic flaws within the global SEP regime, but in strengthening its domestic capacity to effectively engage with and benefit from this ecosystem. The empirical evidence we examined in this report does not support claims of systemic market failure in SEP licensing. While some inefficiencies and transactional frictions remain, these can be addressed through market-based mechanisms rather than regulation, thereby preserving incentives for innovation. Based on these insights, we recommend targeted policy measures to bolster India's innovation landscape. These include institutional support to increase the participation of Indian firms in standard-setting activities, development of a robust intellectual property regime that enhances competitiveness, and the provision of efficient pathways for resolving SEP disputes, such as fast-tracked mediation and arbitration to avoid protracted litigation. By providing a nuanced, evidence-based assessment, this report seeks to inform policies that may empower Indian startups and SMEs to play a strategic role in the global SEP ecosystem and strengthen India's overall innovation capacity. |
| Keywords: | patent, SEP, intellectual property, FRAND, medium-sized enterprises, icrier |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdc:report:25-r-19 |
| By: | Wiatt, Renee D. |
| Abstract: | Workforce development challenges are reshaping rural businesses and the communities they serve. Small businesses are vital anchors in rural areas, providing not only essential products and services but also serving as community gathering places that foster connection and local vitality. This article examines workforce statistics for rural and urban small businesses in the North Central Region (NCR) using data from the NCR-Stat: Small Business Survey (Wiatt et al., 2024). |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development |
| Date: | 2025–12–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ncrcrd:383710 |
| By: | Lydia Papadaki; Eirini Afentouli; Phoebe Koundouri |
| Abstract: | The climate crisis puts a lot of stress on the agriculture sector, from the extreme weather patterns, water shortages, to deteriorating soil health. Innovation is essential for fostering resilience via climate-smart behaviors, sophisticated technology, and adaptable value chains. The goal of this study is to provide a review of the strategies, and processes that have consistently led to superior outcomes in rural innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of start-up villages located in Europe. Employing a structured evaluative framework, this study dissects successful initiatives by examining critical dimensions such as leadership dynamics, regional readiness levels, core economic sectors and the roles of key players. The analysis further delves into the innovation and creativity embedded within each practice, and the systemic barriers to entrepreneurship encountered across various contexts. Spanning diverse geographic and socio-economic profiles-distinguished by size, proximity to urban centers, and sectoral strengths-the selected case study areas offer a rich comparative lens. The study identifies common success factors and local adaptations, highlighting how strategic resource mobilization, enabling infrastructure, and community-based leadership underpin effective innovation ecosystems. Lessons learned from each context are distilled to assess scalability potential and strategic implications for Startup Village Partners and similar initiatives aiming to foster rural revitalization through sustainable entrepreneurship. By comparing and examining startup villages listed in the European Startup Village Forum, this analysis contributes a replicable framework for identifying and transferring best practices, ultimately supporting more inclusive, place-based innovation policies. |
| Keywords: | Climate resilience, Food security, Innovation, start-up villages, entrepreneurship |
| Date: | 2025–12–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aue:wpaper:2571 |
| By: | Abeyrathne, GAKNJ; De Mel, Suresh |
| Abstract: | This study highlights several critical insights into the innovation behaviour of Sri Lankan SMEs. The consistent positive impact of bank loan accessibility across all innovation types underscores the essential role of finance in enabling innovations. In Sri Lanka, where many SMEs face collateral-related credit constraints, this finding signals the urgent need to expand accessible and innovation-linked financing mechanisms. Similarly, the positive association of product customisation with innovation suggests that customer-oriented strategies are a practical pathway for SMEs to enhance competitiveness through incremental innovations. However, increased competition was found to discourage product and process innovations. In the Sri Lankan context, this may reflect market saturation in certain sectors and price-driven competition that leaves little room for innovation investments. It also indicates a need for strategic support to help SMEs move from survival-based competition to value-based competition. The negative relationship between institutional support and innovation may point to the inefficiency or misalignment of government Programmes and public sector initiatives. Many such initiatives in Sri Lanka tend to be bureaucratic and detached from the ground-level challenges of SMEs, resulting in limited uptake or practical impact. Based on these findings, several policy actions are recommended. First, Sri Lanka should enhance innovation-oriented credit schemes, particularly through institutions like the SME Banks and Regional Development Banks (RDB), targeting process and product innovations with favourable terms. Second, existing institutional support services should be restructured to be more demand-driven, localized, and participatory, including mentoring, innovation vouchers, and technical consultancy services. Third, fostering SME collaboration through industry clusters and value chains can help reduce the adverse effects of intense competition. Finally, innovation Programmes should actively promote customer-centric business models and product tailoring as viable strategies for SME growth in both urban and rural settings. |
| Keywords: | SMEs; Innovation; Sustainable Economic Development; Organizational Determinants; Geographical Factors |
| JEL: | L52 |
| Date: | 2025–09–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:126634 |
| By: | Florian Leon (FERDI - Fondation pour les Etudes et Recherches sur le Développement International, CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne) |
| Abstract: | Access to finance remains a major obstacle for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, limiting their growth and job creation. To address this, programs have been implemented to encourage banks to increase their credit supply to SMEs. However, evaluations of the impact of these programs are scarce. Our study examines this issue, utilizing a novel database that compiles programs financed by development finance institutions in Africa. The results reveal an unexpected effect: supported banks experienced an 8% reduction in their lending activity. |
| Abstract: | L'accès au financement reste un obstacle majeur pour les petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) en Afrique, limitant leur croissance et la création d'emplois. Pour remédier à cela, des programmes ont été mis en place pour inciter les banques à augmenter leur offre de crédit aux PME. Cependant, les évaluations de l'impact de ces programmes sont rares. Notre étude examine cette question en se basant sur les programmes proposés par les institutions financières de développement, révélant un effet inattendu : une réduction de 8 % de l'activité de prêt des banques soutenues. |
| Keywords: | Banks, Africa, Private Sector Support, Development Finance Institutions, Blended Finance, Banques, Afrique, Soutien au secteur privé, Institutions financières de développement, Financement mixte |
| Date: | 2025–05–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05385198 |
| By: | Köppl-Turyna, Monika |
| Abstract: | Europas Wettbewerbsfähigkeit steht unter Druck. Die Produktivitätslücke gegenüber den USA hat sich in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten stetig vergrößert, besonders im Technologiesektor, wo die Produktivität US-amerikanischer Unternehmen massiv gestiegen ist, während sie in Europa weitgehend stagniert. Eine zentrale Ursache sieht EcoAustria darin, dass in Europa deutlich weniger innovative Start-ups entstehen und diese im Vergleich zu den USA langsamer wachsen. Konkret liegt die Eintrittsrate vielversprechender Neugründungen in den USA rund 25 Prozent höher als in Europa. Zudem erreichen die wachstumsstärksten jungen US-Firmen einen sechsfach höheren Beschäftigungsanteil als vergleichbare europäische Jungunternehmen. Folglich werden in Europa deutlich weniger von ihnen zu Marktführern. Unsere aktuelle Policy Note verdeutlicht diese Entwicklung und zeigt auf, dass innovative Jungunternehmen in Europa oftmals durch strukturelle Hürden ausgebremst werden. ... |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ecoapn:333939 |
| By: | Rieger-Fels, Markus; Schlömer-Laufen, Nadine; Suprinovič, Olga; Rauch, Andreas |
| Abstract: | Gemäß der vorliegenden Schätzung stehen im Zeitraum 2026 bis 2030 deutschlandweit etwa 186.000 Unternehmen zur Übergabe an. Damit stagniert die Zahl der Übergaben, trotz der zunehmenden Alterung der Unternehmensinhaberinnen und -inhaber. Ursächlich hierfür ist eine Verschlechterung der wirtschaftlichen Situation der Unternehmen, die eine Übernahme aus Sicht der Nachfolgeinteressierten weniger attraktiv macht. Die höchste Anzahl an Übergaben entfällt abermals auf den Bereich der Unternehmensbezogenen Dienstleistungen sowie auf Unternehmen mit 500.000 bis 1 Mio. Euro Jahresumsatz. Die meisten Übergaben - gemessen am Unternehmensbestand - werden für Niedersachsen vorausberechnet. Unseren metaanalytischen Schätzungen auf Basis von Studien der letzten 40 Jahre zufolge wurden gut die Hälfte der Familienunternehmen innerhalb der Familie, etwa 17 % an Beschäftigte und die restlichen 29 % an Externe übergeben. Dabei haben familieninterne Nachfolgen in den Studien der letzten 15 Jahren leicht an Bedeutung verloren. |
| Abstract: | According to the current estimate, around 186, 000 businesses in Germany will be up for transfer between 2026 and 2030. This means that the number of transfers is stagnating, despite the increasing age of business owners. This is due to the deterioration in the economic situation of the businesses, which makes a takeover less attractive from the point of view of those interested in a succession. Once again, the highest number of transfers is in the business services sector and among businesses with an annual turnover between 500, 000 and 1 million euros. Most transfers - relative to the total number of businesses - are predicted for Lower Saxony. According to our meta-analytical estimates, based on studies conducted over the past 40 years, a good half of family businesses have been transferred within the family, around 17% to employees, and the remaining 29% to external parties. Family-internal successions have become slightly less common in studies conducted over the last 15 years. |
| Keywords: | Unternehmensübertragungen, Familienunternehmen, Deutschland |
| JEL: | L19 M19 M29 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifmduf:333944 |