|
on Small Business Management |
|
Issue of 2010‒04‒24
ten papers chosen by Joao Carlos Correia Leitao University of Beira Interior and Technical University of Lisbon |
| By: | Andersson, Martin (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology); Baltzopoulos, Apostolos (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology); Lööf, Hans (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes how different R&D strategies of incumbent firms affect the quantity and quality of their entrepreneurial spawning. By examining entrepreneurial ventures of ex-employees of firms with different R&D strategies three things emerge: First, firms with persistent R&D investments with a general superiority in sales, exports, productivity, profitability and wages are less likely to generate entrepreneurs than firm with temporary or no R&D investments. Second, start-ups from knowledge intensive business service (KIBS) firms with persistent R&D investments have a significantly increased probability of survival. No corresponding association between the R&D strategies of incumbents and survival of entrepreneurial spawns is found for incumbents in manufacturing sectors. Third, spin-outs from KIBS-firms are more likely to survive if they start in the same firm, indicating the importance of inherited related knowledge. The findings suggest that R&D intensive firms spur fewer entrepreneurs, but their entrepreneurial spawns tend to be of higher quality. |
| Keywords: | entrepreneurship; self-employment; R&D strategy; innovation; new firms; spin-off; spin-out |
| JEL: | J24 L26 M13 O31 O32 |
| Date: | 2010–04–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:cesisp:0228&r=sbm |
| By: | Filippetti, Andrea; Archibugi, Daniele |
| Abstract: | This article addresses the impact of the current economic downturn on innovation across Europe. Using micro and macro data we investigate to what extent some characteristics of a country affect the reaction of its firms in terms of innovation investment. It emerges that the effects of the economic downturn in terms of firms’ innovation investment are not the same across European countries. The competences and quality of the human resources, the specialization in the hi-technology sector together with the depth of the financial system seem to be the structural factors which are able to offset the effect of the economic downturn on innovation investments of firms across Europe. Finally, some considerations about policies during the crisis are discussed. |
| Keywords: | innovation investment; business cycles; national innovation systems; European Innovation Policy; financial crisis |
| JEL: | O38 E32 O3 |
| Date: | 2010–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:22084&r=sbm |
| By: | Masso, Jaan; Roolaht, Tõnu; Varblane, Urmas |
| Abstract: | A growing literature is trying to analyse the productivity gap between domestic and foreign firms with differences in innovation indicators. In our paper we analyse the relationship between inward and outward FDI at either company or industry level and the innovation behaviour of companies in Estonia. We use company-level data from three waves of the Community Innovation Surveys, which are combined with financial data from the Estonian Business Register and FDI data from the balance of payments statistics. For the analysis we apply a structural model involving equations on innovation expenditure, innovation outcome and productivity, and also innovation accounting and propensity score matching approaches. Our results show that the higher innovation output of foreign owned companies vanishes after various company characteristics are controlled for, but there were significant differences in innovation inputs such as the higher use of knowledge sourcing and the lower importance of various impeding factors. Outward investment has a positive influence on innovativeness among both domestic and foreign owned companies |
| Keywords: | innovation, internationalisation, foreign direct investments, catching-up countries |
| JEL: | F10 F23 O30 |
| Date: | 2010–04–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eea:boewps:wp2010-05&r=sbm |
| By: | Desai,Sameeksha, Acs, Zoltan and Weitzel, Utz |
| Abstract: | The current research on entrepreneurship as an economic phenomenon often assumes its desirability as a driver of economic development and growth. However, entrepreneurial talent can be allocated among productive, unproductive, and destructive activities. This process is theorized as driven by institutions. Although the tradeoff between productive and unproductive entrepreneurship has been examined, destructive entrepreneurship has been largely ignored. We build from existing theory and define destructive entrepreneurship as wealth-destroying. We propose three assumptions to develop a model of destructive entrepreneurship that presents the mechanisms through which entrepreneurial talent behaves in this manner. We present four key propositions on the nature and behavior of destructive entrepreneurship. We conclude by identifying policy and research streams that emerge from our model. |
| Keywords: | destructive entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, allocation, rent-seeking, incentives, informal institutions |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2010-34&r=sbm |
| By: | OKUBO Toshihiro; TOMIURA Eiichi |
| Abstract: | This paper empirically examines how productivity distributions of firms vary across regions based on Japanfs manufacturing census data. We confirm the established finding of higher average productivity in core regions, but find that firm productivity is distributed with wide dispersions, especially in core regions. Our firm-level estimates demonstrate that the productivity distribution of firms tends to be noticeably left-skewed deviating from the normal distribution, especially in regions with weak market potential but also in agglomerated or urbanized regions. These findings suggest that agglomeration economies are likely to accommodate heterogeneous firms to co-exist in the same region. |
| Date: | 2010–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:10017&r=sbm |
| By: | Jacques Mairesse; Pierre Mohnen |
| Abstract: | After presenting the history, the evolution and the content of innovation surveys, we discuss the characteristics of the data they contain and the challenge they pose to the analyst and the econometrician. We document the two uses that have been made of these data: the construction of scoreboards for monitoring innovation and the scholarly analysis of various issue related to innovation. In particular we review the questions examined and the results obtained regarding the determinants, the effects, the complementarities, and the dynamics of innovation. We conclude by suggesting ways to improve the data collection and their econometric analysis. <P>Dans cet article de survol sur les utilisations des enquêtes innovation, nous commençons par présenter leur historique et les informations qu’elles apportent. Nous discutons en détail les caractéristiques des données fournies et les difficultés qu’elles peuvent poser pour les analyses. Nous considérons successivement les deux usages auxquelles ces données servent principalement : la construction d'indicateurs et de « scoreboard » de l'innovation et les études économétriques sur différents thèmes ayant trait à l'innovation. Nous passons ainsi en revue les questions posées et les résultats obtenus par les études sur les déterminants de l’innovation, sur ses effets, sur les complémentarités entre types d’innovation et sur sa dynamique. Nous concluons par une liste de suggestions pour améliorer la conception et l’organisation des enquêtes innovation et pour progresser dans leur analyse économétrique. |
| Keywords: | innovation survey, econometrics, complementarity, productivity, R&D, collaboration. , enquêtes innovation, économetrie, complémentarité, productivité, R&D, collaboration |
| JEL: | O30 O50 C35 C81 |
| Date: | 2010–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cir:cirwor:2010s-15&r=sbm |
| By: | Sathiabama K |
| Abstract: | Empowerment of women has emerged as an important issue in recent times. The economic empowerment of women is being regarded these days as a Sine-quo-non of progress for a country; hence, the issue of economic empowerment of women is of paramount importance to political thinkers, social scientists and reformers. The Self Help Groups (SHGs) have paved the way for economic independence of rural women. The members of SHGs are involved in Micro – Entrepreneurships. Through that, they are becoming economically independent and providing employment opportunities to others. This article deals with empowerment of rural women through entrepreneurship and the advantages entrepreneurship among the rural women. “Economic empowerment of women led to development of family and communityâ€. This statement is proved by a collective Micro Entrepreneurship in Tamilnadu. |
| Keywords: | SHGs, self help groups, empowerment, women, micro, Tamilnadu, employment, rural women, India, political thinkers, economically, economic, |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2475&r=sbm |
| By: | Frauke G. Braun; Jens Schmidt-Ehmcke; Petra Zloczysti |
| Abstract: | This paper studies technological change in renewable energies, providing empirical evidence on the determinants of innovative activity with a special emphasis on the role of knowledge spillovers. We investigate two major renewable energy technologies - wind and solar - across a panel of 21 OECD countries over the period 1978 to 2004. Spillovers may occur at the national level, either within the same technology field or economic sector (intra-sectoral spillovers) or in related technologies or sectors (inter-sectoral spillovers), or at the international level. We find that innovation is strongly driven by knowledge spillovers, especially those occurring at the national level. Wind and solar technologies exhibit distinct innovation characteristics: both are stimulated by intra-sectoral spillovers, but respond differently to inter-sectoral spillovers, which are only influential in the case of wind technology. We also find evidence that public R&D stimulates innovation, particularly in solar technologies. |
| Keywords: | Technological change, renewable energy, patents, knowledge spillover, climate change, innovation |
| JEL: | O31 Q42 Q55 |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp993&r=sbm |
| By: | Erzo G. J. Luttmer (Department of Economics, University of Minnesota and Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota) |
| Abstract: | Although employment at individual firms tends to be highly non-stationary, the employment size distribution of all firms in the United States appears to be stationary. It closely resembles a Pareto distribution. There is a lot of entry and exit, mostly of small firms. This paper surveys general equilibrium models that can be used to interpret these facts and explores the role of innovation by new and incumbent firms in determining aggregate growth. The existence of a balanced growth path with a stationary employment size distribution depends crucially on assumptions made about the cost of entry. Some type of labor must be an essential input in setting up new firms. |
| Keywords: | firm size distribution, organization capital, heterogeneous productivity, selection. |
| JEL: | L1 O4 |
| Date: | 2010–04–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:min:wpaper:2010-1&r=sbm |
| By: | Ana Sofia Lopes (Departamento de Gestão e Economia, ESTG/Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal, and GEMF); Paulino Teixeira (GEMF/Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal) |
| Abstract: | In spite of the importance of workplace training in human capital accumulation, relatively little is known on its returns for workers and firms. Our investigation tries to fill this gap by developing an alternative modelling that examines the determinants of firm productivity and wages, on the one hand, and the internal rate of return to firm training investments, on the other. Our estimates, obtained using a firm-level dataset in which we have detailed information on firm-provided training, indicate that an additional hour of training per worker implies some 0.1 percent increase in productivity. We also found that 2/3 of the gains in productivity are captured by firms and 1/3 by workers. In turn, the internal rate of return for an average firm in our sample is equal to 11 percent while for workers it is considerably higher at 24 percent. As expected, the dispersion across firms is very high, with 66 percent of firms having a positive internal rate of return for an annual depreciation rate of 35 percent. |
| Keywords: | Firm-Provided Training, Internal Rate of Return, Human Capital, Productivity, Earnings. |
| JEL: | J24 J31 I2 |
| Date: | 2010–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gmf:wpaper:2010-05&r=sbm |