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on Small Business Management |
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Issue of 2010‒12‒04
eight papers chosen by Joao Carlos Correia Leitao University of Beira Interior and Technical University of Lisbon |
| By: | Claudia Tronconi; Giuseppe Vittucci Marzetti |
| Abstract: | The paper assesses the impact of Organizational Capital (OC) on firm perfor- mance for a sample of European firms. OC is proxied by capitalizing an income statement item (SGA expenses). A rationale for this methodology is provided. Results are robust and show the strong effect of OC on firm performance. |
| Keywords: | Intangibles, Knowledge-based resources, Organizational capital,R&D capital stock, Translog production function |
| JEL: | C21 D24 D29 L20 |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:trn:utwpde:1018&r=sbm |
| By: | Chiara Franco; Manuela Gussoni |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on the issue of ?rms’ R&D cooperation strategies, examining the topic from the point of view of the partner choice. Literature has deeply analyzed the motivations inducing ?rms to form research joint ventures, instead, the investigation of partner selection strategies is disregarded even though it is one of the most critical decisions for a ?rm when forming an alliance. For this reason, by making use of data coming from the fourth Italian innovation survey (2002- 2004), we contribute to the the literature by estimating, through the use of a multinomial logistic model, the determinants that a?ect the ?rms’ choice among di?erent types of potential R&D cooperation partners. We di?erentiate among three cooperation strategies that are: (i) cooperation with only market partners; (ii) with only science partners; and (iii) with both of them. Our ?ndings provide support to the hypothesis that di?erent variables determine di?erent partner choices according to the sector analyzed. In the manufacturing sector, for example, foreign multinational companies or export oriented ?rms prefer to cooperate only with market partners. In the services, ?rms receiving public subsidies for innovation prefer science cooperations to all the other cooperation arrangements leaving room for policy implications. |
| Keywords: | R&D cooperations; partner selection; industry-university linkages;service sector. |
| JEL: | O32 L10 L8 L6 D78 |
| Date: | 2010–09–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pie:dsedps:2010/104&r=sbm |
| By: | Walter, Sascha G.; Schmidt, Arne; Walter, Achim |
| Abstract: | This study explores why academic entrepreneurs patent their inventions before and after creating a firm. Drawing on start-up data combined with patent data, we specifically examine the impact of five, relatively under-researched factors (scientific field, pace of technological development, technological uncertainty, entrepreneurial orientation, and patent effectiveness. The study shows that some scientific fields, technological uncertainty, and patent effectiveness are positively related to patent propensity, both before and after founding. The effects of pace of technological development and entrepreneurial orientation were timespecific. Our study suggests that patenting by academic entrepreneurs is driven by special rationales and that prior research on full-time scientists and established firms does not necessarily generalize to them. We discuss the implications of our findings both in terms of contribution to the current literature and technology transfer policies. -- |
| Keywords: | academic patenting |
| Date: | 2010–08–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:37083&r=sbm |
| By: | Maria José Gil-Moltó; Joanna Poyago-Theotoky; Vasileios Zikos |
| Abstract: | We examine the use of subsidies to R&D in a mixed and a private duopoly market. We show that the socially optimal R&D subsidy is increasing in the degree of spillovers but it is lower in the private duopoly. The optimal R&D subsidy leads to an increase in total R&D and production, however, it does not lead to the equalisation of per fi?rm output and therefore to an efficient distribution of production costs. We also find that privatization of the public firm reduces R&D activity and welfare in the duopoly market. This result stands even when optimal R&D subsidies are provided. |
| Keywords: | Keywords: mixed duopoly, process innovation, R&D subsidies, privatization, spillovers. |
| JEL: | L31 L32 O38 L13 L50 |
| Date: | 2010–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:san:crieff:1008&r=sbm |
| By: | Carlos Carreira (GEMF/Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal); Paulino Teixeira (GEMF/Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal) |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses the impact of newly created firms on industry productivity growth. Our central hypothesis is that there are two potential effects of new firms on productivity growth: a direct effect, as entrants may be relatively more productive than established firms; and an indirect effect, through increased competitive pressure that stimulates incumbents to elevate their productivity in order to survive. The results of the decomposition exercise of aggregate productivity growth suggest that the direct contribution of entry is small. In turn, the regression analysis on the effect of entry on productivity growth of incumbents indicates that the higher is the former, the higher is the latter, which is equivalent to say that the greater is the competitive pressure generated by new entrants, the higher is the expected aggregate productivity level. |
| Keywords: | Entry, Firm dynamics, Productivity growth, Competition effect |
| JEL: | L11 L16 L25 O12 O47 L60 |
| Date: | 2010–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gmf:wpaper:2010-20&r=sbm |
| By: | Schmidt, Arne; Walter, Sascha G.; Walter, Achim |
| Abstract: | This study identifies the pace of technological development and market heterogeneity as crucial environmental conditions shaping start-ups’ performance when commercializing radical technologies. Using a unique dataset that combines survey and patent data for 85 technology-based start-ups, we found that technological radicalness has a positive effect on performance when the development pace in a start-up’s technological field is high. Contrarily, under heterogeneous market conditions, technological radicalness diminishes a start-up’s performance. The results emphasize that the impact of technological radicalness on start-ups’ performance is context specific. Overall, these findings contribute to a better understanding of when technological radicalness represents an asset or a liability for technology-based startups. -- |
| Keywords: | technological radicalness |
| Date: | 2010–08–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:37082&r=sbm |
| By: | Giuliano Guerra (Institute for Economic Research (IRE), University of Lugano, Switzerland); Roberto Patuelli (Institute for Economic Research (IRE), University of Lugano, Switzerland; The Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis, Italy) |
| Abstract: | Theoretical and empirical research suggests a connection between the presence of role models and the emergence of entrepreneurs. Existing entrepreneurs may act as role models for self-employment candidates by providing successful examples. By explicitly considering the self-employment rates of the natives, which may influence locally the decisions of immigrants towards entrepreneurship, we develop a simple model that explains immigrant self-employment rates for a sample of 2,490 Swiss municipalities. In addition, we accommodate for the presence of spatial spillovers in the distribution of rates, and test a spatial autoregressive model which takes into account the average self-employment rates of immigrants living in nearby municipalities. Our evidence shows a significant (positive) effect of such spatial network effects, which are characterized by a quick distance decay, suggesting spatial spillovers at the household and social network level. Additionally, we show that local conditions and immigrant pool characteristics differ, with respect to self-employment choices, when examining separately urban and rural contexts. |
| Keywords: | immigrants, self-employment, role models, Switzerland, spatial lag |
| JEL: | C21 J24 J61 O15 R23 |
| Date: | 2010–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lug:wpaper:1010&r=sbm |
| By: | Jackie Krafft (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - CNRS : UMR6227 - Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis); Francesco Quatraro (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - CNRS : UMR6227 - Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Department of Economics, University of Turin - University of Turin); Pier-Paolo Saviotti (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - CNRS : UMR6227 - Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, GAEL - Grenoble Applied Economic laboratory - Aucune) |
| Abstract: | This paper applies the methodological tools typical of social network analysis (SNA) within an evolutionary framework, to investigate the knowledge base dynamics of the biotechnology sector. Knowledge is here considered a collective good represented as a co-relational and a retrieval-interpretative structure. The internal structure of knowledge is described as a network the nodes of which are small units within traces of knowledge, such as patent documents, connected by links determined by their joint utilisation. We used measures referring to the network, like density, and to its nodes, like degree, closeness and betweenness centrality, to provide a synthetic description of the structure of the knowledge base and of its evolution over time. Eventually, we compared such measures with more established properties of the knowledge base calculated on the basis of co-occurrences of technological classes within patent documents. Empirical results show the existence of interesting and meaningful relationships across the different measures, providing support for the use of SNA to study the evolution of the knowledge bases of industrial sectors and their lifecycles. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge Base, Social Network Analysis, Variety, Coherence, Industry lifecycles; exploration/exploitation |
| Date: | 2010–11–23 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-00539002_v1&r=sbm |