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on Small Business Management |
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Issue of 2012‒05‒02
four papers chosen by Joao Carlos Correia Leitao University of Beira Interior and Technical University of Lisbon |
| By: | Fallah, Belal; Partridge, Mark |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the role of geography in high-tech employment growth across U.S. counties. The geographic dimensions examined include industry cluster effects, urbanization effects, proximity to a research university, and proximity in the urban hierarchy. Growth is assessed for overall high-tech employment and for employment in various high-tech sub-sectors. Econometric analyses are conducted separately for samples of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. Among our primary findings, we do not find evidence of positive localization or within-industry cluster growth effects, generally finding negative growth effects. We instead find evidence of positive urbanization effects and growth penalties for greater distances from larger urban areas. Universities also appear to play their primary role in creating human capital rather than knowledge spillovers for nearby firms. Quantile regression analysis confirms the absence of within-industry cluster effects and importance of human capital for counties with fast growth in high-tech industries. |
| Keywords: | High-tech industries; employment growth; regional growth |
| JEL: | O18 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:38294&r=sbm |
| By: | Werner Hölzl (WIFO); Jürgen Janger (WIFO) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies differences in the perception of innovation barriers between innovative and non-innovative firms for 18 EU countries. The countries are grouped by their distance to the technological frontier using Community Innovation Surveys for the years 2002-2004 and 2004-2006. The results show that non-innovators interested in innovation are much more likely to perceive barriers than non-innovators that are not interested in innovation activities. With regard to differences between country groups there is a clear indication that innovation barriers related to the availability of skilled labour, innovation partners and knowledge are more important for firms located in countries close to the frontier, while the opposite is true regarding the availability of external finance. Although the share of innovators decreases with the distance to the technological frontier, the share of barrier-related innovators increases. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the innovation barrier approach to understand the determinants of innovative activity at the firm level and to priority-setting within innovation policies. |
| Keywords: | Innovation barriers, Europe, innovation policy |
| Date: | 2012–04–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wfo:wpaper:y:2012:i:426&r=sbm |
| By: | Sasan Bakhtiari (School of Economics, The University of New South Wales) |
| Abstract: | The quasi-linear fuzzy modelling of Filev (1991) is used to estimate the relationship between the number of managers and employees in a firm. The results form the basis for the classification of firms into small and large businesses. Application to a data of Australian firms shows an evolution episode during which firms are driven by various transitional forces. The composition of the transition region suggests that the 2011 small business tax-break cap set by Australian Taxation Office falls short of fully supporting growth as intended. The implications pave the way for improvement to the business tax code aiming at growth and job creation. |
| Keywords: | fuzzy logic, small business, job creation, business taxation. |
| JEL: | C38 C61 D23 H25 |
| Date: | 2012–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:swe:wpaper:2012-24&r=sbm |
| By: | Foreman-Peck, James (Cardiff Business School) |
| Abstract: | This paper assesses UK innovation policy impact on a large, population weighted, sample of both service and manufacturing SMEs. By focussing on self-reported innovation the study achieves a wider coverage of the effects of SME innovation policy than possible with more traditional indicators. Propensity score matching indicates that SMEs receiving UK state support for innovation were more likely to innovate than unsupported comparable enterprises. Innovating enterprises are shown to have grown significantly faster over the years 2002-4 when other growth influences are appropriately controlled. Combining these two results and comparing the outlays on SME innovation policy with the estimated effects suggests that policy was efficient as well as effective. There is evidence that SME tax credits were expensive compared with earlier support instruments. But the overall high returns estimated suggest that, even in times of public spending cuts, persisting with SME innovation policy would be prudent. |
| Keywords: | Innovation; State Aid; SME; Policy Evaluation |
| JEL: | L25 R38 |
| Date: | 2012–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdf:wpaper:2012/4&r=sbm |