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on Small Business Management |
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Issue of 2025–10–06
twelve papers chosen by João Carlos Correia Leitão, Universidade da Beira Interior |
| By: | Kazuyuki MOTOHASHI; Naotoshi TSUKADA; Kenta IKEUCHI |
| Abstract: | Corporate scientists that are involved in scientific activities, often leading to research paper publications, are important for corporate innovation, since science-based innovation tends to be transformative, spanning the boundaries of existing R&D pipelines. Such scientists can also play a role as a bridge between academic researchers, injecting scientific knowledge from outside the firm. However, the publication of internal corporate scientific activities could benefit competitor firms, providing them with input towards their own transformative innovation. In this study, we analyze this trade-off using a linked dataset of research papers and patents (disambiguated by paper author and patent inventor information and patent citation in research papers) of Japanese firms. Specifically, we analyzed two aspects, (1) contribution of corporate scientist research papers to in-house innovation (patent) and (2) capacity of corporate scientists to absorb scientific findings from outside their firms to obtain high quality patents. Our findings indicate that corporate scientists contribute to both aspects of innovation in their firms. |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:25089 |
| By: | Becker, Annette; Hottenrott, Hanna; Mukherjee, Anwesha |
| JEL: | L26 O32 O33 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:vfsc25:325401 |
| By: | Ufuk Akcigit; Harun Alp; Jeremy Pearce; Marta Prato |
| Abstract: | This paper studies how individuals sort into entrepreneurship and invention-related occupations and how their interactions shape innovation and economic growth. We develop an endogenous growth model in which occupational sorting jointly determines the supply of R&D talent and entrepreneurs’ demand for it. Empirically, using Danish microdata, we show that transformative entrepreneurs—those who hire R&D workers—tend to have higher IQ and education and build faster-growing firms than other entrepreneurs. Quantitatively, the estimated model indicates that financial barriers to education misallocate talent; alleviating them through education subsidies increases both demand and supply of R&D workers, raising innovation and long-run growth. Broad startup subsidies are ineffective. |
| Keywords: | entrepreneurship; R&D Policy; innovation; IQ; endogenous growth |
| JEL: | O31 O38 O47 J24 |
| Date: | 2025–09–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fednsr:101780 |
| By: | Abdellah Belbouli (USMS - Université Sultan Moulay Slimane); Fatima Touhami (USMS - Université Sultan Moulay Slimane); Abdennebi Radi (USMS - Université Sultan Moulay Slimane) |
| Abstract: | Sustainable entrepreneurship is increasingly presented as a strategic response to the combined pressures of climate change, social inequality, and economic volatility, yet the practical diffusion of sustainable business models remains constrained by limited strategic tools and insufficient foresight in complex environments. In this setting, competitive (economic) intelligence—conceived as a structured process of scanning, analysing, and safeguarding strategic information—emerges as a lever for strengthening the resilience and innovativeness of sustainability-oriented ventures. This article therefore asks how competitive intelligence is mobilized in the scholarly literature to support sustainable entrepreneurship under these conditions. A systematic review following the PRISMA protocol, covering peer-reviewed publications from 2005 to 2024 indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and Cairn, identifies three principal modes of integration: anticipating the dynamics of sustainable markets, managing regulatory risk, and enabling green innovation. The discussion highlights persistent gaps, particularly the limited empirical grounding in small and medium-sized enterprises, and calls for a tighter alignment between strategic scanning, sustainability objectives, and entrepreneurial decision-making. Overall, the study clarifies the strategic contribution of competitive intelligence and outlines priorities for applied research in this emerging field. |
| Abstract: | Face aux défis croissants liés au changement climatique, aux inégalités sociales et à l'instabilité économique, l'entrepreneuriat durable s'impose comme une voie stratégique pour concilier performance économique, responsabilité sociale et préservation de l'environnement. Toutefois, la mise en œuvre concrète de modèles d'affaires durables demeure limitée par un manque d'outillage stratégique et d'anticipation dans un environnement complexe. Dans ce contexte, l'intelligence économique — entendue comme un processus structuré de veille, d'analyse et de sécurisation de l'information stratégique — offre un levier prometteur pour renforcer la résilience et l'innovation des projets entrepreneuriaux durables. La question centrale qui guide cet article est la suivante : Comment l'intelligence économique est-elle mobilisée dans la littérature pour soutenir les stratégies d'entrepreneuriat durable face à ces enjeux ? Pour y répondre, une revue systématique de la littérature a été menée selon le protocole PRISMA, couvrant les publications académiques de 2005 à 2024 issues des bases Scopus, Web of Science et Cairn. L'analyse met en évidence trois axes majeurs d'intégration de l'intelligence économique : l'anticipation des dynamiques des marchés durables, la gestion des risques réglementaires, et le soutien à l'innovation verte. La discussion révèle plusieurs lacunes dans la littérature actuelle, notamment le faible ancrage empirique dans le contexte des PME, et propose des pistes d'amélioration pour une meilleure articulation entre veille stratégique, développement durable et décision entrepreneuriale. Cet article contribue ainsi à clarifier le rôle stratégique de l'intelligence économique et à ouvrir la voie à des recherches appliquées dans ce champ émergent |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneuriat durable, Approche stratégique, Revue systématique, Intelligence économique |
| Date: | 2025–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05231795 |
| By: | Robert Fairlie; Frank M. Fossen; Ke Lyu; Robert W. Fairlie |
| Abstract: | The COVID-19 pandemic delivered an unprecedented shock to business entry, with sharply contrasting effects on different types of startups. Using newly constructed administrative data from the Comprehensive Startup Panel covering the universe of U.S. startups, we provide the first official numbers of the pandemic’s impact on employer and nonemployer startup dynamics. Nonemployer startup formation declined substantially in 2020, while employer startups unexpectedly increased. Survival outcomes also diverged: nonemployer startup survival dropped markedly, whereas employer startup survival remained largely stable. These findings reveal a pronounced compositional shift and underscore the importance of designing policies tailored to nonemployer startups in economic crises. |
| Keywords: | entrepreneurship, startups, employers, nonemployers, COVID-19, pandemic, survival, resilience |
| JEL: | L26 E32 M13 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12163 |
| By: | Ilhem Ennouri (UMA - Université de la Manouba); Souad Kammoun-Chouk |
| Abstract: | L'activité entrepreneuriale a toujours joué un rôle dans la vie économique et sur le processus d'évolution de plusieurs nations et cela remonte au XVII siècle. Elle a revêtu des formes diverses : du capitalisme marchand au capitalisme managérial en passant par le capitalisme industriel avec différents profils d'entrepreneurs participants à la création de richesse. Cette étude a pour objectif de montrer le rôle du mentorat dans l'acte d'entreprendre. Elle vise à mettre en évidence l'importance de l'accompagnement entrepreneurial pour pallier aux problèmes causant l'échec de l'acte d'entreprendre et même la faillite des entreprises naissantes. Pour ce faire, nous avons eu recours à une étude de cas comparative entre deux entreprises Tunisiennes évoluant dans la vente des produits chimiques et la fabrication des produits détergents. Les résultats de cette recherche mettent en exergue le rôle de l'accompagnement entrepreneurial et plus précisément le rôle positif et direct du Mentorat sur la réussite de l'acte d'entreprendre et facilite l'intégration de l'entrepreneur novice dans la vie professionnelle entrepreneuriale. |
| Keywords: | entrepreneuriat, acte d'entreprendre, accompagnement entrepreneurial, mentorat, entrepreneurial act, entrepreneurial support, mentoring, acte d'entreprendre entrepreneurship, entrepreneuriat mentorat accompagnement entrepreneurial acte d'entreprendre entrepreneurship mentoring entrepreneurial support entrepreneurial act |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05237892 |
| By: | Tsambou, André Dumas; Diallo, Thierno Malick |
| Abstract: | Despite the growing evidence on the importance of African countries' participation in global value chains (GVCs), relatively little is known about the role of innovation. This paper tends to fill this gap by examining the effects of innovation on firms' GVC participation in francophone Africa. We rely on survey data covering over 9535 firms in 18 countries. Using propensity score matching and instrumental variable methods, we find strong evidence that innovation is positively related to firms' GVC participation, with large variation across innovation and GVC measures. We also find that the innovation impact varies according to firm size, with significant effects for small firms. |
| Keywords: | Innovation, Global Value Chains, Firm, Francophone Africa |
| JEL: | Q55 F14 D24 O55 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:sgscdp:327117 |
| By: | Yang Zhang (University of Macau); Ziang Qiu (University of Macau); Donghyun Park (Asian Development Bank); Shu Tian (a) |
| Abstract: | The intricate relationship between wealth redistribution policies and entrepreneurial vitality has long captivated the attention of economists and policymakers. Drawing on data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and manually collected information on inheritance taxation policy reforms across a diverse panel of 55 countries from 2000 to 2023, this study uses a staggered difference-in-differences model to examine how the changing rules for wealth transfer taxation influence entrepreneurial activity. Our results show that higher inheritance tax rates are associated with elevated entrepreneurial index scores and that rising inheritance taxes correlate with increases in the entrepreneurial index, while tax cuts correspond to declines. This finding is robust to alternative measures of key constructs and identification strategies. Our results offer valuable insights into how inheritance tax policies influence entrepreneurial behavior, providing essential guidance for policymakers and economists aiming to comprehend the intricate dynamics of wealth transfer and entrepreneurship on a global scale. |
| Keywords: | inheritance tax;entrepreneurship;cross-country;difference-in-differences |
| JEL: | L26 H24 |
| Date: | 2025–09–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbewp:021559 |
| By: | Gaétan de Rassenfosse (Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne); Ling Zhou (Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne); |
| Abstract: | A patent system is a central tool in innovation policy. The prospect of monopolistic pricing supposedly encourages firms to innovate. However, there is scant empirical evidence supporting the existence of higher markups for patent-protected products. Using an original dataset that links consumer products to the patents that protect them, we study the impact of patent protection on product prices. Exploiting exogenous variations in patent status, we find that a loss of patent protection leads to an 8–10 percent drop in product prices. The price drop is larger for more important patents and is more pronounced in more competitive product markets. |
| Keywords: | innovation; markup; patent system; product; R&D incentive |
| JEL: | O31 O34 L11 D42 K11 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iip:wpaper:29 |
| By: | Dijkstra, Lewis; Kompil, Mert; Proietti, Paola |
| Abstract: | Between 2001 and 2021, capital metro regions had the fastest productivity growth in the EU, followed by non-metro regions, while it was much lower in other metro regions. Capitals reduced their sectoral concentration, while the other regions increased it. Our shift-share analysis confirms that capitals relied entirely on productivity growth within sectors, while the other two types benefitted also from shifting jobs to more productive sectors. Our regression analysis showed that convergence and being a capital boosted productivity growth. Population density also strengthened productivity growth, but not enough to prevent other-metro regions from lagging behind the non-metro regions. |
| Keywords: | growth; productivity; employment; capital; metro; regions; Europe; EU; ARDECO |
| JEL: | E24 O18 O32 P25 R12 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:129664 |
| By: | Mike Eggleston |
| Abstract: | Explore evolving trends in small business lending, the impact of banking deserts and the shifting preferences of small firms toward larger banks. |
| Keywords: | small businesses; lending; commercial banking |
| Date: | 2025–09–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:l00001:101767 |
| By: | Laura Broccardo (UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin); Elisa Ballesio (UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin, UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur); Daniele Giordino (Università Telematica Pegaso); Elisa Giacosa (UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin) |
| Abstract: | The diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) amongst organizations is profoundly revolutionizing business processes, such management control (MC) practices. However, the existing literature reveals a significant gap in understanding the contribution of AI-empowered tools to management control systems (MCSs), particularly within small and medium enterprises (SMEs), where these systems are often rudimental, informal, subjective, and short-period-oriented. To address this gap, the authors employed a mixed-methods approach, featuring an open-coding and thematic analysis of AI-generated answers to MC questions related the analysis of liquidity and profitability ratios from 37 Italian SMEs, as well as a qualitative investigation, with in-depth interviews with 15 respondents, to highlight their perceptions. Our investigation is informed by the social construction of technology theory, to explore the relevant social groups, interpretative flexibility, technological frames and patterns of closure related to AI-empowered tools and their contribution to SMEs' MCSs. We connect our findings to two frames, which highlight, on the one hand the positive contribution of such tools to SMEs' MCSs through accurate and comprehensive responses; on the other hand, a negative frame highlights concerns related to inconsistency and verbosity of the answers, which may affect trust and usability. This manuscript aims to provide an overview of the possible contribution of AI-empowered tools to SMEs' MCSs. Both scholars and practitioners can benefit from the theoretical and practical implications provided, which complements the limited number of studies in the field. Future research avenues are discussed. |
| Keywords: | Social Construction of Technology theory, Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, Artificial Intelligence, Management Control |
| Date: | 2025–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05235644 |