|
on Small Business Management |
| By: | Hafsi Kenza; Brahim Gana (UB - Université Abderrahmane Mira [Université de Béjaïa] = University of Béjaïa = جامعة بجاية, Laboratoire d'Economie et Développement - UB - Université Abderrahmane Mira [Université de Béjaïa] = University of Béjaïa = جامعة بجاية) |
| Abstract: | This article aims to study the impact of technological innovation on the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the non-hydrocarbon sector in Algeria. To do this, we conducted an empirical study based on production function estimation, highlighting the role of innovation and endogenous technological progress. The results of our study show that production factors, in this case innovation, exert positive externalities, but with a weak impact on overall productivity. The study recommends to promote an inclusive national innovation system, adopt digital technologies to support SME growth, and develop synergies through the expansion of the non-hydrocarbon sector market. |
| Keywords: | Small and medium-sized enterprises, Productivity, Algeria, Growth, Innovation, Innovation Growth Small and medium-sized enterprises Productivity Algeria |
| Date: | 2026–01–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05728852 |
| By: | Fernández, Gastón P. (Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)); Rammer, Christian (Department Economics of Innovation and Industrial Dynamics ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, Mannheim, Germany); Czarnitzki, Dirk (Department of Management, Strategy and Innovation, KU Leuven, Belgium) |
| Abstract: | This paper provides an overview of evidence on firms’ adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI). We revisit the main conceptual drivers of AI uptake discussed in the literature and summarize global trends in AI diffusion. We then examine the firm characteristics associated with adoption—including the distinction between in-house development and external acquisition—and highlight how patterns differ between general AI and generative AI technologies (GenAI). Next, we review the emerging literature on the productivity effects of AI, distinguishing non-experimental firm-level studies from recent experimental and quasi-experimental evidence on task-level impacts. As a case study, we draw on recent firm-level data from the German Innovation Survey to investigate how adoption decisions correlate with firm size, age, R&D intensity, human capital, location, and strategic orientation, and how these patterns vary across stages and types of AI adoption. |
| Keywords: | Artificial Intelligence, Determinants, Impacts, Literature Survey |
| JEL: | O14 O31 O32 O33 L25 M15 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18991 |
| By: | Aurelien Quignon (ICN Business School, CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how environmental innovation influences startup creation in energy and non-energy sectors. Using a panel of 35 developed and developing countries from 1998 to 2019 and a two-way fixed effects model, I find that environmental knowledge significantly increases the creation of startups in energy sectors, while no effect is found for non-energy sectors. Further analysis reveals that environmental knowledge promotes startup creation across nongreen, digital, and non-digital energy sectors, suggesting broad spillover effects. I also find that in less developed entrepreneurial ecosystems, environmental knowledge is critical for supporting the formation of startups in the clean energy sector. These results support policies aimed at fostering environmental innovation to stimulate entrepreneurship. |
| Keywords: | L26, Q55, knowledge spillovers JEL Classification Codes: O31, energy entrepreneurship, environmental innovation, environmental innovation energy entrepreneurship knowledge spillovers JEL Classification Codes: O31 Q55 L26 |
| Date: | 2026–06–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05785510 |
| By: | Vivien Lefebvre (LARGE - Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg, EM Strasbourg - École de Management de Strasbourg = EM Strasbourg Business School - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg) |
| Abstract: | Workforce reductions are associated with lower human capital and opportunity costs, which negatively affect firm performance, but at the same time reduce wage costs. We investigate the impact of workforce reductions on firm performance for privately held firms. We examine whether slack (or excess) resources help firms cope with the internal disruptions caused by workforce reductions. Our results, based on a sample of privately held Spanish firms, show that workforce reductions are associated with lower sales revenues. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), workforce reductions are further associated with lower profits. In contrast, the presence of financial slack leads to an increase in operating profits following workforce reductions. The implications for theory and practice are discussed. |
| Keywords: | workforce reduction, SMEs, slack resources, performance, performance slack resources SMEs workforce reduction |
| Date: | 2025–04–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05777700 |
| By: | Nxumalo, Mpumelelo; Raju, Dhushyanth |
| Abstract: | Türkiye’s formal employment agenda for Syrian refugees increasingly depends on whether firms can translate legal access into registered jobs. A large-scale 2026 survey of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises finds a relatively small employer base but generally favorable experience among firms that have hired Syrian refugees. The main firm-side frictions are limited knowledge of formal employment requirements, procedural complexity, and weak links between recruitment and formal services. Firms with prior hiring experience are far more open to additional support than never-employers. Policy should simplify formal hiring pathways, strengthen matching, differentiate support by hiring history, and target firms and locations with credible labor demand. |
| Date: | 2026–10–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:hdnspu:216013 |
| By: | Sweta Patnaik (Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town) |
| Abstract: | In an era marked by economic uncertainty and environmental urgency, entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to sustainable innovation as a pathway to resilience and growth. This paper examines how the transformation of textile off-cut waste into functional and marketable products serves as both an entrepreneurial response to material scarcity and a strategic contribution to the circular economy. In contrast to high-capital technological innovation, this form of resource-based creativity offers accessible, low-cost solutions for emerging enterprises, particularly in the fashion and textile sectors. Drawing on examples of micro and small businesses navigating uncertain economic terrain, the study highlights how such innovations can generate value, reduce waste, and meet growing consumer demand for sustainability. While many entrepreneurs falter in the face of early challenges, those who reframe problems as opportunities particularly through material reuse are better positioned to survive and scale. This paper argues that innovation rooted in environmental consciousness and adaptability is not only viable during times of uncertainty but essential for long-term entrepreneurial success and inclusive economic recovery. |
| Keywords: | Sustainable entrepreneurship, Innovation, Textile waste, Circular economy, Resource-based innovation, Economic uncertainty, Fashion and textile industry, Green business models, Waste-to-product, Inclusive growth |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:16117357 |
| By: | Alessandro Giacardi (Department of Social Sciences and Economics, Sapienza University of Rome); Mathilde Maurel (Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne et CNRS); Thomas Pernet (Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) |
| Abstract: | When do natural and climate-driven disasters trigger firm innovation, and when do they hinder it? Using a novel panel linking geocoded disaster records to patent filings and financial accounts for 4, 540 Chinese manufacturing firms over 1998-2007, we estimate staggered difference-in-differences models with Poisson fixed effects and show that the answer depends critically on internal financing capacity. Disaster exposure raises patenting by 18.6 percent (s.e. = 0.085) on average, and by 14.5 percent (s.e. = 0.079) conditional on firm-level output, employment, and asset tangibility. These aggregate effects mask sharp heterogeneity: large firms increase patenting by 26-30 percent, while state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and small private firms show no significant response. We trace this pattern directly to internal liquidity. High-cashflow firms drive the entire aggregate effect, while industrylevel financial dependence and state-bank exposure show no significant differentiation. Provincial credit availability amplifies the response for firms that already possess internal resources, but does not compensate for their absence. Disasters can trigger technological upgrading, but only among firms with the financial capacity to act on the opportunity |
| Keywords: | China; Firm Innovation; Patents; Disasters; Staggered DiD |
| JEL: | O31 O32 C23 C54 Q54 |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mse:cesdoc:26009 |
| By: | Serafica, Ramonette B.; Oren, Queen Cel A. |
| Abstract: | The PDP 2023–2028 recognizes innovation as a key driver of growth in the services sector, creating a strategic framework to reinvigorate the sector and strengthen creativity and innovation. To help formulate appropriate strategies and policies, this paper examines evidence on innovation in service industries using the 2021 Survey of Innovation Activities of Establishments, which provided broader sector coverage. The survey was conducted during the pandemic when establishments had to pivot to new modes of service delivery to survive. It offers a more nuanced profile of the demographics, innovation behaviors, and the determinants and effects of innovation across services subsectors. Among the four types of innovation, organizational innovation was the most common type introduced in most service sectors, followed by marketing, process, and product innovation. For the majority of the services subsectors, the most common innovation activity among establishments was “training for innovative activities”. Across all services subsectors, cost factors were identified as the most significant barrier. Organizations that employ at least one Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe) technology, obtain funding, use platforms, engage in research and development (R&D) activities (whether outsourced or in-house), or utilize knowledge management methods are more likely to be innovation-active and to produce at least one type of innovation. The survey also reveals greater reliance on internal and market sources of information, while the use of institutional and other sources, such as incubators, scientific journals or technical publications, and regulatory bodies, was low for most subsectors. Universities and other higher education institutions were also not popular cooperation partners. In terms of knowledge management, regularly updating internal databases or manuals was the most common practice, while a policy to bring in external experts from universities, research institutes, or other establishments to participate in project teams was the least common practice across the subsectors. The Philippine Innovation Act (RA 11293) provides various interventions to address impediments arising from cost, knowledge, market, and legal or regulatory factors (Albert et al. 2023). Given the diversity of services, a one-size-fits-all strategy will not be effective. While this study provides a snapshot of the innovation profiles across different subsectors, an in-depth analysis of the innovation ecosystem is required to develop industry-specific innovation roadmaps. |
| Keywords: | innovation, services, product innovation, process innovation, marketing innovation, organizational innovation |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:rpseri:rps_2026-03 |
| By: | Christian Sarfo (University of Lincoln [UK]); Joseph Owusu (KNUST - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology); Andrea Caputo (UNITN - Università degli Studi di Trento = University of Trento); Konan A. Seny Kan (EM - EMLyon Business School) |
| Abstract: | Organizations increasingly face frequent and intense disruptions, requiring strategies that engage with uncertainty rather than simply absorb shocks. In entrepreneurial ecosystems characterized by institutional volatility, these challenges are compounded by economic instability and uneven support structures. This study examines how startups develop antifragile responses, defined as the capacity to benefit from disruption, through organizational learning and absorptive capacity. We analyse a two-wave survey of 209 Ghanaian startups using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling with lagged financial performance data. The findings are interpreted as time-ordered and predictive rather than causal. Results indicate that antifragility is associated with the relationship between organizational learning and financial performance, with this association stronger at higher levels of potential absorptive capacity. We further identify temporal and contextual variation in absorptive capacity. Potential absorptive capacity expands firms' ability to interpret external knowledge, while realized absorptive capacity reflects its application under conditions shaped by organizational readiness and environmental context. This relationship is non-linear, indicating delayed and context-sensitive capability activation. Organizational learning is associated with how firms interpret and respond to volatility, shaping variation in adaptive responses across firms. |
| Keywords: | Antifragility, Absorptive capacity, Organizational learning, Financial performance, Resilience, Startup |
| Date: | 2026–09–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05793235 |
| By: | Cristiana Benedetti-Fasil; Giammario Impullitti; Omar Licandro; Petr Sedlacek; Adam Hal Spencer |
| Abstract: | Do firms differ in their innovation response to business cycles? What economic forces shape this heterogeneity? And does it matter for aggregate propagation? We document substantial heterogeneity in firm-level R&D cyclicality, develop a theory to explain this fact, and validate its key mechanism in the data. In a tractable model of business cycles and innovation-driven growth, endogenous selection makes R&D particularly responsive to aggregate conditions for firms close to the exit margin. Consistent with this mechanism, firms closer to exit display more procyclical R&D in the data. Quantitatively, selection and endogenous growth interact powerfully: selection generates heterogeneous R&D cyclicality, while endogenous growth translates these heterogeneous responses into persistent aggregate effects. Ignoring heterogeneous R&D cyclicality misses roughly half of the long-run output cost of a severe recession. |
| Keywords: | growth, business cycles, innovation, heterogeneous firms, selection |
| JEL: | E32 O31 O40 L1 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_13087 |
| By: | Milad Abbasiharofteh; Pascal Grouiez; Frans Hermans |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the evolution of biogas plant manufacturing markets across European regions over a 25-year period (1996–2020), using a mixed-methods approach that combines trademark data with qualitative interviews in Germany. We use trademarks as a proxy for market-oriented activities and identify three regional trajectories of market formation: 1) first-comer regions, which initiated and commercialized the technology, 2) latecomer regions, which fostered path diversification and niche markets, and 3) non-entry regions, where technology was explored but failed to take root. Rather than establishing causal relationships, the paper reconstructs and interprets these trajectories in relation to policy environments, actor networks, and place-specific industrial structures. Our findings suggest that market formation in emerging green industries is heterogeneous rather than uniform. Each trajectory is embedded in broader innovation system dynamics, including policy mixes that acknowledge multiple rationales for green innovation and actor networks connecting first- and latecomer regions. Furthermore, the mobilization of place-specific capabilities and industrial heritage, particularly in Germany, appears to have shaped regional opportunities for market development. Sustained market formation emerged as the exception rather than the norm, as most European regions did not develop durable biogas manufacturing specializations. |
| Keywords: | Green innovation, biogas, trademark, market formation, regional path development, archetypal analysis |
| JEL: | R11 O33 O34 Q42 R58 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:egu:wpaper:2626 |
| By: | Mattia Casadei Gardini; Alessio Tomelleri; Roberto Gabriele |
| Abstract: | This article explores the concept of zombie firms, tracing its theoretical origins and analyzing its implications for economic productivity and resource allocation. We review global standards for identifying zombie firms and advance a theoretical distinction between subsidized-credit, profitability-based, and hybrid definitions. The paper then focuses on five OECD countries as a case study, investigating the incidence of zombie firms and their anatomy. Empirically, we employ linear probability models and dynamic logit models to study the probability of a firm being classified as a zombie at any point in time. We find that firm history, returns on assets, productivity dynamics, and debt accumulation are the most relevant factors in modeling the current state of zombiness. Lastly, we use a Kaplan-Meier estimator to study the survival rates of viable and non-viable firms, and find that zombies are 8–10 p.p. less likely to survive. Our findings underscore the need for definitional harmonization, and point towards the role of management practices that monitor multiple performance indicators to mitigate zombie congestion and its negative impact on market efficiency. |
| Keywords: | Zombie Firms, ICR, Firm productivity, Financial performance, OECD countries |
| JEL: | D24 G32 G33 L25 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fbk:wpaper:2026-4 |
| By: | Sonia S. Siraz (EM - EMLyon Business School); Björn Claes (The Open University (United Kingdom, Milton Keynes) - OU); Sharon A. Alvarez (PITT - University of Pittsburgh - Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE)) |
| Abstract: | Despite the growing importance of entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic mobility, ethnic minority entrepreneurs continue to face persistent disadvantages in access to capital, particularly following business failure. This study examines how ethnic stereotypes and evaluators' ethnic identity shape perceptions of funding-worthiness for Latinx entrepreneurs relative to White non-Latinx entrepreneurs in the United States. Using a full-profile conjoint experiment comprising 12, 496 evaluations from 781 evaluators, we provide evidence of systematic ethnicity-based disparities in post-failure funding assessments. Latinx entrepreneurs are evaluated as less funding-worthy than White entrepreneurs, even when objective financial indicators such as the level of debt indicate comparable or lower financial risk. These findings suggest that favorable financial attributes do not fully offset ethnicity-based disadvantages in evaluations. We further show that the ethnic identity of evaluators conditions these evaluations. Shared ethnic identity does not mitigate ethnicity-based disparities in perceived funding-worthiness. Instead, Latinx evaluators evaluate Latinx entrepreneurs less favorably than White evaluators. Together, these findings show how post-failure funding evaluations are shaped by embedded ethnic hierarchies, reproducing inequality in entrepreneurial finance. By identifying how ethnic stereotypes and ethnic identity jointly influence funding assessments, this study advances research on ethnic minority entrepreneurship and contributes to business ethics scholarship by clarifying mechanisms through which systemic inequality is sustained in evaluative decision-making. |
| Keywords: | Latinx minority entrepreneurs, Ethnic identity, Entrepreneurial failures, Stereotypes, Access to finance, Inequality, Conjoint experiments |
| Date: | 2026–09–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05777380 |
| By: | Gumpert, Anna; Manova, Kalina; Rujan, Cristina; Schnitzer, Monika |
| Abstract: | This paper provides an integrated analysis of multinational companies' global production and innovation. We establish novel stylized facts using rich data on the network of production affiliates and patent activity of German multinationals. We rationalize these facts with a heterogeneous-firm model, in which companies jointly determine the location and scale of production, basic innovation and applied innovation, under asymmetric complementarities across these three activities. Empirical evidence consistent with the model indicates that bigger MNCs innovate more intensively in terms of patent frequency and quality, and offshore innovation to more countries, including both countries with and without production affiliates. Moreover, MNCs' innovation portfolio follows countries' comparative advantage across technology classes, with applied innovation more likely to be co-located with production than basic innovation. |
| Keywords: | multinational firms;FDI;offshoring;innovation;patents |
| JEL: | F20 F23 L23 L24 O31 O32 |
| Date: | 2025–03–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:141746 |
| By: | Omar Baday (Laboratoire Business Intelligence, Gouvernance des Organisation, et Politiques Economiques (BIFOFE) Faculté des sciences juridiques, économiques et sociales Ain Chock Université Hassan II de Casablanca, Maroc); Abdelouhab Hamliri (Laboratoire Business Intelligence, Gouvernance des Organisation, et Politiques Economiques (BIFOFE) Faculté des sciences juridiques, économiques et sociales Ain Chock Université Hassan II de Casablanca, Maroc); Ikram Lahdili (Laboratoire Business Intelligence, Gouvernance des Organisation, et Politiques Economiques (BIFOFE) Faculté des sciences juridiques, économiques et sociales Ain Chock Université Hassan II de Casablanca, Maroc) |
| Abstract: | Despite the growing interest in organizational digitalization, empirical studies examining its impact on management control in Moroccan small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in the Building and Public Works (BPW) sector, remain scarce. Moreover, few studies have employed structural equation modeling to investigate these relationships in this specific context. This study aims to examine the effect of digitalization on management control effectiveness while assessing the mediating role of the evolving role of management controllers. A quantitative survey was conducted among 57 management controllers working in Moroccan BPW SMEs. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 software. The findings reveal that digitalization has a positive and significant effect on management control effectiveness (β = 0.600, p < 0.001) and on the evolving role of management controllers (β = 0.642, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the evolving role of management controllers positively influences management control effectiveness (β = 0.499, p < 0.05) and mediates the relationship between digitalization and management control effectiveness. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from the underexplored context of Moroccan BPW SMEs and extends current knowledge on the digital transformation of management control. From a managerial perspective, the findings highlight the importance of aligning digital investments with the development of management controllers' competencies and responsibilities to enhance the effectiveness of management control systems. |
| Abstract: | Malgré l'intérêt croissant porté à la digitalisation des organisations, peu d'études empiriques ont analysé son impact sur le contrôle de gestion des PME marocaines du secteur du Bâtiment et des Travaux Publics (BTP), notamment à l'aide de la modélisation par équations structurelles. Cette recherche vise à examiner l'influence de la digitalisation sur l'efficacité du contrôle de gestion, en intégrant le rôle médiateur de l'évolution du rôle du contrôleur de gestion. Une enquête quantitative a été menée auprès de 57 contrôleurs de gestion exerçant dans des PME marocaines du secteur du BTP. Les données ont été analysées à l'aide de la méthode PLS-SEM avec le logiciel SmartPLS 4. Les résultats montrent que la digitalisation exerce un effet positif et significatif sur l'efficacité du contrôle de gestion (β = 0, 600 ; p < 0, 001) ainsi que sur l'évolution du rôle du contrôleur de gestion (β = 0, 642 ; p < 0, 001). Par ailleurs, l'évolution du rôle du contrôleur de gestion influence positivement l'efficacité du contrôle de gestion (β = 0, 499 ; p < 0, 05) et joue un rôle médiateur dans la relation entre digitalisation et efficacité du contrôle de gestion. Cette étude enrichit la littérature sur la transformation digitale du contrôle de gestion dans le contexte des PME marocaines et apporte des preuves empiriques dans un secteur encore peu exploré. Sur le plan managérial, elle met en évidence l'importance d'accompagner les investissements numériques par une évolution des compétences et des missions du contrôleur de gestion afin de renforcer l'efficacité des dispositifs de pilotage. |
| Keywords: | Effectiveness, PLS-SEM, Construction sector, SMEs, Management control, Digitalization, Secteur BTP, PME, Efficacité, Contrôle de gestion, Digitalisation |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05727806 |
| By: | Hyun Moh Shin (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the trade-off between minority shareholder protection and innovation-driven specialization created by South Korea’s regulation of vertical spin-offs (muljeok bunhal) — a wholly-owned daughter firm structure at the center of Commercial Act reforms since 2022, which critics warn may suppress a legitimate channel for technological specialization in the name of shareholder protection. Using 206 spin-offs disclosed on DART between 2016 and 2024, I construct firm-quarter measures of patent-based technological value (following Kogan et al., 2017) and input-output-based industry heterogeneity between parent and daughter (following Antras and Chor, 2013.<p> An event-study difference-in-differences design shows spin-off announcements are associated with a 4.2 percentage point abnormal decline in parent stock returns — significant only once industry heterogeneity is controlled for. Daughter firms spun off into more dissimilar industries create substantially more technological value (a one-standard-deviation increase in heterogeneity raises it by 36.8 percentage points), and parent firms show a symmetric reversal from technological value destruction to value creation as heterogeneity rises. A cost-benefit simulation combining these estimates finds that expected innovation gains exceed estimated shareholder losses in 201 of 206 cases — a result that depends critically on accounting for industry heterogeneity and would reverse sharply if heterogeneity were ignored. |
| Keywords: | spinoffs; spin-offs; vertical spinoffs; vertical spin-offs; firm boundaries; innovation; industrial organization; firm organization; firm decisions |
| JEL: | G34 O31 L22 D57 |
| Date: | 2026–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:kieter:023844 |
| By: | Parry, C. |
| Abstract: | I develop and estimate an equilibrium model of the VC market to quantify distortions and explain cross-country differences in VC activity. The model maps directly to observable start-up funding histories and outcomes, facilitating estimation. For US start-ups first funded in 2005–2015, my estimates suggest that 40% shut down despite having positive continuation value; with continued funding, half would achieve a successful exit. In the UK, the model attributes the gap in activity to the US to financing conditions and acquisition opportunities, and counterfactuals suggest there may be gains to retargeting existing government support towards late-stage start-ups. |
| Keywords: | Start-Ups, Innovation, Venture Capital |
| JEL: | G24 G32 L26 O31 |
| Date: | 2026–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cam:camdae:2682 |
| By: | Nirash Paija; Raja Timilsina; Rabindra Nepal; D’Maris Coffman |
| Abstract: | Reliable electricity is critical for firms in developing economies, yet improvements in electricity infrastructure may not translate immediately into better firm performance. This study examines whether grid upgrades were associated with changes in electricity reliability and firm performance in Nepal. We combine three waves of the World Bank Enterprise Survey (2009, 2013, and 2023) with city-level information on major grid upgrades and predetermined industry electricity intensity from the 2006/07 Census of Manufacturing Establishments. Using a difference-in-differences-in-differences (DDD) framework, we exploit variation across time, upgraded and comparison cities, and firms’ predetermined industry electricity intensity. The baseline estimates suggest that a one-standard-deviation increase in electricity intensity is associated with a 32.3-percentage-point larger decline in outage incidence and approximately 14.1 fewer hours of monthly outage exposure in upgraded cities relative to comparison cities. However, statistical significance is sensitive to model specification, and the outage-exposure estimate depends substantially on the composition of the comparison group. We find no statistically significant effects on real sales, employment, or labor productivity, while the positive estimates for total factor productivity provide only suggestive evidence of improvement. Pre-treatment placebo tests reveal no statistically significant differential changes, although the limited pre-treatment observations constrain their interpretation. Overall, the findings suggest that grid upgrading may improve electricity reliability, but the evidence is sensitive to identification and inference choices, and its implications for broader firm performance remain uncertain. |
| Keywords: | electricity reliability, grid infrastructure, firm performance, labor productivity, electricity intensity, difference-in-differences-in-differences, Nepal |
| JEL: | D24 L94 O12 O18 Q43 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:een:camaaa:2026-89 |
| By: | Emanuel Namaiwa Barke (Université Marie et Louis Pasteur, CRESE UR3190, F-25000 Besançon, France) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the R&D investment-decision game in a Cournot duopoly with ex ante asymmetric production costs. Firms first decide whether to participate in process R&D and, conditional on participation, subsequently choose their costreducing R&D efforts. Despite cost heterogeneity, investing is a strictly dominant strategy for both firms, so bilateral R&D is the unique participation equilibrium. Cost asymmetry nevertheless changes the nature of this outcome. When firms are sufficiently similar, bilateral R&D may constitute a prisoner’s dilemma; as the initial cost gap widens, the dilemma breaks down asymmetrically, with the initially efficient firm preferring bilateral investment while the inefficient firm continues to prefer mutual non-investment. Cost asymmetry also reallocates R&D effort toward the initially efficient firm. The welfare analysis reveals a further wedge between private and social incentives: although bilateral R&D maximizes aggregate R&D and consumer surplus, social surplus may be higher when innovation is concentrated in the initially efficient firm. Extending the model to technological spillovers leaves bilateral participation as the unique equilibrium but changes the private desirability of joint R&D. |
| Keywords: | Process R&D; R&D investment-decision game; Cost asymmetry; Cournot duopoly; Prisoner’s dilemma; Technological spillovers. |
| JEL: | C72 L13 O31 O32 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:crb:wpaper:2026-14 |
| By: | Kom Campiranon (College of Innovation, Thammasat University) |
| Abstract: | Public sector innovation is increasingly expected to improve service quality, strengthen institutional capacity, and support long-term transformation. However, many government innovation initiatives remain fragmented and incremental. This paper develops and applies an innovation portfolio mapping framework to examine 64 Thai public sector innovation projects implemented between 2022 and 2024. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews and portfolio mapping, the study classifies initiatives by policy domain, innovation orientation, degree of institutional change, and maturity/scalability. The findings show that Thailand?s public sector innovation landscape is active, diverse, and increasingly digital, but unevenly distributed. The paper positions innovation mapping as a practical tool for diagnosing portfolio imbalance and guiding a shift from project-based incrementalism toward a more balanced innovation portfolio. |
| Keywords: | Government innovation portfolio, Innovation mapping, Public sector transformation, Innovation strategy, Digital government |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iefpro:16217252 |
| By: | Ingrid Peignier; Nathalie De Marcellis-Warin |
| Abstract: | Between February and March 2026, CIRANO conducted a large-scale consultation involving 4, 325 young public servants from 68 government departments and agencies. The report examines their perceptions of innovation, collaboration, training (including generative AI), remote work, and career advancement. The findings portray a younger generation of public servants who feel competent and supported by their immediate work environment, with 70% reporting that they receive support from their manager. However, their assessment becomes more critical at the institutional level, as only 27% believe that the public service fosters a culture of innovation. Administrative burden emerges as the main barrier. While 62% envision continuing their careers in the public service, the proportion wishing to leave has nearly doubled since 2024, reaching 9%. A strong sense of purpose tied to the public service mission emerges as a key driver of both innovation and retention. The report puts forward six recommendations aimed at creating an environment where the next generation of public servants can contribute more effectively and envision a long-term future within the public service. Le CIRANO a mené, entre février et mars 2026, une vaste consultation auprès de 4 325 jeunes fonctionnaires issus de 68 ministères et organismes. Le rapport examine leurs perceptions à l'égard de l'innovation, de la collaboration, de la formation (incluant l'IA générative), du télétravail et de la progression de carrière. Les résultats dépeignent une relève qui se sent compétente et appuyée par son environnement immédiat : 70 % se disent soutenus par leur gestionnaire. Leur regard devient toutefois plus critique au niveau institutionnel, puisque seulement 27 % jugent que la fonction publique possède une culture d'innovation. La lourdeur administrative y apparaît comme le principal frein. Si 62 % envisagent de poursuivre leur carrière dans l'État, la proportion souhaitant le quitter a presque doublé depuis 2024, passant à 9 %. Le sens accordé à la mission publique ressort comme un levier déterminant de l'innovation et de la rétention. Le rapport formule six recommandations pour créer un environnement permettant à la relève de mieux contribuer et de se projeter à long terme au sein de la fonction publique. |
| Keywords: | Public service, Youth perceptions, Innovation, Telework, Artificial intelligence, Training, Retention, Fonction publique, Perception des jeunes, Innovation, Télétravail, Intelligence artificielle, Formation, Rétention |
| JEL: | J45 H83 J63 J28 M53 J24 O33 O31 |
| Date: | 2026–10–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cir:cirpro:2026rp-22 |
| By: | Mudiriza, Gibson; Martino, Samantha De; Cunningham, Wendy |
| Abstract: | Drawing on qualitative data from 11 key informants and 75 small-scale firm owners in South Africa’s townships, this paper identifies five factors shaping micro-entrepreneurial success. First, micro-entrepreneurship often begins as employment of last resort but evolves into a deliberate choice as owners value its autonomy and independence. Second, social and communal networks expand access to shared resources, information, and markets. Third, complex processes and limited benefits discourage firm registration, even though entrepreneurs feel that it boosts customer trust and patronage. Fourth, access to government support is low, hindered by perceived program irrelevance and stringent eligibility criteria. Fifth, success depends less on finance than on resilience, resourcefulness, and mindset. These findings underscore the need for holistic programs offering business training, socio-emotional skills, mentorship, and collective business strategies tailored to the township economy. |
| Date: | 2026–05–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:hdnspu:210207 |
| By: | Marcelo Resende; Vicente Cardoso |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates power laws for the firm size distribution in Brazil for the largest 1000, 500 and 100 firms. A systematic nested testing strategy is implemented and stronger evidence for a Pareto type I distribution emerges only for the extreme upper tail of the distribution (top 100 firms). The Pareto exponents for the top 100 firms display a statistically significant downward trend and a structural break in 2010. Their mean falls from approximately 1.27 in 1999–2009 to 1.05 in 2010–2024, approaching the Zipf benchmark of 1 and indicating a thicker upper tail and greater revenue concentration among superstar firms. |
| Keywords: | power law, firm size, Pareto distribution, Brazil |
| JEL: | C12 C49 L11 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_13085 |
| By: | Jennifer L. Kao; Tamar Oostrom |
| Abstract: | During research and development, firms must decide which types of individuals to engage in developing and testing their products. We investigate how lowering the cost of including one group shapes its representation, subsequent innovation, and product adoption. In 2000, Medicare expanded coverage of clinical trial costs for elderly trial participants, a historically underrepresented group in drug development. This policy increases representation: trial sponsors expand trial eligibility to include elderly participants and increase the share of elderly participants. We find an immediate and large increase in the number of clinical trials for diseases common among the elderly, with the largest increase in drugs not yet approved and in approved drugs tested in new diseases. We document an increase in drug utilization of newly tested drugs among elderly individuals and analyze trial results, adverse events, and drug approvals. Our findings show how financial incentives can increase representation in product development and shift the rate, direction, and adoption of innovation to potentially benefit underserved groups. |
| JEL: | I14 I18 J14 O31 O38 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35936 |
| By: | Carayannis, Elias G.; Zotas, Nikos R. |
| Abstract: | Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly operate in environments characterised by technological acceleration, regulatory change, market volatility, sustainability pressures, and shifting competitive conditions. Strategic foresight can strengthen organisational preparedness by enabling firms to identify emerging developments, explore uncertainty, and consider alternative futures. Yet recognising strategically relevant change does not necessarily result in timely organisational response. This conceptual paper addresses this problem by introducing the Foresight- Action Gap, defined as the behavioural and organisational distance between recognising a strategically relevant future development and initiating an appropriate strategic response. Drawing on strategic foresight, behavioural decision-making, digital nudging, managerial attention, and dynamic capabilities, the paper develops a Behaviourally Enabled Strategic Foresight (BESF) framework tailored to the characteristics of SMEs. BESF integrates six functions: sensing, interpretation, anticipation, prioritisation, action, and organisational learning. The framework proposes that context-sensitive digital nudges can reduce specific behavioural frictions within this process while preserving managerial autonomy. Rather than assuming that nudging universally improves decisions, it emphasises friction-intervention fit and organisational context. The paper develops six theoretical propositions and a staged empirical agenda for validating the Foresight-Action Gap and the BESF framework. |
| Keywords: | strategic foresight, digital nudging, SMEs, strategic decisionmaking, managerial attention, dynamic capabilities, Foresight-Action Gap |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iedlwp:344251 |
| By: | Hassan Raza Kazmi (EM Strasbourg - École de Management de Strasbourg = EM Strasbourg Business School - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg); Vivien Lefebvre (EM Strasbourg - École de Management de Strasbourg = EM Strasbourg Business School - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the impact of growth rates on analyst recommendations for European firms that underwent an IPO between 2015 and 2020. Drawing from signaling theory, which posits that IPO firms emit signals to the market through their growth rates, we explore how growth in employment and sales influences analysts, who play a key role as information intermediaries. Our findings reveal that analysts prefer continuous growth in employees when making their recommendations, though the impact is modest. However, an inverted U-shaped relationship indicates that excessive sales growth negatively impacts recommendations, except in high technology industries where consistent growth is anticipated and valued. For high technology firms, high growth in employment is positively associated with analyst recommendations, with a significant economic impact. These results highlight the ways in which growth metrics signal IPO firm quality to analysts, particularly in the context of high technology industries. |
| Keywords: | financial analysts growth IPO, financial analysts, growth, IPO |
| Date: | 2025–07–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05778259 |
| By: | Marcos Medina-Tabares (ERPI - Equipe de Recherche sur les Processus Innovatifs - UL - Université de Lorraine, UL - Université de Lorraine); Ferney Osorio (ERPI - Equipe de Recherche sur les Processus Innovatifs - UL - Université de Lorraine, UL - Université de Lorraine, ENSGSI - Ecole Nationale Supérieure en Génie des Systèmes et de l'Innovation - UL - Université de Lorraine); Manon Enjolras (ERPI - Equipe de Recherche sur les Processus Innovatifs - UL - Université de Lorraine, UL - Université de Lorraine, ENSGSI - Ecole Nationale Supérieure en Génie des Systèmes et de l'Innovation - UL - Université de Lorraine); Laure Morel (ERPI - Equipe de Recherche sur les Processus Innovatifs - UL - Université de Lorraine, UL - Université de Lorraine, ENSGSI - Ecole Nationale Supérieure en Génie des Systèmes et de l'Innovation - UL - Université de Lorraine) |
| Abstract: | In their efforts to address key societal challenges, public sector organizations have been orchestrating the emergence of innovation ecosystems. However, evidence about their real outcomes and impact mechanisms remains scarce. Current impact assessment processes struggle on two fronts: they require scientific rigor to establish evidence and causality, yet must remain adaptive to contextual specificities of public sector action. We aim to reconcile contextual embeddedness with methodological rigor for an impact assessment capable of identifying created value and guiding the intended contributions of public innovation in their territories. As a first step, this research in progress asks: How do conceptual definitions of outcomes and impact in innovation ecosystems align with what is actually documented in empirical literature? We conducted two literature reviews: first, a narrative literature synthesis clarifying key concepts; second, an exploratory systematic literature review identifying empirically reported outcomes and impacts. Comparing both reveals a significant gap between what is assessed, how it is assessed, and to whom the insights are addressed, leading to a lack of conceptual clarity, under-documentation, and poor impact attribution. These findings point toward Living Labs as a promising methodological response, as their iterative, multi-stakeholder, context-sensitive, and practitioner-oriented characteristics directly address the identified issues. |
| Keywords: | Systemic outcomes, Living Labs, Impact assessment, Public sector innovation ecosystems |
| Date: | 2026–09–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05778043 |
| By: | Paul A. Gompers; Henry Woo |
| Abstract: | Immigrant founders of US venture-backed startups exit successfully more often than native founders. Does this hold worldwide? Using career histories for 913, 226 founder-firm pairs in 213 countries (1990–2026), we compare founders who build abroad (expats) or return home after foreign experience (returnees) with comparable local founders in the same country. Both expats and returnees raise early funding more often globally. Expats' success premium, however, concentrates in the US (18 percent) and UK (26 percent), especially among those entering the US through graduate school, work, or direct founding. Returnees rarely show such a premium. Capital follows mobile founders across borders, but success follows them selectively. |
| JEL: | F22 G24 J24 J61 L26 J6 J60 J69 O57 |
| Date: | 2026–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35943 |