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on Small Business Management |
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Issue of 2026–04–06
twenty-two papers chosen by João Carlos Correia Leitão, Universidade da Beira Interior |
| By: | Qayoom Khachoo (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade); Ridwan Ah Sheikh (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research); Pritam Banerjee (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) |
| Abstract: | This study leverages India's Patents (Amendment) Act, 2002, as a quasi-natural experiment within a difference-in-differences framework to examine how domestic reforms related to patents may affect firms' export behavior and their integration to the global value chains. Exploiting a detailed firm-level database covering the universe of Indian manufacturing firms, we find that heightened patent protection is associated with approximately a 18 increase in exports and a 12 increase in total imports among high-tech firms relative to low-tech firms, even including firm, year, and industry-by-year fixed effects. We further show that stronger enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs) has a positive impact on firms' imports of intermediate inputs. Specifically, high-tech firms experienced 20 increase in raw-material imports relative to their low-tech counterparts. In contrast, the reform was associated with a significant reduction in imports of spares and stores. While the average treatment effects on capital and final goods imports remain insignificant, event-study estimates suggest positive and statistically significant effects, albeit with a delay. This study provides policy-relevant evidence that stronger IPRs in emerging market economies such as India enhance firms' trade performance by stimulating innovation, promoting technology transfer and adoption, and enabling access to advanced global inputs. |
| Keywords: | IPRs, Exports, Imports, Global value chains, Difference-in-Differences |
| JEL: | F13 F14 O30 O33 O34 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ind:igiwpp:2026-001 |
| By: | Susan Helper; Resem Makan; Daniel W. Shoag |
| Abstract: | We study the establishment of U.S. National Laboratories in the 1940s–1950s to estimate local spillovers from public research infrastructure. This setting allows us to causally identify such spillovers, for two reasons: 1) Lab sites were chosen largely for security and political reasons, rather than existing or potential innovative capability and 2) We identify runner-up locations using archival sources. We find several types of knowledge spillovers: Compared to control counties, Lab counties experience large and persistent increases in patenting by non-lab inventors; non-lab patents in the same county shift toward laboratories’ research fields and cite laboratory patents more frequently. Using newly digitized county data from 1936–1970, we find sustained increases in retail sales and household income. Linked 1940–1950 Census records show wage gains for pre-existing residents who remain in lab counties, with larger effects for college-educated workers. We find that cohorts exposed to laboratory establishment during school-age years attained more education, consistent with a human-capital channel. Spillovers arise despite extensive secrecy around early nuclear research, suggesting that co-location with public R&D can generate sizable local benefits even under restricted information flows. |
| JEL: | O31 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35011 |
| By: | Koloma, Yaya |
| Abstract: | This study explores whether gender disparities exist in credit access among business owners in Côte d’Ivoire, utilizing data from the 2016 World Bank Enterprise Surveys. Through descriptive analysis and the Fairlie decomposition model, the research uncovers significant findings. Female-owned firms demonstrate higher proactivity in applying for credit, with 36.0% seeking loans compared to 23.5% of male-owned firms. Additionally, 32.6% of female-owned firms secure credit versus 21.7% of male-owned counterparts, resulting in a gender gap of 10.9%. The Fairlie decomposition attributes 51.4% of this gap to observable differences in endowments, while 48.6% is linked to unobservable factors. Contrary to traditional narratives, the results suggest that female entrepreneurs in Côte d’Ivoire are more engaged in the credit market and more successful in obtaining loans, potentially due to better preparation, supportive networks, and perceived lower risk by lenders. The study highlights the critical roles of both observable factors, such as business size and sector, and unobservable elements, including lender perceptions and gender-specific strategies. The findings call for nuanced policy interventions to support female entrepreneurship, including tailored financial products, enhanced business networks, and strategies to mitigate implicit biases in financial institutions while promoting gender equity in Côte d’Ivoire. |
| Keywords: | Gender, Business Ownership, Access to Finance, Côte d’Ivoire |
| JEL: | G21 G32 J16 L21 L26 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:339394 |
| By: | Balazs Egert |
| Abstract: | This paper reviews the contributions of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics laureates, Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt, to our understanding of innovation-driven economic growth, situating their work within the broader evolution of modern growth theory and empirical evidence. It highlights why the Industrial Revolution marked a transition to sustained, self-reinforcing technological progress and shows how Mokyr's emphasis on knowledge, culture and institutions complements Aghion and Howitt's Schumpeterian framework, which formalises innovation as a competitive process of firm entry, exit and technological replacement. The paper then uses these frameworks to interpret the widespread productivity slowdown observed in advanced OECD economies since the mid-2000s, arguing that weakened creative destruction, slower diffusion of frontier technologies, declining business dynamism and policy headwinds are key explanatory factors. |
| Keywords: | innovation, productivity, economic growth, creative destruction, institutions |
| JEL: | O30 O40 O43 L16 N10 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12572 |
| By: | Saida Abellaoui (University Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco); Youssef Nait Belaid (University Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco) |
| Abstract: | In Morocco, women entrepreneurs are increasingly leveraging digital platforms to drive economic empowerment particularly for young women seeking independence, yet they face several significant barriers in Morocco's digital economy. In this paper we seek to give insights from recent studies, highlighting the motivations such as achieving work-life balance, pursuing personal dreams, and gaining economic independence, opportunities, and challenges for female digital entrepreneurs in Morocco. Digital transformation, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), has opened several paths for women to engage in E-commerce, fintech, service-oriented businesses and other activities, with platforms like social media enabling low-cost market access and sometimes free access to some platforms. However, cultural, technological, and financial barriers persist. A barrier that seems critical is the lack of advanced digital literacy, particularly in rural areas, where limited internet access and insufficient training in technical concepts hinder effective utilization of digital tools. Several foundational studies reveal that women entrepreneurs often rely on basic platforms like phone calls and emails due to inadequate software tutorials and technical language barriers. This digital divide, compounded by socio-cultural norms and limited access to finance, restricts scalability and sustainability. Addressing these challenges requires targeted policy interventions including tailored ICT training or advanced digital literacy, improved digital infrastructure, and financial inclusion initiatives to empower Moroccan women entrepreneurs in the digital economy. For the methodological approach adopted in the elaboration of this paper, this research is first and foremost a Theoretical Research, so a qualitative documentary study is conducted to explore the alignment of several concepts related to the subject, and to dive deep into Morocco's digital Economy and entrepreneurship, synthesizing national reports (GEM, Digital Morocco 2030), policy papers, strategic plans, program reports, evaluation studies , existing academic literature and other pertinent materials pertaining to Morocco's digital Economy and women entrepreneurs in Morocco. The analysis follows a multi-level framework to highlight the interplay between individual motivations and structural barriers. |
| Abstract: | Au Maroc, les femmes entrepreneurs utilisent de plus en plus les plateformes numériques pour favoriser l'autonomisation économique, en particulier celle des jeunes femmes en quête d'indépendance, mais elles se heurtent à plusieurs obstacles importants dans l'économie numérique. Dans la présentation suivante, nous cherchons à donner un aperçu des études récentes, en mettant en évidence les motivations telles que l'équilibre entre vie professionnelle et vie privée, la poursuite de rêves personnels et l'acquisition d'une indépendance économique, ainsi que les opportunités et les défis pour les femmes entrepreneurs numériques au Maroc. La transformation numérique, accélérée par la pandémie de COVID-19 et l'émergence de l'intelligence artificielle (IA), a ouvert plusieurs voies aux femmes pour s'engager dans le commerce électronique, les technologies financières, les entreprises axées sur les services et d'autres activités, grâce à des plateformes telles que les réseaux sociaux qui permettent un accès peu coûteux au marché et parfois même gratuit à certaines plateformes. Cependant, des obstacles culturels, technologiques et financiers persistent. L'un des obstacles les plus importants semble être le manque de compétences numériques avancées, en particulier dans les zones rurales, où l'accès limité à Internet et la formation insuffisante aux concepts techniques entravent l'utilisation efficace des outils numériques. Des études révèlent que les femmes entrepreneurs s'appuient souvent sur des plateformes basiques telles que les appels téléphoniques et les e-mails en raison de l'insuffisance des tutoriels logiciels et des barrières linguistiques techniques Cette fracture numérique, aggravée par les normes socioculturelles et l'accès limité au financement, limite l'évolutivité et la durabilité. Pour relever ces défis, il faut mettre en place des mesures politiques ciblées, notamment des formations sur mesure aux TIC ou peut-être des compétences numériques avancées, une infrastructure numérique améliorée et des initiatives d'inclusion financière afin de donner aux femmes entrepreneurs marocaines les moyens d'agir dans l'économie numérique. En ce qui concerne l'approche méthodologique adoptée dans l'élaboration de ce document, cette recherche est avant tout une recherche théorique. Une étude documentaire qualitative est donc menée afin d'explorer l'alignement de plusieurs concepts liés au sujet et d'approfondir l'économie numérique et l'entrepreneuriat au Maroc, en synthétisant les rapports nationaux (GEM, Maroc numérique 2030), les documents d'orientation, les plans stratégiques, les rapports de programme, les études d'évaluation et la littérature universitaire existante. L'analyse suit un cadre à plusieurs niveaux afin de mettre en évidence l'interaction entre les motivations individuelles et les obstacles structurels. |
| Keywords: | Digital Economy, Digital Literacy, Women Entrepreneurs |
| Date: | 2026–02–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05523923 |
| By: | Nadine Levratto (CERNA i3 - Centre d'économie industrielle i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Mounir Amdaoud (EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | how-industrial-diversity-affects-local-employment-growth-in-france-251729In an interconnected global economy, regions face recurring economic shocks and intense competition. For policymakers and researchers, understanding the drivers of local employment growth has become critical. Recent theoretical advances highlight the importance of different relational proximities that influence the benefits of the geographic clustering of economic activities.Our research focusing on France's labour market areas -"geographical areas within which most of the labour force lives and works" -from 2004 to 2015 offers new insights into how industrial diversity affects local employment. The study finds that having a variety of industries -especially those related to one another -can be a significant driver of employment growth. This finding has crucial implications for regional development strategies.An analysis of France's labour market areas offers insights for economic development policymakers. Shutterstock How industrial diversity affects local employment growth in France |
| Keywords: | How industrial diversity affects local employment growth in France |
| Date: | 2025–05–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05542926 |
| By: | Erol Taymaz (Department of Economics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey); Kamil Yılmaz (Department of Economics, Koç University, İstanbul, Turkiye) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the relationship between workforce age composition, prior experience, and firm survival using matched employer–employee data from Turkey spanning 2007 to 2023. Using the universe of Turkish firms from the Entrepreneur Information System (EIS), we estimate discrete-time hazard models on manufacturing corporations and document three main findings. First, the relationship between average employee age and exit risk is non-linear but not smoothly quadratic: exit hazards are significantly elevated only for firms with very young (15–20) or older (45+) workforces, while the 25–40 age range shows no meaningful differences. This challenges the standard inverted-U specification commonly adopted in the literature. Second, this age effect is entirely confined to micro-firms (1–10 employees); for larger firms, capital intensity, export status, and supply-chain linkages dominate survival prospects. Third, prior employment experience of the workforce—measured through sector-specific experience, former employer characteristics, and employment network concentration—significantly predicts survival, especially for smaller firms. The influence of both age and experience variables fades as firms age, consistent with the gradual replacement of entry conditions by accumulated organizational capital. Our results highlight the size-dependent nature of human capital’s role in firm survival and carry implications for policies aimed at supporting new-firm longevity in developing economies. |
| Keywords: | firm survival, startups, employee experience, employee age, human capital, matched employer-employee data |
| JEL: | L11 L26 L60 M13 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:met:wpaper:2601 |
| By: | A. Lazos (Audencia Business School); R. Shneor |
| Abstract: | While immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to economies by creating employment opportunities and innovative ventures, they often represent a marginalised group facing greater challenges in access to entrepreneurial finance. Crowdfunding may help remedy some of this challenge through more democratic access to finance and investment opportunities. This study examines the effects of the presence of immigrants in entrepreneurial teams on equity crowdfunding campaigns' success and on the ventures' survival. To answer these questions, we build on risk-attitude, cognitive resource diversity, and social capital theories. Our analysis uses data about UK-based firms behind 1, 171 equity crowdfunding offerings on three platforms (Crowdcube, Seeders and SynicateRoom). The results suggest a relation following an inverted U-shape between the share of immigrants in entrepreneurial teams and both the amount raised and number of investors. Furthermore, the campaign's goal sum mediates these associations. Interestingly, the higher the share of immigrants among entrepreneurial team members, the lower the likelihood of an equity crowdfunded venture's long-term survival. However, such effects may be overturned when fundraising by majority immigrant teams involve relatively high sums, while avoiding undercapitalisation |
| Keywords: | immigrant, equity crowdfunding, success, entrepreneurial teams |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05563834 |
| By: | Wiatt, Renee D. |
| Abstract: | Rural small businesses have been and continue to be the backbone of their local community. Rural small businesses consist of more than simply farms that we often associate with rural. Rural small businesses deliver more than just goods and services to their community; they serve as a gathering place, a social hub, and support for the rural residents that they serve. Thus, when a rural small business closes instead of passing to the next generation, the community loses more than just a business. They lose a local partner, a community gathering spot, and the goods, services, and jobs that they provide. This article takes an introductory look into the exit intentions, succession plans, and what is needed to bring in the next generation. |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, Community/Rural/Urban Development |
| Date: | 2026–03–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ncrcrd:396377 |
| By: | Deng, Jingyuan; Mele, Gianluca |
| Abstract: | This paper provides novel firm-level evidence—based on an enterprise survey from June 2025—on the impact of conflict exposure on firm performance in a context of chronic instability. The results indicate that, even under persistent conflict conditions, exposure significantly reduces firm sales and the propensity to invest, with the magnitude of the sales effect aligning with prior literature. A key mechanism driving this outcome is conflict-induced power outages, which exhibit an elasticity close to unity and account for roughly one-third of the overall impact of conflict exposure on sales in the West Bank and Gaza. Additionally, smaller firms tend to de-prioritize concerns over taxation and corruption under conflict exposure, whereas larger firms and exporters maintain these concerns and place greater emphasis on access to finance and political instability, respectively. |
| Date: | 2026–03–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11335 |
| By: | Alejandro Bello-Pintado (Universidad Pública de Navarra); Carlos Bianchi (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía); Sofía Maio (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía) |
| Abstract: | This study examines how innovation modes, STI (Science and Technology-based Innovation), DUI (Innovation based on learning-by-Doing, learning-by-Using, learning by-Interacting) and their combination, shape firms’ use of formal and informal intellectual property protection mechanisms (IPPM) and influence product innovation performance. Using panel data from the National Innovation Activities Survey (2010 2021) of Uruguay, results show that STI drives formal IPPM and enhances innovation likelihood and novelty, while DUI fosters informal IPPM with limited impact on innovation outcomes. However, combined STI-DUI strategies generate coordination tensions, constraining innovation performance |
| Keywords: | innovation modes, knowledge appropriability strategies, firm organization |
| JEL: | O31 O32 O54 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulr:wpaper:dt-02-26 |
| By: | Lucille Collet; Jean-Baptiste Gossé; Frédéric Guével; Camille Jehle |
| Abstract: | Europe’s venture capital market is growing but remains much smaller than in the United States, holding back innovation. The gap is partly due to a lack of appetite among private European investors. A more integrated ecosystem, pan-European funds and measures to facilitate institutional investors’ access to venture capital are all key to boosting start-up financing. <p> Le capital-risque progresse en Europe mais reste très en deçà du modèle américain, ce qui constitue un frein à l’innovation. Ce retard tient à une faible mobilisation des investisseurs privés européens. Un écosystème plus intégré, des fonds paneuropéens et des mesures facilitant l’accès des investisseurs institutionnels au capital-risque sont clés pour renforcer le financement des start-up. |
| Date: | 2026–02–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bfr:econot:435 |
| By: | Wantchekon, Leonard |
| Abstract: | Research and development (R&D) is a central driver of long-term economic growth, technological progress, and institutional capacity. Yet many African countries remain marginal in the global knowledge economy, with limited investment in science, technology, and innovation (STI) and weak research ecosystems. This paper argues that the persistence of Africa's innovation deficit is partly rooted in the design of foreign aid and development policies, which have historically prioritized short-term service delivery over long-term investments in scientific capacity and technological capability. Drawing on economic theory, empirical evidence, and comparative case studies, the paper examines the role of R&D in structural transformation and assesses the structural barriers that limit innovation in Africa, including chronic underfunding, short-term aid cycles, misalignment between donor priorities and national strategies, and weak institutional systems. Evidence from countries such as Ethiopia, Brazil, and China demonstrates how sustained investment in research institutions, human capital, and international knowledge partnerships can generate significant productivity gains and technological upgrading. The paper concludes that development cooperation must shift toward innovation-driven growth. Strengthening universities, financing basic sciences, and fostering university-industry-government collaboration are essential steps for enabling African countries to transition from technology consumers to producers in the global knowledge economy. |
| Keywords: | Foreign aid, development policy, knowledge economy, innovation |
| JEL: | F35 O30 O32 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:339614 |
| By: | Emanuele Bazzichi; Massimo Riccaboni; Fulvio Castellacci |
| Abstract: | We study how artificial intelligence (AI) affects firms' incentives to pursue incremental versus radical knowledge recombinations. We develop a model of recombinant innovation embedded in a Schumpeterian quality-ladder framework, in which innovation arises from recombining ideas across varying distances in a knowledge space. R&D consists of multiple tasks, a fraction of which can be performed by AI. AI facilitates access to distant knowledge domains, but at the same time it also increases the aggregate rate of creative destruction, shortening the monopoly duration that rewards radical innovations. Moreover, excessive reliance on AI may reduce the originality of research and lead to duplication of research efforts. We obtain three main results. First, higher AI productivity encourages more distant recombinations, if the direct facilitation effect is stronger than the indirect effect due to intensified competition from rivals. Second, the effect of increasing the share of AI-automated R&D tasks is non-monotonic: firms initially target more radical innovations, but beyond a threshold of human-AI complementarity, they shift the focus toward incremental innovations. Third, in the limiting case of full automation, the model predicts that optimal recombination distance collapses to zero, suggesting that fully AI-driven research would undermine the very knowledge creation that it seeks to accelerate. |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2604.02189 |
| By: | Adam B. Jaffe; Laura B. Shupp; Valentina Tartari |
| Abstract: | This Chapter surveys the findings of social science research on the contribution of universities to innovation and economic growth, both locally/regionally and globally. In the last several decades research has demonstrated universities’ causal effects through the mechanisms of knowledge creation, education and training of students, and technology transfer/entrepreneurship. The Chapter summarizes how the literature has studied each of these mechanisms, and how the findings have probed variation across disciplines and economic sectors. The depth and breadth of understanding have been advanced by new microdata and new methods of linking data across inventions, scientists and institutions, and by application of methods from network science. We emphasize that research has proven the importance of these effects on average, but to date has less to say about the determinants of success or failure in different contexts. These findings have implications for public policy to foster innovation both regionally and globally. |
| JEL: | I2 O3 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35017 |
| By: | Iitidal Fettah (CERAU - Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche en Aménagement et Urbanisme) |
| Abstract: | This article investigates how executive education contributes to territorial attractiveness, talent retention, and the strengthening of local talent ecosystems in emerging regions, using Casablanca as an empirical case. It seeks to address the under-theorized role of executive education in shaping metropolitan competitiveness in emerging economies. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining a quantitative survey of 450 executive education participants (2022-2025) with 30 semi-structured interviews involving public and private stakeholders. The results demonstrate improvements in managerial capabilities, a mediated positive effect on organizational innovation capacity, increased territorial anchoring through network densification, and enhanced perceptions of metropolitan reputation. Effects are amplified by program duration, international partnerships and organizational support for knowledge application. Executive education operates as a multidimensional territorial asset linking human capital developpement, innovation capacity, talent anchoring, and metropolitan signaling effects. It constitutes a strategic lever for competitiveness and territorial attractiveness in emerging metropolitan contexts facing intensified global talent mobility. |
| Abstract: | Cet article analyse le rôle de la formation continue des cadres dans l'attractivité territoriale, la rétention des talents et le renforcement des écosystèmes de talents dans les régions métropolitaines émergentes, en mobilisant Casablanca comme cas empirique. Il vise à combler une lacune relative à la sous-théorisation de la formation exécutive dans les dynamiques de compétitivité territoriale. L'étude adopte une méthodologie mixte combinant une enquête quantitative auprès de 450 participants à des programmes de formation continue des cadres (2022-2025) et 30 entretiens semi-directifs avec des acteurs publics et privés. Les résultats indiquent une amélioration des capacités managériales, un effet positif médiatisé sur la capacité d'innovation organisationnelle, un renforcement de l'ancrage territorial via la densification des réseaux professionnels et une amélioration des perceptions de la réputation métropolitaine. Les effets observés sont amplifiés par la durée des programmes, les partenariats internationaux et le soutien organisationnel. La formation continue des cadres fonctionne comme un actif territorial multidimensionnel articulant développement du capital humain, capacité d'innovation, ancrage des talents et signalisation de sophistication métropolitaine. Elle constitue un levier stratégique de compétitivité et d'attractivité pour les métropoles émergentes confrontées à des dynamiques concurrentielles de mobilité des talents. |
| Keywords: | Executive Education, territorial innovation dynamics, talent retention, Casablanca |
| Date: | 2026–03–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05541546 |
| By: | Werner, Sven; Sievert, Maximiliane; Haney, Aoife Brophy; Trotter, Philipp |
| Abstract: | Start-ups are an important component of driving context-sensitive sustainable development in emerging markets based on domestic innovation. However, knowledge on how best to support the capabilities, networks and access to finance of such ventures is limited, specifically in emerging markets. In this paper, we leverage novel data from a pan-African start-up accelerator to understand whether and why accelerators are effective. Adopting an entrepreneurial ecosystem lens and conceptualizing accelerators as intermediaries within ecosystems, we test two competing views of accelerator effectiveness: substitution and complementarity. Our results provide support for a complementarity view, where the positive effects of accelerators are higher in more mature ecosystems. We contribute to the literature by drawing attention to the importance of the context within which accelerators are situated, challenging the predominant approach of substituting for missing ecosystem components in emerging markets. |
| Abstract: | Start-ups gelten als wichtiger Motor für eine kontextsensitive und nachhaltige Entwicklung in Ländern mit niedrigen und mittleren Einkommen, insbesondere wenn sie auf lokalen Innovationen beruht. Dennoch ist bislang nur begrenzt bekannt, wie sich die Fähigkeiten, Netzwerke und der Zugang zu Finanzmitteln dieser Unternehmen effektiv fördern lassen - insbesondere im Kontext von Ländern mit niedrigen und mittleren Einkommen. In diesem Beitrag nutzen wir neuartige Daten eines panafrikanischen Start-up-Accelerators, um zu untersuchen, ob und warum Accelerator-Programme wirksam sind. Aufbauend auf der Perspektive unternehmerischer Ökosysteme und der Konzeption von Accelerators als Intermediäre innerhalb dieser Ökosysteme testen wir zwei konkurrierende Erklärungsansätze für ihre Wirksamkeit: Substitution und Komplementarität. Unsere Ergebnisse stützen die Komplementaritätsperspektive, wonach die positiven Effekte von Accelerators in reiferen Ökosystemen stärker ausgeprägt sind. Damit leisten wir einen Beitrag zur Literatur, indem wir die Bedeutung des institutionellen und ökosystemischen Kontexts, in den Accelerators eingebettet sind, hervorheben. Wir hinterfragen den verbreiteten Ansatz, fehlende Ökosystemkomponenten in Schwellenländern durch isolierte Fördermaßnahmen ersetzen zu wollen. |
| Keywords: | Accelerator, start-up, entrepreneurial ecosystem, entrepreneurship support, impact assessment |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:rwirep:339617 |
| By: | Drydakis, Nick (Anglia Ruskin University) |
| Abstract: | This study examines whether AI Capital, defined as AI-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, is associated with business innovation among SMEs in England. Using a two-wave longitudinal panel dataset comprising 504 observations from SMEs collected in 2024 and 2025, the study develops and validates a 45-item AI Capital of Business scale. Business innovation is measured across five dimensions: product and service innovation, process innovation, technology adoption, market and customer engagement, and organisational culture and strategy. Regression models, including pooled OLS, Random Effects, and Fixed Effects specifications, are employed. The findings reveal a robust positive association between AI Capital and business innovation across all model specifications. This association holds across all business innovation dimensions and remains consistent for SMEs with differing levels of financial performance, size, and operational maturity. Each component of AI Capital independently exhibits a positive association with business innovation outcomes. |
| Keywords: | artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence capital, business innovation, innovation, SMEs |
| JEL: | O31 O33 O32 L26 L25 M15 D83 J24 O14 O39 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18476 |
| By: | Pulito, Giuseppe (ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin); Pytlikova, Mariola (CERGE-EI, Charles University and the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and AIAS, Aarhus University); Schroede, Sarah (Aarhus University and Ratio Institute); Lodefalk, Magnus (Örebro University School of Business) |
| Abstract: | Using two waves of nationally representative Danish firm surveys linked to employer– employee administrative registers, we study how adoption varies across artificial intelligence (AI) and related advanced technologies. We show that AI adoption is highly technologyspecific. While firm size and digital infrastructure predict adoption broadly, workforce composition operates through distinct channels: STEM-educated workforces predict core AI adoption, whereas non-STEM university-educated workforces are associated with generative AI adoption, indicating different human capital complementarities. The factors associated with adoption differ from those predicting deployment breadth: firm size and digital maturity matter for both, whereas workforce composition primarily predicts adoption alone. Machine learning and natural language processing are deployed across multiple business functions, whereas other advanced technologies remain concentrated in specific operational domains. Individual-level evidence provides a foundation for these patterns, with awareness of workplace AI usage concentrated among managers and high-skilled workers. Self-reported AI knowledge is higher among younger and more educated individuals. Finally, commonly used occupational AI exposure measures vary substantially in their ability to predict observed adoption, with benchmark-based measures outperforming patent-based and LLM-focused alternatives. These findings show that treating AI as a monolithic category obscures economically meaningful variation in who adopts, what they deploy, and how well existing measures capture it. |
| Keywords: | Artificial Intelligence; Technology Adoption; Digitalisation; Human capital; AI Exposure Measures. |
| JEL: | D24 J23 J62 O33 |
| Date: | 2026–03–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:oruesi:2026_003 |
| By: | Afif Zineb (LEG - Laboratoire d'économie et de gestion (LEG), Faculté pluridisciplinaire de Khouribga (FPK), Université Sultan Moulay Slimane (USMS), Maroc); Mohamed Azeroual (LEG - Laboratoire d'économie et de gestion (LEG), Faculté pluridisciplinaire de Khouribga (FPK), Université Sultan Moulay Slimane (USMS), Maroc) |
| Abstract: | Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a key driver of economic development through their contribution to job creation, innovation, and competitiveness. However, they face significant constraints related to access to finance. This study examines thefinancing methods used by SMEs in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region through an exploratory quantitative approach. Data were collected via a questionnaire administered to 31 manufacturing firms. The findings reveal a strong reliance on self-financing and persistent difficulties in accessing bank credit, due to complex procedures, restrictive financial conditions, and stringent collateral requirements. Public financing schemes also appear to be underutilized, mainly because of limited information and unsuitable eligibility criteria. These results highlight the need to adapt financial instruments to the specific characteristics of SMEs in order to enhance their inclusion and strengthen their contribution to regional economic development. |
| Abstract: | Les petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) représentent un pilier fondamental du développement économique, notamment par leur rôle dans la création d'emplois, le renforcement de l'innovation et l'amélioration de la compétitivité. Néanmoins, elles demeurent confrontées à d'importantes contraintes en matière d'accès au financement. Cette étude a pour objectif d'analyser les mécanismes de financement mobilisés par les PME de la région Béni Mellal-Khénifra, en adoptant une approche quantitative exploratoire. Lesdonnées ont été recueillies au moyen d'un questionnaire administré auprès de 31 entreprises manufacturières. Les résultats mettent en évidence une forte dépendance à l'autofinancement ainsi que des obstacles majeurs à l'accès au crédit bancaire, liés à lacomplexité des procédures, à la rigidité des conditions financières et aux exigences élevées en matière de garanties. En outre, les dispositifs publics de financement apparaissent peu exploités, en raison d'un déficit d'information et de critères d'éligibilité jugés inadaptés. Ces constats soulignent la nécessité d'adapter les instruments financiers aux spécificités des PME afin de renforcer leur inclusion et leur contribution au développement économique régional. |
| Keywords: | PME, modes de financement, obstacles de financement, Béni Mellal-Khénifra SMEs, PME modes de financement obstacles de financement Béni Mellal-Khénifra |
| Date: | 2026–09–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05504312 |
| By: | Miriam Bruhn (World Bank); Asli Demirguc-Kunt (Center for Global Development); Dorothe Singer (World Bank) |
| Abstract: | This paper assesses the medium-run effects of government support to firms during the COVID-19 crisis and whether the effectiveness of this support varied with its timing. Using data from three rounds of the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys COVID-19 Follow-up Surveys carried out between May 2020 and August 2022, it relates government support in Round 1 and 2 with firm performance in Round 3. Our results add to the existing literature on government support during the COVID-19 shock and previous crises, which has provided little evidence on how the effect of this support varies with its timing. Controlling for a host of background characteristics, firms that received support in Round 1 performed better in terms of Round 3 sales, but only if they did not have continued support. Firms that also received support in Round 2 had similar Round 3 sales to those who received no support. Firms that received government support only in Round 2 experienced no boost in Round 3 performance. The findings suggest that government support should be provided promptly, but it should also be phased out quickly. |
| Keywords: | Government support, COVID-19, productivity, firms |
| JEL: | D22 D24 H81 O47 |
| Date: | 2026–03–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cgd:wpaper:742 |
| By: | Henry Chesbrough (UC Berkeley - University of California [Berkeley] - UC - University of California, LUISS - Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli [Roma]); Sea Matilda Bez (MRM-MS - Montpellier Research in Management - Management Stratégique - MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UM - Université de Montpellier) |
| Abstract: | Corporate open innovation initiatives involving start-ups often fail to deliver the expected results. Such failure is due in part to the behavior of individuals within corporate business units. Specifically, we examine the notion of ‘not invented here syndrome' (NIHS), a behavioral bias that leads employees to reject external innovations, thus hindering collaboration with promising start-ups. This paper explores how corporations can overcome individuals' NIHS, thus collaborate more effectively with external start-ups. Our research, which is based on an in-depth case study of Telefónica, confirms that NIHS can be the result of a lack of information on start-up promises, use cases, and viability. We identify a three-step organizational routine that can help mitigate NIHS in the process of evaluating external start-ups: (1) referring external start-ups to competitors, (2) monitoring competitors' collaboration with start-ups, and (3) diffusing this additional information with the aim of shifting individuals' decision-making by reducing their reliance on behavioral biases against external start-ups. Our findings extend the behavioral theory of the firm by demonstrating that the organizational routines implemented to offset individual biases can involve external actors rather than being limited to internal processes. We also contribute to open innovation by revealing that bringing the knowledge possessed by outside start-ups into the organization is insufficient in isolation to ensure adoption; external perspectives on those start-ups provide a second opinion to the organization that may offset internal NIHS biases. |
| Abstract: | Les initiatives d'innovation ouverte des entreprises impliquant des start-ups ne produisent souvent pas les résultats escomptés. Cet échec s'explique en partie par le comportement des individus au sein des unités opérationnelles de l'entreprise. Plus précisément, nous examinons la notion de Not Invented Here Syndrome (NIHS), un biais comportemental qui conduit les employés à rejeter les innovations externes, entravant ainsi la collaboration avec des start-up prometteuses. Cet article explore la manière dont les entreprises peuvent surmonter le NIHS des individus et, ce faisant, collaborer plus efficacement avec des start-ups externes. Notre recherche, fondée sur une étude de cas approfondie de Telefónica, confirme que le NIHS peut résulter d'un manque d'information sur les promesses des start-ups, leurs cas d'usage et leur viabilité. Nous identifions une routine organisationnelle en trois étapes susceptible d'atténuer le NIHS dans le processus d'évaluation des start-ups externes : (1) orienter les start-ups externes vers des concurrents, (2) suivre les collaborations entre les concurrents et les start-ups, et (3) diffuser ces informations supplémentaires afin de faire évoluer la prise de décision des individus en réduisant leur dépendance à l'égard de biais comportementaux défavorables aux start-ups externes. Nos résultats prolongent la théorie comportementale de la firme en montrant que les routines organisationnelles mises en place pour compenser les biais individuels peuvent impliquer des acteurs externes, et ne pas se limiter à des processus internes. Nous contribuons également à la littérature sur l'innovation ouverte en montrant que faire entrer dans l'organisation les connaissances détenues par des start-ups externes ne suffit pas, à lui seul, à garantir leur adoption ; les perspectives externes sur ces start-ups apportent à l'organisation un second avis susceptible de contrebalancer les biais internes liés au NIHS. |
| Keywords: | Behavioral syndrome, Not invented here syndrome, Cognitive bias, Outside-in, Open innovation, Innovation ouverte |
| Date: | 2026–02–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05543766 |