SMEs play an important role in the development of regional innovative systems because of their potential to accept new technologies and show fast growing rates. There is an interdependence between emergence of fast growing SMEs ('gazelles') and innovative development of regions. High level of...

Using a panel data model, we study the effects of regional and industry-level traits on new business formation (NBF) for 164 industries across 266 Chinese prefectures between 1998 and 2007. The objective is to provide empirical estimates on effects of prefecture traits on entry rates, and in...

In virtually all industrialized countries, women are underrepresented in entrepreneurship, and the gender gap exhibits a remarkable persistence. We examine one particular source of persistence, namely the prevalence of gendered networks and associated peer effects. We study how early career...

There is an abundant literature on industrial ecology aiming at explaining the survival propensity of recently started firms. The majority of the contributions concentrate on the characteristics of the entrepreneur, the new firm or the industry. Only a small minority of the existing studies...

This paper analyses the characteristics of firms that operate at the global productivity frontier and their relationship with other firms in the economy, focusing on the diffusion of global productivity gains and the policies that faciliate it. Firms at the global productivity frontier –...

People have various motivations for becoming an entrepreneur. A common assumption is that entrepreneurs in deprived or remote regions are more likely to be motivated by necessity, as employment opportunities are limited and people have little to lose in starting their own business. However,...

Age is an important factor in entrepreneurship. The paths into entrepreneurship at a later age may be varied. Self-employment in later life may be either a form of partial retirement or a career option. Older individuals may also be pushed into self-employment. The focus of this paper is on the...

The emergence of new ventures that from inception use resources and sell their goods and services in multiple foreign markets has challenged traditional theories explaining the internationalization of a firm as a stage process (Oviatt & McDougall, 1994). Different factors have been identified to...

The sharing economy (peer-to-peer based sharing or renting activities coordinated through community-based online services) is typically assumed to be closely related to social trust. The two sharing economy companies Airbnb and Flipkey exist in over 100 countries, allowing us to construct a...

Die vorliegende Studie analysiert die Erwerbsverläufe von Selbstständigen unterschiedlicher Geburtskohorten. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die meisten Selbstständigen nur eine Selbstständigkeitsphase in ihrem Lebensverlauf aufweisen und ein großer Anteil von ihnen dauerhaft in der...