http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/555/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/21515/ 2010-11-01T00:00:00Z Following a centuries-long decline in the rate of self-employment, a discontinuity in this downward trend is observed for many advanced economies starting in the 1970s and 1980s. In some countries, the rate of self-employment appears to increase. At the same time, crosssectional analysis shows a U-shaped relationship between start-up rates of enterprise and levels of economic development. We provide an overview of the empirical evidence concerning the relationship between independent entrepreneurship, also known as self-employment or business ownership, and economic development. We argue that the reemergence of independent entrepreneurship is based on at least two 'revolutions'. If we distinguish between solo self-employed at the lower end of the entrepreneurship spectrum, and ambitious and/or innovative entrepreneurs at the upper end, many advanced economies show a revival at both extremes. Policymakers in advanced economies should be aware of both revolutions and tailor their policies accordingly. © 2010 S. Wennekers, A. van Stel, M. Carree, and R. Thurik. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/19661/ 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z The article reports on the authors' research in the Netherlands which focused on a profit model in Dutch retail stores and a so-called blue-ocean approach which requires a new market that attracts consumers and increases profits. Topics include the competitive strategy approach to increasing profits. The authors conclude that the blue-ocean strategy or innovation approach is sustainable. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/17830/ 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z This paper conducts the first general equilibrium analysis of the role of entry, exit and profits in industry dynamics. The benefit of our model is twofold. First, to discriminate between entrants� role of performing the entrepreneurial function of creating disequilibrium and the conventional equilibrating role of moving the industry to a new equilibrium. Second, to discriminate between three aspects of industry dynamics: the effect of entry and exit on market equilibrium, duration of disequilibrium and patterns of adjustment. Using a rich data set of the retail industry, we construct a dynamic simultaneous equilibrium model of profits, entry and exit. We find that indeed entrants play an entrepreneurial function causing long periods of disequilibrium after which a new equilibrium is attained. Moreover, we find ample support for the statement that disequilibrium is the essence of economic progress. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/21916/ 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z In this paper the relationship between a country’s prevalence of new ventures and its rate of economic growth is investigated, while taking into account new ventures’ export orientation. It is generally acknowledged that new venture creation as well as export activity may both be important strategies for achieving national economic growth. However, to our knowledge no attempt has been made to investigate empirically the role of export-driven new ventures in economic growth. We focus on the national level and use data for a sample of 34 countries over the period 2002–2008. Our results suggest that, on top of a positive relation between entrepreneurial activity in general and subsequent macroeconomic growth, there is an additional positive effect of export-oriented early-stage entrepreneurship in higher-income countries. However, there is no such additional effect in lower-income countries. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/16037/ 2009-05-29T00:00:00Z Blue ocean strategy seeks to turn strategic management on its head by replacing ‘competitive advantage’ with ‘value innovation’ as the primary goal where firms must create consumer demand and exploit untapped markets. Empirical analysis has been focused on case study evidence and so lacks generality to resolve the debate. We provide a methodological synthesis of the theories enabling us to bring statistical evidence to the debate. Our analysis finds that blue ocean and competitive strategies overlap and managers do not face a discrete either/or decision between each strategy. Our evidence for the Dutch retail industry indicates that blue ocean strategy has prevailed as a dominant long term viable strategy. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/16380/ 2009-03-01T00:00:00Z The relation between profits and the number of firms in a market is one of the essential topics in the field of industrial organization. Usually, the relation is modeled in an error-correction framework where profits and/or the number of firms respond to out-of-equilibrium situations. In an out-of-equilibrium situation one or both of these variables deviate from some long-term sustainable level. These models predict that in situations of equilibrium, the number of firms does not change and hence, entry equals exit. Moreover, in equilibrium entry and exit are expected to be equal to zero. These predictions are at odds with real life observations showing that entry and exit levels are significantly positive in all markets of substantial size and that entry and exit levels often differ drastically. In this paper we develop a new model for the relation between profit levels and the number of firms by specifying not only an equation for the equilibrium level of profits in a market but also equations for the equilibrium levels of entry and exit. In our empirical application we show that our entry and exit equations satisfy the usual errorcorrection conditions. We also find that a one-time positive shock to entry or profits has a small but permanent positive effect on both the number of firms and total industry profits. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/13650/ 2008-11-01T00:00:00Z This paper investigates the dynamic relationship between self-employment and unemployment rates. On the one hand, high unemployment rates may lead to start-up activity of self-employed individuals (the “refugee” effect). On the other hand, higher rates of self-employment may indicate increased entrepreneurial activity reducing unemployment in subsequent periods (the “entrepreneurial” effect). This paper introduces a new two-equation vector autoregression model capable of reconciling these ambiguities and estimates it for data from 23 OECD countries between 1974 and 2002. The empirical results confirm the existence of two distinct relationships between unemployment and self-employment: the “refugee” and “entrepreneurial” effects. We also find that the “entrepreneurial” effects are considerably stronger than the “refugee” effects. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/14709/ 2008-10-01T00:00:00Z We draw on the knowledge spillover literature to suggest that a country's proportion of export-oriented new ventures represents an outcome of knowledge spillovers that stem from foreign direct investment (FDI) and international trade (export spillovers) as well as a source of knowledge spillovers (entrepreneurship spillovers). To test the hypotheses, we use macrolevel data from 34 countries during the period 2002-2005. We find that the relationship between FDI and international trade on the one hand and a country's proportion of export-oriented new ventures on the other differs for higher- and lower-income countries. In addition, a country's proportion of export-oriented new ventures affects the subsequent emergence of new businesses. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/13897/ 2008-03-01T00:00:00Z The online version of the original article can be found under doi: 10.1007/s11187-005-1994-8 http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10619/ 2007-10-30T00:00:00Z Most studies investigating the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth treat entrepreneurs as a homogeneous group. This study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial diversity on national economic growth. Using data for 36 countries participating in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor we investigate whether the impact on growth depends on socio-demographic diversity in entrepreneurship (in terms of age, education and gender). We find that in less developed countries older and higher educated entrepreneurs are particularly important for stimulating economic growth, while for developed countries younger entrepreneurs are more important. Accordingly, policy should aim at stimulating particular groups of entrepreneurs, rather than just the number of entrepreneurs. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10747/ 2007-10-11T00:00:00Z This paper examines the relationship between entrepreneurship (as measured by fluctuations in the business ownership rate) and unemployment in Japan for the period between 1972 and 2002. We find that, although Japan’s unemployment rate has been influenced by specific exogenous shocks, the effects of entrepreneurship on unemployment are not different when compared to other OECD countries. In the past, small firms in Japan benefited from the protective environment of the keiretsu structure. This secure environment no longer exists, and a new market environment conducive to new venture creation and growth has not yet been established. We argue that the Japanese government should actively stimulate an entrepreneurial culture. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10178/ 2007-06-08T00:00:00Z We draw on knowledge spillover literature to suggest that a country’s level of foreign direct investment (FDI) and international trade may influence the export orientation of its entrepreneurs, which in turn may relate to the country’s total level of entrepreneurial activity. Macro-level data from 34 countries during 2002–2005 indicate that a country’s outward FDI, export, and import positively affect entrepreneurs’ export orientation, but these effects differ in how fast they manifest themselves. Furthermore, the extent to which a country’s entrepreneurs engage in export-oriented activities affects the subsequent emergence of new businesses. These findings have important implications for research and practice. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15792/ 2007-05-01T00:00:00Z :This paper revisits the two-equation model of Carree, van Stel, Thurik and Wennekers (2002) where deviations from the 'equilibrium' rate of business ownership play a central role in determining both the growth of business ownership and that of economic development. Two extensions of the original set-up are addressed: using longer time series of averaged data of 23 OECD countries (up to 2004) we can discriminate between different functional forms of the 'equilibrium' rate and we allow for different penalties for being above or under the 'equilibrium' rate. The additional data do not provide evidence of a superior statistical fit of a U-shaped 'equilibrium' relationship when compared to an L-shaped one. There appears to be a growth penalty for having too few business owners but not for having too many. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15777/ 2007-04-01T00:00:00Z Persistent differences in the level of business ownership across countries have attracted the attention of scientific as well as political debate. Cultural as well as economic influences are assumed to play a role. This paper deals with the influence of cultural attitudes towards uncertainty on the rate of business ownership across 21 OECD countries. First, the concepts of uncertainty and risk are elaborated, as well as their relevance for entrepreneurship. An occupational choice model is introduced to underpin our reasoning at the macro-level. Second, regression analysis using pooled macro data for 1976, 1990 and 2004 and controlling for several economic variables, yields evidence that uncertainty avoidance is positively correlated with the prevalence of business ownership. According to our model, a restrictive climate of large organizations in high uncertainty avoidance countries pushes individuals striving for autonomy towards self-employment. Regressions for these 3 years separately show that in 2004, this positive correlation is no longer found, indicating that a compensating pull of entrepreneurship in countries with low uncertainty avoidance may have gained momentum in recent years. Third, an interaction term between uncertainty avoidance and GDP per capita in the pooled panel regressions shows that the historical negative relationship between GDP per capita and the level of business ownership is substantially weaker for countries with lower uncertainty avoidance. This suggests that rising opportunity costs of self-employment play a less important role in this cultural environment, or are being compensated by increasing entrepreneurial opportunities. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15791/ 2007-03-01T00:00:00Z We examine the relationship, across 39 countries, between regulation and entrepreneurship using a new two-equation model. We find the minimum capital requirement required to start a business lowers entrepreneurship rates across countries, as do labour market regulations. However the administrative considerations of starting a business – such as the time, the cost, or the number of procedures required – are unrelated to the formation rate of either nascent or young businesses. Given the explicit link made by Djankov et al. [Djankov et al. 2002, ‹The Regulation of Entry’, Quarterly Journal of Economics 117(1), 1–37] between the speed and ease with which businesses may be established in a country and its economic performance – and the enthusiasm with which this link has been grasped by European Union policy makers – our findings imply this link needs reconsidering. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/8746/ 2007-02-10T00:00:00Z This paper revisits the two-equation model of Carree, van Stel, Thurik and Wennekers (2002) where deviations from the ‘equilibrium’ rate of business ownership play a central role determining both the growth of business ownership and that of economic development. Two extensions of the original setup are addressed: using longer time series of averaged data of 23 OECD countries (up to 2004) we can discriminate between different functional forms of the ‘equilibrium’ rate and we allow for different penalties for being above or under the ‘equilibrium’ rate. The additional data do not provide evidence of a superior statistical fit of a U-shaped ‘equilibrium’ relationship when compared to an L-shaped one. There appears to be a growth penalty for having too few business owners but not so for having too many. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/8583/ 2007-01-26T00:00:00Z While it is generally acknowledged that entrepreneurship as well as export activity may both be important strategies for achieving national economic growth, it has remained unclear how export activity among new ventures is related to economic growth. This paper investigates whether the presence of export-oriented entrepreneurs is a more important determinant of economic growth than entrepreneurial activity in general. We focus on the national or macro-level and use data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for a sample of 36 countries. An important advantage of using the macro-level is that indirect effects of exporting entrepreneurs that reach further than the performance of these firms themselves (e.g. spillovers) are captured in the analysis. To our knowledge, no attempt has been made thus far to link international activity of early-stage ventures to macro-economic out-comes. Our results suggest that export-oriented entrepreneurship is indeed more important for achieving high economic growth rates than entrepreneurial activity in general. This suggests that international activity by small and new firms strongly contributes to higher levels of competition and, consequently, to the emergence of highly dynamic economies and higher levels of economic growth. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/8125/ 2006-11-28T00:00:00Z Persistent differences in the level of business ownership across countries have attracted the attention of scientific as well as political debate. Cultural as well as economic influences are assumed to play a role. This paper deals with the influence of cultural attitudes towards uncertainty on the rate of business ownership across 21 OECD countries. First, the concepts of uncertainty and risk are elaborated, as well as their relevance for entrepreneurship. An occupational choice model is introduced to underpin our reasoning at the macro-level. Second, regression analysis using pooled macro data for 1976, 1990 and 2004 and controlling for several economic variables, yields evidence that uncertainty avoidance is positively correlated with the prevalence of business ownership. According to our model, a restrictive climate of large organizations in high uncertainty avoidance countries pushes individuals striving for autonomy towards self-employment. Regressions for these three years separately show that in 2004, this positive correlation is no longer found, indicating that a compensating pull of entrepreneurship in countries with low uncertainty avoidance may have gained momentum in recent years. Third, an interaction term between uncertainty avoidance and GDP per capita in the pooled panel regressions shows that the historical negative relationship between GDP per capita and the level of business ownership is substantially weaker for countries with lower uncertainty avoidance. This suggests that rising opportunity costs of self-employment play a less important role in this cultural environment, or are being compensated by increasing entrepreneurial opportunities. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/7996/ 2006-09-26T00:00:00Z We examine the relationship, across 39 countries, between regulation and entrepreneurship using a new two-equation model. We find the minimum capital requirement required to start a business lowers entrepreneurship rates across countries, as do labour market regulations. However the administrative considerations of starting a business – such as the time, the cost, or the number of procedures required – are unrelated to the formation rate of either nascent or young businesses. Given the explicit link made by Djankov et al. (2002) between the speed and ease with which businesses may be established in a country and its economic performance – and the enthusiasm with which this link has been grasped by European Union policy makers – our findings imply this link needs reconsidering. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15794/ 2006-03-01T00:00:00Z Using Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data for 29 countries this study investigates the (differential) impact of several factors on female and male entrepreneurship at the country level. These factors are derived from three streams of literature, including that on entrepreneurship in general, on female labour force participation and on female entrepreneurship. The paper deals with the methodological aspects of investigating (female) entrepreneurship by distinguishing between two measures of female entrepreneurship: the number of female entrepreneurs and the share of women in the total number of entrepreneurs. The first measure is used to investigate whether variables have an impact on entrepreneurship in general (influencing both the number of female and male entrepreneurs). The second measure is used to investigate whether factors have a differential relative impact on female and male entrepreneurship, i.e. whether they influence the diversity or gender composition of entrepreneurship. Findings indicate that – by and large – female and male entrepreneurial activity rates are influenced by the same factors and in the same direction. However, for some factors (e.g. unemployment, life satisfaction) we find a differential impact on female and male entrepreneurship. The present study also shows that the factors influencing the number of female entrepreneurs may be different from those influencing the share of female entrepreneurs. In this light it is important that governments are aware of what they want to accomplish (i.e. do they want to stimulate the number of female entrepreneurs or the gender composition of entrepreneurship) to be able to select appropriate policy measures. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15793/ 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z This paper examines the interrelations between self-employment and unemployment rates for Spain in the period 1972-2004, comparing them with the general pattern observed for OECD countries. We apply the model as proposed by Audretsch, Carree, van Stel and Thurik (2005) to Spain. The divergence between predicted and actual unemployment levels in Spain are explained by country-specifi c shocks in the period under study, which are outside the scope of the model. This indicates that the general mechanism of employment generation by the self-employed may also be applicable to Spain, at least in the long run. The Spanish industrial structure is characterized by a relatively high and fl uctuating unemployment level and a relatively high and stable business ownership rate, suggesting that the quantity of business ownership in Spain does not have a particularly large contribution to bringing down unemployment. In recent years we see that the unemployment rate decreases and stabilizes. We argue that, in addition to several labor market reforms, an increase in the quality of business ownership in Spain may also have contributed to the recent decrease in the unemployment rate. Keywords: entrepreneurship, self-employment, unemployment, economic growth, Spain http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/7172/ 2005-12-19T00:00:00Z Using Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data for 29 countries this study investigates the (differential) impact of several factors on female and male entrepreneurship at the country level. These factors are derived from three streams of literature, including that on entrepreneurship in general, on female labor force participation and on female entrepreneurship. The paper deals with the methodological aspects of investigating (female) entrepreneurship by distinguishing between two measures of female entrepreneurship: the number of female entrepreneurs and the share of women in the total number of entrepreneurs. The first measure is used to investigate whether variables have an impact on entrepreneurship in general (influencing both the number of female and male entrepreneurs). The second measure is used to investigate whether factors have a differential relative impact on female and male entrepreneurship, i.e., whether they influence the diversity or gender composition of entrepreneurship. Findings indicate that – by and large – female and male entrepreneurial activity rates are influenced by the same factors and in the same direction. However, for some factors (e.g., unemployment, life satisfaction) we find a differential impact on female and male entrepreneurship. The present study also shows that the factors influencing the number of female entrepreneurs may be different from those influencing the share of female entrepreneurs. In this light it is important that governments are aware of what they want to accomplish (i.e., do they want to stimulate the number of female entrepreneurs or the gender composition of entrepreneurship) to be able to select appropriate policy measures. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9857/ 2005-12-01T00:00:00Z Based upon two strands of literature, this paper hypothesizes a U-shaped relationship between a country’s rate of entrepreneurial dynamics and its level of economic development. This would imply a different scope for entrepreneurship policy across subsequent stages of development. Regressing GEM’s 2002 data for nascent entrepreneurship in 36 countries on the level of economic development as measured either by per capita income or by an index for innovative capacity, we find support for a U-shaped relationship. Testing our results against several control variables, evidence is again found for this relationship with economic development, in addition to significant effects of the business ownership rate (+), social security expenditure (-), aggregate taxes (+) and population growth (+). The results suggest that a ‘natural rate’ of nascent entrepreneurship is to some extent governed by ‘laws’ related to the level of economic development. For the most advanced nations, improving incentive structures for business start-ups and promoting the commercial exploitation of scientific findings offer the most promising approach for public policy. Developing nations, however, may be better off pursuing the exploitation of scale economies, fostering foreign direct investment and promoting management education. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9869/ 2005-12-01T00:00:00Z Entrepreneurial activity is generally assumed to be an important aspect of the organization of industries most conducive to innovative activity and unrestrained competition. This paper investigates whether total entrepreneurial activity influences GDP growth for a sample of 36 countries. We test whether this influence depends on the level of economic development measured as GDP per capita. Adjustment is made for a range of alternative explanations for achieving economic growth by incorporating the Growth Competitiveness Index. We find that entrepreneurial activity by nascent entrepreneurs and owner/managers of young businesses affects economic growth, but that this effect depends upon the level of per capita income. This suggests that entrepreneurship plays a different role in countries in different stages of economic development. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/7131/ 2005-11-30T00:00:00Z This paper examines the relationship between new firm formation and regional employment change in the Netherlands. Using a new regional data base for the period 1988-2002, we examine the time lags involved in the relationship. We also investigate whether the relationship differs by time period, by sector and by degree of urbanization. We find that the maximum effect of new businesses on regional development is reached after about six years. Our results also suggest that the overall employment impact of new-firm startups is positive but that the immediate employment effects may be small in the Netherlands. Furthermore, we find that the relation between new businesses and regional development has been stable during the period under investigation, that the employment impact of new firms is strongest in manufacturing industries and that the employment impact of new firms is stronger in areas with a higher degree of urbanization. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15799/ 2005-04-01T00:00:00Z Entrepreneurial activity is generally assumed to be an important aspect of the organization of industries most conducive to innovative activity and unrestrained competition. This paper investigates whether total entrepreneurial activity (TEA) influences GDP growth for a sample of 36 countries. We test whether this influence depends on the level of economic development measured as GDP per capita. Adjustment is made for a range of alternative explanations for achieving economic growth by incorporating the Growth Competitiveness Index (GCI). We find that entrepreneurial activity by nascent entrepreneurs and owner/managers of young businesses affects economic growth, but that this effect depends upon the level of per capita income. This suggests that entrepreneurship plays a different role in countries in different stages of economic development. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/1914/ 2005-03-10T00:00:00Z The importance of entrepreneurship for achieving economic growth in contemporary economies is widely recognized, both by policy makers and economists. However, empirical evidence linking entrepreneurship to economic growth is scarce. This book investigates the relation between entrepreneurship and economic growth at the country and regional level. It contributes to our understanding of how entrepreneurship may affect economic growth. Among others, it is investigated whether the impact of entrepreneurship on economic growth varies with the development level of an economy, with the sector of economic activity, and with the quantity and quality of entrepreneurial supply. Empirical evidence is provided showing that the impact is dependent upon all these three aspects. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9714/ 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z This exploratory study focuses on the conversion from nascent to actual entrepreneurship and the role of entry barriers in this process. Using data for a sample of countries participating in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor between 2002 and 2004, we estimate a twoequation model explaining the nascent entrepreneurship rate and the young business entrepreneurship rate, while taking into account the interrelationship between the two variables (i.e. the conversion). Furthermore various determinants of entrepreneurship reflecting the demand and supply side of entrepreneurship as well as government intervention are incorporated in the model. We find evidence for a strong conversion effect from nascent to actual entrepreneurship. We also find positive effects on entrepreneurial activity rates of labour flexibility and tertiary enrollment and a negative effect of social security expenditure. Concerning the effect of entry regulations we find mixed results. Using one set of entry regulation measures we find no effects whereas using data from a second source we find a weak negative effect of more burdensome entry regulations on the rate of entrepreneurship. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9822/ 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z This paper investigates the dynamic interrelationship between self-employment and unemployment rates. On the one hand, unemployment rates may stimulate start-up activity of self-employed. On the other hand, higher rates of self-employment may indicate increased entrepreneurial activity reducing unemployment in subsequent periods. These two effects have resulted in considerable ambiguities about the interrelationship between unemployment and entrepreneurial activity. This paper introduces a two equation vector autoregression model capable of reconciling these ambiguities and tests it for data of 23 OECD countries over the period 1974-2002. The empirical results confirm the two distinct relationships between unemployment and self-employment, i.e. ‘refugee’ and ‘entrepreneurial’ effects. We also find that the ‘entrepreneurial’ effects are considerably stronger than the ‘refugee’ effects. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15822/ 2004-09-01T00:00:00Z This article deals with explaining the sizable differences in the rate of self-employment (business ownership) across 15 European countries in the period 1978–2000, within a framework of occupational choice, focusing on the influence of dissatisfaction and of per capita income. Using two different measures of dissatisfaction, in addition to the level of economic development and controlling for several other variables, we find that, in addition to a negative and significant impact of per capita income, dissatisfaction at the level of societies has a positive and significant influence on self-employment levels. Both dissatisfaction with life and dissatisfaction with the way democracy works are found to influence self-employment. It is concluded that these are proxies for job dissatisfaction and at the same time represent other negative "displacements" known to promote self-employment. The findings indirectly point at the potential importance of push factors within the incentive structures of modern economies http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9723/ 2004-05-19T00:00:00Z This paper deals with explaining the sizable differences in the rate of self-employment (business ownership) across 15 European countries in the period 1978-2000, within a framework of occupational choice, focusing on the influence of dissatisfaction and of per capita income. Using two different measures of dissatisfaction, in addition to the level of economic development and controlling for several other variables, we find that, in addition to a negative and significant impact of per capita income, dissatisfaction at the level of societies has a positive and significant influence on self-employment levels. Both dissatisfaction with life and dissatisfaction with the way democracy works are found to influence self-employment. It is concluded that these are proxies for job dissatisfaction and at the same time represent other negative "displacements" known to promote self-employment. The findings indirectly point at the potential importance of push factors within the incentive structures of modern economies. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9716/ 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z This paper aims at explaining cross-country variation in nascent entrepreneurship. Regression analysis is applied using various explanatory variables derived from three different approaches. We make use of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor database, including nascent entrepreneurship rates for 36 countries in 2002 as well as variables from standardized national statistics. The first approach relates the level of entrepreneurship of a country to its level of economic development. We find evidence for a U-shaped relationship. The second approach deals with a regime switch where the innovative advantage moves from large, established enterprises to small and new firms, because new technologies have reduced the importance of scale economies in many sectors. The third approach assumes that nascent entrepreneurship partly depends upon various non-economic conditions in the domains technology, demography, culture and institutions, influencing opportunities, resources, skills and preferences. Several indicators of these aggregate conditions are found to influence nascent entrepreneurship. A full, eclectic model combining the three approaches includes a U-shaped relationship with per capita income as well as with Porter's innovative capacity index in addition to effects of the total business ownership rate (+), social security expenditure (-), the aggregate tax rate (+) and population growth (+). In the model a '(former) centralized command economies' dummy also plays a role (-). Finally, the paper investigates whether determinants of nascent entrepreneurship differ for opportunity-based and necessity- based forms of entrepreneurial activity. A U-shaped relationship with per capita income as well as with the innovative capacity index is only found for opportunity-based entrepreneurial activity. For economically advanced nations striving to promote entrepreneurship, the results suggest that improving incentive structures for entrepreneurship and promoting the entrepreneurial exploitation of scientific findings offer a promising approach for public policy. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/1034/ 2003-11-13T00:00:00Z This paper deals with differences in the rate of self-employment (business ownership) in 15 European countries for the period 1978-2000, focusing on the influence of dissatisfaction and using the framework of occupational choice. Using two different measures of dissatisfaction, in addition to the level of economic development, the unemployment rate and income differentials, we find that dissatisfaction at the level of societies is the most significant factor for explaining differences in self-employment levels. Dissatisfaction with life and with the way democracy works are both found to be positively related to self-employment. It is concluded that these are proxies for job dissatisfaction and at the same time represent other negative ‘displacements’ known to promote self-employment. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9808/ 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z The increased importance of knowledge as a source of competitiveness for modern economies suggests that the organization of industries most conducive to innovative activity and unrestrained competition will be linked to higher growth rates. Entrepreneurial activity is generally assumed to be an important aspect of this organization. In the present paper we investigate whether a new and promising concept, Total Entrepreneurial Activity, influences GDP growth for 36 countries in a recent period. We will also test whether this influence depends upon the level of economic development measured as GDP per capita. With this test we aim to investigate to what extent the role of entrepreneurship has changed in the last decades of the 20th century. Although the limited number of observations does not allow for many competing explanatory variables, we will examine the role of the so-called Growth Competitiveness Index. This variable captures a range of alternative explanations for achieving sustained economic growth. In addition, we incorporate the initial level of economic development to correct for convergence. We find that entrepreneurial activity indeed affects economic growth, but that this effect depends upon the level of per capita income. This suggests that entrepreneurship plays a different role in countries in different stages of economic development. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9819/ 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z This paper aims at explaining cross-country variation in nascent entrepreneurship. Regression analysis is applied using various explanatory variables derived from three different approaches. We make use of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor database, including nascent entrepreneurship rates for 36 countries in 2002 as well as variables from standardized national statistics. The first approach relates the level of entrepreneurship of a country to its level of economic development. We find evidence for a U-shaped relationship. The second approach deals with a regime switch where the innovative advantage moves from large, established enterprises to small and new firms, because new technologies have reduced the importance of scale economies in many sectors. The third approach assumes that nascent entrepreneurship depends upon aggregate conditions such as technology, demography, culture and institutions, influencing opportunities, resources, skills and preferences. Several indicators of these aggregate conditions are found to correlate with nascent entrepreneurship. A full model combining the three approaches includes a U-shaped relationship with per capita income as well as with Porter’s innovative capacity index in addition to effects of social security expenditure (-) and the total business ownership rate (+). Finally, a (former) communist-country dummy plays an important role. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15875/ 2002-11-01T00:00:00Z In the present paper we address the relationship between business ownership and economic development. We will focus upon three issues. First, how is the equilibrium rate of business ownership related to the stage of economic development? Second, what is the speed of convergence towards the equilibrium rate when the rate of business ownership is out-of-equilibrium? Third, to what extent does deviating from the equilibrium rate of business ownership hamper economic growth? Hypotheses concerning all three issues are formulated in the framework of a new two-equation model. We find confirmation for the hypothesized economic growth penalty on deviations from the equilibrium rate of business ownership using a data panel of 23 OECD countries. An important policy implication of our exercises is that low barriers to entry and exit of businesses are necessary conditions for the equilibrium seeking mechanisms that are vital for a sound economic development. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/6810/ 2002-06-04T00:00:00Z This paper examines the relationship between firm births and job creation in Great Britain. We use a new data set for 60 British regions, covering the whole of Great Britain, between 1980 and 1998. The central theme of the paper is that, with the exception of a recent paper by Audretsch and Fritsch for Germany, the relationship between new-firm startups and employment growth has previously been examined either with no time-lag or with only a short period lag. The current paper examines short-run as well as long-run relationships and provides results for Great Britain similar to those for Germany. We find that the short-run employment impact of new-firm startups in British regions has been bigger in the 1990s compared to the 1980s. Concerning long-run effects, we find that the employment impact of new-firm startups is strongest after about five years, but the effect disappears after a decade. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/6811/ 2002-06-04T00:00:00Z The importance of knowledge spillovers for achieving innovation and economic growth is widely recognized. It is not straightforward which type of spillovers is most effective: intra-sectoral spillovers or inter-sectoral spillovers. We investigate this controversy using a model of regional growth. The model also deals with the impact of local competition on innovation and growth. The model is estimated using sectoral data for 40 Dutch regions in the period 1987-1995. We find that local competition is important particularly for economic growth in industry sectors (manufacturing and construction), while diversity, a proxy for inter-sectoral spillovers, is important particularly for growth in service sectors. We find no effect for specialization (a proxy for intra-sectoral spillovers). http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15870/ 2002-02-01T00:00:00Z This paper documents that a process of industrial restructuring has been transforming the developed economies, where large corporations are accounting for less economic activity and small firms are accounting for a greater share of economic activity. Not all countries, however, are experiencing the same shift in their industrial structures. Little is known about the cost of resisting this restructuring process. The goal of this paper is to identify whether there is a cost, measured in terms of forgone growth, of an impeded restructuring process. The cost is measured by linking growth rates of European countries to deviations from the 'optimal' industrial structure. The empirical evidence suggests that countries impeding the restructuring process pay a penalty in terms of forgone growth. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/6930/ 2000-11-10T00:00:00Z This paper documents that a process of industrial restructuring has been transforming the developed economies, where large corporations are accounting for less economic activity and small firms are accounting for a greater share of economic activity. Not all countries, however, are experiencing the same shift in their industrial structures. Very little is known about the cost of resisting this restructuring process. The goal of this paper is to identify whether there is a cost, measured in terms of forgone growth, of an impeded restructuring process. The cost is measured by linking growth rates of European countries to deviations from the optimal industrial structure. The empirical evidence suggests that countries impeding the restructuring process pay a penalty in terms of forgone growth. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/7701/ 2000-02-10T00:00:00Z In the present paper we address the relationship between the extent of business ownership (self-employment) and economic development. We will focus upon three issues. First, how is the equilibrium rate of business ownership related to the stage of economic development? Second, what is the speed of convergence towards the equilibrium rate when the rate of business ownership is out-of-equilibrium? Third, to what extent does deviating from the equilibrium rate of business ownership lead to less economic growth? Hypotheses concerning all three issues are formulated setting up a new two-equation model. We find confirmation for the hypothesised effects using a data panel of 23 OECD countries. An important policy implication of our exercises is that low barriers to entry and exit of self-employed/businesses are necessary conditions for the equilibrium seeking mechanisms that are vital for a sound economic development. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9908/ 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z In the present paper we address the relationship between the extent of business ownership and economic development. We will focus upon three issues. First, how is the equilibrium rate of business ownership related to the stage of economic development? Second, what is the speed of convergence towards the equilibrium rate when the rate of business ownership is out-of-equilibrium? Third, to what extent does deviating from the equilibrium rate of business ownership lead to a penalty of less economic growth? Hypotheses concerning all three issues are formulated setting up a new two-equation model. A basic aspect of the model is a U-shaped relation between the equilibrium rate of business ownership and the stage of economic development. The existence of this relation as well as that of a penalty for out-ofequilibrium situations is confirmed using a data panel of 23 OECD countries. An important policy implication of our exercises is that low barriers to entry and exit of businesses are necessary conditions for the equilibrium seeking mechanisms that are vital for a sound economic development.