Spatial variations in the hidden enterprise culture: Some lessons from England

Despite the growing recognition that many businesses start by trading on a partially or wholly off-the-books basis, there has been little investigation of whether the prevalence and character of this hidden enterprise culture varies spatially. The aim of this paper is to start to fill that gap. Reporting the results of face-to-face interviews conducted in affluent and deprived urban and rural English localities with 91 early-stage entrepreneurs and 81 established self-employed, it is shown that in all localities wholly legitimate businesses are just the tip of the iceberg and that beneath the surface is a large hidden enterprise culture. However, the preponderance of early-stage entrepreneurs and the established self-employed to trade off-the-books is greater in some locality-types than others. Not only do early-stage entrepreneurs and the established self-employed more commonly trade off-the-books in deprived and rural localities, but they are also more likely to trade wholly off-the-books and therefore not be even recognized as existing by official data sources. The implication is that deprived and rural communities are more enterprising and entrepreneurial than is currently recognized and, consequently, that legitimizing this hidden enterprise culture could be an important means of promoting enterprise and economic development in such communities. The paper concludes by briefly reviewing how this might be achieved.     

广西北部湾经济区城市群物流经济联系的中心性城市分析

广西北部湾经济区城市群作为一个新兴城市群,物流经济联系日益紧密,但中心性城市效应尚不明显,拟通过区位商法,对南宁、北海、钦州、防城港以及玉林、崇左等市的城市中心性指标值进行测定,以期对广西北部湾经济区城市群物流经济发展提供借鉴。     

Encouraging sustainable entrepreneurship in climate-threatened communities: a Samoan case study

South Pacific island states are at the forefront of climatic changes that have precipitated severe environmental events. These small countries also face economic and social challenges that require entrepreneurial solutions. We develop a model of how external factors and chance events impact on sustainable opportunity recognition and exploitation in this context. We assess the efficacy of this model in an in-depth study of Women in Business Development Incorporated, a non-governmental organization that helps women and families in Samoa to establish sustainable enterprises. Our findings make a significant contribution to the emerging literature on entrepreneurship, sustainability and resilience in at-risk communities by showing how key organizational capabilities are necessary for coping with exogenous shocks in this context. The findings have important implications for research, policy and practice.     

Effects of Schumpeterian and Kirznerian entrepreneurship on economic growth: panel data evidence

Abstract

The relevant literature recognises Schumpeterian and Kirznerian entrepreneurship as mechanisms that can impact economic growth. This article seeks to explore the effects of these two types of entrepreneurship on economic growth across the three GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) economic ecosystems (factor-driven economy, efficiency-driven economy, innovation-driven economy). Using different databases, we applied unbalanced panel data for 43 countries (2009–2013). By estimating the econometric models, we were able to calculate the effects of these two types of entrepreneurship on economic growth in the three different types of economy. In terms of the overall model for GEM economies, neither Schumpeterian nor Kirznerian entrepreneurship return any statistically significant effects on the Global Competitiveness Index or on GDP growth. However, the Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity variable generates a positive effect on the Global Competitiveness Index. The results presented in this paper provide insights into entrepreneurship and the GEM entrepreneurial economic ecosystems.     

Knowledge diversity and entrepreneurship following an economic crisis: an empirical study of regional resilience in Great Britain

ABSTRACT

This article argues that the ability of entrepreneurs to facilitate regional adaptation to economic crises is mediated by the size and diversity of local knowledge stocks. The specific research question addressed is the hypothesis that, in the aftermath of a crisis, the birth rate of new firms will recover more rapidly in regions with a strong and diverse knowledge stock. It is theorised that unrelated knowledge diversity is of particular importance in stimulating new entrepreneurial opportunities and structural change, whilst the incentive to exploit opportunities differs according to region-specific factors. In addition to this theoretical contribution, the article develops spatial econometric models to test these research hypotheses using data on sub-regions of Great Britain for 2004–2014. The results support the central theoretical hypotheses and emphasise the positive significance of unrelated knowledge diversity and employment in knowledge intensive services to regional recovery from an economic shock. A key implication for policy-makers wishing to facilitate regional adaptation to crises is that it is important to focus on fostering entrepreneurship by developing a region’s stock of knowledge intensive services and the diversity of the knowledge creating sector, rather than relying on specialised clusters of firms.     

经济新常态下郑州航空城发展与建设研究

全球经济陷入极大不确定的徘徊,中国经济则在调结构转方式的背景下进入了中速或中高速增长时期;在国内,航空经济被发现是一个极具潜力的增长点,2013年中国有超过50个城市把航空大都市建设列为重要发展内容,作为航空经济高级阶段的航空城建设方兴未艾。郑州航空城更应紧抓机遇,赶上世界经济变革潮流,抓好顶层设计,加快进度,早日成为"中原经济区"这一国家战略的核心增长极。     

Rethinking organizational resilience and strategic renewal in SMEs

ABSTRACT

Building on work that associates organizational resilience with crisis recovery and strategic renewal, I examine how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) vary in the formalisation of activities intended to achieve strategic growth and activities to enhance resilience against acute operational interruptions. Drawing on data from 265 SMEs in the United Kingdom, the main argument of this paper is that variations in formalisation activities reflect differences in firm location, personal networks, the influence of external crisis events, and entrepreneurs’ attitudes towards the prevention of crises. The resulting typology identifies four clusters: Attentive Interventionists, Light Planners, Rooted Strategists and Reliant Neighbours. These findings contrast with prior theorizations of firms as either resilient or vulnerable and further illuminate our understanding of SME resilience and how this is shaped by historical, developmental and strategic factors. The study further develops associations between resilience and social capital, examines how locational choices generate a proximity premium, and develops a growth-survival-maturity perspective on SME resilience. Data reveals an interplay between an ensemble of entrepreneurial activities and decisions about planning, networks, learning, and location. Thus, the study offers a rethinking of prior theorizations about organizational resilience and strategic renewal.     

Corruption and economic resilience: recovery from the financial crisis in western economies

We consider the resilience of a group of 20 Western economies after the financial crisis of the late 2000s. We measure resilience by the growth of real GDP between 2007, the previous peak level, and 2015. The countries exhibit a broad range of experience, from a rise in GDP of 18 per cent in Australia to a fall of 26 per cent in Greece. A substantial proportion of the differences in growth rates can be accounted for by just two variables: the perceived level of corruption and membership of the Eurozone. The euro did have a negative impact on the recovery paths of the Mediterranean economies (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain), but their perceived corruption scores in 2007 had a bigger impact, especially on the first three of these economies.     

广西北部湾经济区城市群物流经济联系发展模式研究

通过分析长三角、珠三角及环渤海等三大城市群演化及其物流经济联系发展模式,结合广西北部湾经济区实际,提出广西北部湾经济区物流经济联系新的发展模式,以期对广西北部湾经济区城市群物流经济发展提供参考。     

经济转型城市主导产业转型培育路径选择研究

文章采用调查研究、规范分析与实证分析相结合的方法,分析了石嘴山市主导产业发展现状及其问题,界定了未来需要重点支持的若干接替产业,并提出了主导产业转型培育的具体对策和保障措施。     

Vietnam in transition: SMEs and the necessitating environment for entrepreneurship development

A transitional economy has been characterized as experiencing a large amount of economic and social change. SMEs can be considered as the vehicle for entrepreneurship development in such a context. The purpose of this paper is to further the investigation of the favourability of the transitional environment on SMEs and entrepreneurship in Vietnam. Using a new approach, we analyse the transitional economy discourse via examining government policies, international organization reports and academic articles on Vietnam. Our findings suggest that, in Vietnam, compared to an overall normative framework developed from a wide literature review, the settings generally support a vibrant transitional entrepreneurship development and SMEs. However, more needs to be done to build up favourable sociocultural setting and effective business support systems in the country. Implications for the relevant stakeholders and suggestions for future research in the East Asian and Central and Eastern Europe regions are also provided.     

New entrepreneurship: lessons from the past,perspectives for the future

A general theoretical framework for studying new entrepreneurship is presented. The four dimensions of the framework are: the starter and the new venture, the external environment, the dynamics of the process, and the managerial behavior. For making the transition from the past to the future, a three-step model has been elaborated: analytical approach, policy approach, and adjustment pattern. The first approach deals with causal relationships and interactions between the different actors involved within the system. In the second step basic characteristics of an optimal start-up situation are to be identified. The adjustment pattern describes the specific measures to be taken to bridge the gap between actual and optimal situations. The perspectives for the future are formulated as a dozen suggestions. A distinction is made between four different target groups. The corresponding headings are: what researchers should do, what starters should do, what supporting infrastructure should do, what public authorities should do.     

Learning from past experience: Footnotes on mindfulness and habitual entrepreneurship

Although scholars have long recognized that failure is endemic to entrepreneurial activity, they have implicitly argued that prior entrepreneurial experience positively affects opportunity discovery and opportunity exploitation. In contrast, I argue that the degree of mindfulness with which entrepreneurs use prior experience can both help and harm their ability to discover and exploit opportunities. I draw on several literatures, including studies of habitual entrepreneurship, behavioral learning theory, and theories of mindfulness, to develop a framework that yields insights about how, when and why habitual entrepreneurs’ use of past experience might improve the performance of their new ventures.     

Entrepreneurial activity in the informal economy: a missing piece of the entrepreneurship jigsaw puzzle

This paper takes stock of the current debate around the informal sector and informal entrepreneurship. Informal entrepreneurship represents a worldwide characteristic of entrepreneurial activity, the main distinguishing feature of which is that it is operating outside the law. Since what is legal can vary considerably between countries, studies of entrepreneurship which exclude informal activity must be considered partial. Moreover, it can be argued that the distinction between formal and informal is not black and white but rather shades of grey. Although informal economic activity is often more prominent in developing countries and transition economies, it is by no means confined to them. There are parts of the UK, for example, where local economies are dependent upon informal employment and for many goods and services. More generally, much of the home-based economic activities, such as cleaning, painting and decorating and other services, are typically provided, at least partially, in the informal sector. As a consequence, it is difficult to argue against including informal activity as part of the study of entrepreneurship, and particularly where the entrepreneurial potential of an economy is being assessed.     

Environmental influences on corporate entrepreneurship: executive perspectives on the internet

This paper focuses on the likelihood of firms adopting corporate entrepreneurship in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by a change in their business environment shaped by the growth of the Internet. We further examined if firms are willing to modify their existing systems in response to such a change. We also investigated the paths or modes of entrepreneurship that firms would adopt when they perceive being entrepreneurial to be a viable response in light of a specific change in their business environment. Finally, we identified the impediments that firms may need to overcome when adopting corporate entrepreneurship. Results based on the data from senior executives lend support to our hypotheses. Managerial implications of the results are discussed.     

加强高职创新创业人才培养,促进地区经济发展的对策研究--以南阳市为例

随着高职扩招,高职毕业生人数越来越多,他们为地区经济发展提供重要人才支撑。加强高职创新创业人才的培养,为地区经济发展提供人才资源,是高职院校的使命与责任。论文以南阳市为例,通过分析高职院校质量年报、整理电话访谈资料,梳理出高职院校创新创业人才培养的现状、影响因素,结合创新创业人才培养与地区经济发展的关系,有针对性地提出高职院校创新创业人才培养对策,以期促进地区经济发展。     

基于时间维度的广西北部湾经济区城市群物流经济联系空间演变研究

广西北部湾经济区城市群作为一个新兴城市群,物流经济联系日益紧密,根据1998~2009年时间维度对其客货运量、邮电业务总量和移动电话总量等指标进行演变分析,并结合万有引力定律对广西北部湾经济区城市群物流经济联系强度进行比较研究,以期对广西北部湾经济区城市群物流经济发展提供借鉴。     

Women’s entrepreneurship from an institutional perspective: the case of Uzbekistan

This paper aims to make a contribution to our conceptual understanding of women entrepreneurship under ‘early stage’ transition conditions, by researching the nature of it in Uzbekistan. Institutional theory is used as a guiding frame of reference because the specific characteristics of the external environment under transition conditions make the latter a particularly strong influence on entrepreneurship. Empirically, the paper draws on data which was collected in Uzbekistan, within a collaborative research project (INTAS 00-843). The empirical material demonstrates that informal institutions dominating Uzbek society contribute to the prevailing forms of female entrepreneurship.     

On becoming and being an entrepreneurship educator: a personal reflection

Entrepreneurship education has been studied intensively since 1990, yet little attention is given in the literature to the critical role and impact of the individuals that design and deliver it; the entrepreneurship educators. Who are they and what do we understand about them? Professor Alain Fayolle in 2013 challenged us to address this gap. In this article I aim to take on board Fayolle’s challenge and provide a single case of my own experience on the journey to becoming and being an entrepreneurship educator. After exploring the purpose and value of autobiographical methods, I then present the reader with my life story as an emerging entrepreneurship educator in the UK. This provides the basis for self-reflection and self-discovery to highlight key patterns of development that have shaped me as an entrepreneurship educator. Finally I provide personal thoughts on the important role of entrepreneurship educators as entrepreneurial leaders within their institutions. This paper has been produced in the hope that it will encourage other educators to share their journeys so that as a community we can better understand the ‘who’ of entrepreneurship educators.     

上海建设循环经济型城市的政治法律进程

在讨论建设循环经济型城市的政治和法律进程概念基础上,以上海为背景,着重分析了循环经济的法律、政策和目标,政治、经济、社会的技术条件的影响,行为主体及其作用,法律原则和机制,活动的效果等组合要件.建设循环经济型城市的政治法律进程中,上海存在着许多有利的因素,同时,也存在一些问题.建设循环经济型城市的进程必然是一个政治和法律交互作用的过程;必然是一个多元主体参与的过程;必然是受到政治、经济、社会和技术全面影响的过程;必然是一个政府主导推进的过程;必然是一个增强城市可持续发展能力的过程.