Introduction to Institutions,Entrepreneurship and Firm Growth: The Case of Sweden

Small Business Economics -     

Does Generation Matter to Entrepreneurship? Four Generations of Entrepreneurs

This study for the first time addresses generation effects on eight entrepreneur types across four U.S. generations: Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen‐Xers, and Millennials. It adopts hierarchical age‐period‐cohort (HAPC) models using multilevel mixed‐effects logistic regression models with random period effect controls and the same‐age comparison between two neighboring generations. The empirical study relies on monthly Current Population Survey data across 11 years (2006–2016). When controlling for age, period, path dependency, seasonality, and other demographic and socioeconomic factors, no generational differences are identified for workers' entrepreneur propensity, mirroring entrepreneurs' misfits; for entrepreneur‐type propensities, limited generation differences are identified: the odds for Gen‐Xers to be novice (vs. non‐novice) entrepreneurs are 10% higher than Boomers for the ages of 44 and 51; the odds for Boomers to be opportunity (vs. necessity) entrepreneurs are 2.3 times higher than Traditionalists for the ages 63–70. The limited generational difference is consistent with prior literature using HAPC.     

Flexible technology and firm size

This paper provides the first empirical examination of the relationship between the application of flexible technologies and the firm-size distribution. In particular, we test the hypothesis that implementation of flexible technologies has tended to promote small firms more than large firms. Based on a sample of 36 engineering industries and using two distinct time periods between 1976 and 1986 and two different measures of what constitutes a small firm, we find that the application of certain flexible technologies, such as numerically controlled machines, has led to an increased presence of small firms, while the use of other flexible technologies, such as programmable robots, is associated with a decreased presence of small firms over time.     

OUTPUT AND PRICES IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON PROJECT*

In this paper we discuss a few of the problems that have been encountered in defining output and in comparing prices for the International Comparison Project (ICP). We report also on the way in which these problems are being met. The ICP has for its purpose the establishment of a systematic set of procedures for making international comparisons of gross domestic product (GDP) and of the purchasing power of currencies. Substantive work on comparisons involving Colombia, the European Economic Community (EEC), Hungary, India, Japan, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States is also being carried on with the aid of the statistical services of the countries and of the EEC. It is hoped to expand the comparisons beyond these countries as rapidly as possible.