Title: Support systems for new enterprise formation in Catalonia: an institutional approach

Authors: Christian Serarols-Tarres, David Urbano, Yancy Vaillant

Addresses: Department of Business Economics, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Fac. CC. Economiques i Empresarials – Edifici B, Bellaterra (Barcelona) 08193, Spain. ' Department of Business Economics, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Fac. CC. Economiques i Empresarials – Edifici B, Bellaterra (Barcelona) 08193, Spain. ' Department of Business Economics, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Fac. CC. Economiques i Empresarials – Edifici B, Bellaterra (Barcelona) 08193, Spain

Abstract: This paper presents some of the results of an empirical research that analyses the formal institutional framework related to new enterprise systems in urban and rural areas of Catalonia. The research focuses on the supply side (institutions and support programmes) and on the demand side (new entrepreneurs). Institutional economic theory is adopted as the theoretical framework of this research. For the supply of support programmes, personal interviews were carried out with the officials responsible for business support institutions in the urban county of Valles Occidental and in the rural county of Garrotxa. For the demand side, 92 and 58 telephone interviews were conducted with new entrepreneurs from the previously mentioned counties.

Keywords: entrepreneurship; support systems; regional development; regional innovation systems; institutional theory; public administration; new ventures; Spain; economic theory; business support; new entrepreneurs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBSR.2007.015829

International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 2007 Vol.1 No.3, pp.257 - 279

Published online: 22 Nov 2007 *

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