Title: Long-term effects of new firm formation by type of start-up

Authors: Rui Baptista, Miguel Torres Preto

Addresses: Department of Engineering and Management and IN+, Centre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal; Max Planck Institute of Economics, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany. ' Department of Engineering and Management and IN+, Centre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract: We examine the regional effects of new business formation on subsequent employment growth, observing in particular the effects of different kinds of start-ups on employment change, and the lag structure of these effects. We differentiate new firms according to three criteria: 1) size; 2) presence of foreign capital; 3) incorporation of knowledge/technology. In all cases, results suggest that effects on new firm formation on subsequent employment change are significantly different according to the type of start-up. Start-ups that are larger, foreign-owned, and knowledge-based have considerably stronger effects on industrial re-structuring and employment change, whether due to market selection processes or supply-side spillovers. The results therefore suggest that recognising the types of entrants that generate greater impacts on employment growth is of foremost importance for the design of public policies towards entrepreneurship.

Keywords: regional development; employment growth; start-up qualities; firm size; knowledge-based industries; new firms; long-term effects; new business ventures; lag structure; foreign capital; foreign-owned companies; industrial restructuring; market selection; supply-side spillovers; new entrants; public policies; Portugal; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship; human capital.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2010.036293

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2010 Vol.11 No.4, pp.382 - 402

Published online: 01 Nov 2010 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article