Toward a Theory of Public Entrepreneurship

This paper explores innovation, experimentation, and creativity in the public domain and in the public interest. Researchers in various disciplines have studied public entrepreneurship, but there is little work in management and economics on the nature, incentives, constraints and boundaries of entrepreneurship directed to public ends. We identify a framework for analyzing public entrepreneurship and its relationship to private entrepreneurial behavior. We submit that public and private entrepreneurship share essential features but differ critically regarding the definition and measurement of objectives, the nature of the selection environment, and the opportunities for rent-seeking. We describe four levels of analysis for studying public entrepreneurship, provide examples, and suggest new research directions.Entrepreneurship, public administration, political economy, institutions, transaction costs

The Matter of Entrepreneurial Learning: A Literature Review

This paper is a comprehensive review of the entrepreneurial learning literature and its engagement with the material aspects of entrepreneurship, as part of the “material turn” in the social sciences. Drawing on actor-network theory, we construct a classificatory scheme and an evaluative matrix to find that this field is dominated by an anthropocentric bias and cognitivist approaches which largely ignore issues of materiality in entrepreneurship. However we also identify some heterogeneous network-based conceptualisations of entrepreneurial learning which could provide the foundations for more materially aware approaches. We conclude by calling for a material turn in entrepreneurial learning and outline some possible avenues for it

Disentangling the Innovation - Internalization Process Through a Structural Equation Model

Innovation virtuously impacts on the degree of international growth, which in turn positively influences innovation activities and then firms�™ performance (Filipescu et al., 2009). Many authors have tried to identify and explain the relationship between these two phenomena at firm level. Only recently, few empirical studies investigate them at a more aggregate level (see e.g. Mariotti et al., 2008). Moreover the literature focuses only on one direction of causality, while scant attention has been paid to inspect empirically innovation and internationalization together (Kafouros et al., 2008; Filippetti et al., 2009; Frenz and Ietto-Gillies, 2007). This paper provides an empirical analysis of the mutual relationship of these two phenomena, taking into account various features of the regions themselves. The empirical study is conducted on data concerning 20 Italian regions covering the period 2000-2008. To better understand the complex relationship between internationalization and innovation, we refer to the Structural Equation Models (SEM). These are multivariate regression type models, in which response variables could in turn act as dependent and predictor within a system of equations, and all variables are assumed to influence one-another reciprocally, either directly or through other variables as intermediaries (Bollen, 1989; McAdam et al., 2010). Through the SEM the relationships are expressed by a set of parameters which explain the magnitude of the effect (direct or indirect) between independent (either observed or latent) and dependent variables. Indeed, internationalization and innovation could act as both dependent and predictor which measurement could be difficult then suggesting the use of latent variables, and where the system of indicators is complex enough to lead at a model specified through two-way relations intrinsically connected. Using SEM approach we are able to specify flexible models dealing with non-standard relations stylized along panel data structure, in which spatial and temporal dimensions do matter

Configuration of enterprise support towards the clean growth challenge: a place-based perspective

Although clean growth has been identified as one of the grand challenges of the UK Industrial Strategy, public policy paid little attention to the configuration of business support towards enhancing clean growth potential of SMEs. The dominant approach of policymakers to the design of enterprise support interventions appears to be ‘place-blind’ and downplays the challenges that SMEs face in engaging with the clean growth policy agenda. Based on a mixed methods methodology, involving a survey of 306 businesses, a range of public engagement exercises and an extensive interview schedule, the study explores SMEs engagement with the clean growth challenge and associated business support mechanisms. We conceptualise the nexus of place-policy-practice as a way of framing policymaking approach in addressing the challenge. As part of the clean growth policy implementation, business support mechanisms need to move beyond a singular focus on energy efficiency and shift towards a holistic approach to capacity building for sustainable development. Small business needs to project a district voice in the definition of place in the local industrial strategies and have access to enterprise support which is place-based, policy-informed and practice-relevant.N/

Configuration of enterprise support towards the clean growth challenge: A place-based perspective

Although clean growth has been identified as one of the grand challenges of the UK Industrial Strategy, public policy paid little attention to the configuration of business support towards enhancing clean growth potential of SMEs. The dominant approach of policymakers to the design of enterprise support interventions appears to be ‘place-blind’ and downplays the challenges that SMEs face in engaging with the clean growth policy agenda. Based on a mixed methods methodology, involving a survey of 306 businesses, a range of public engagement exercises and an extensive interview schedule, the study explores SMEs engagement with the clean growth challenge and associated business support mechanisms. We conceptualise the nexus of place-policy-practice as a way of framing policymaking approach in addressing the challenge. As part of the clean growth policy implementation, business support mechanisms need to move beyond a singular focus on energy efficiency and shift towards a holistic approach to capacity building for sustainable development. Small business needs to project a district voice in the definition of place in the local industrial strategies and have access to enterprise support which is place-based, policy-informed and practice-relevant

Bridging knowledge to the market: an innovative approach for an innovative development

We live in a world of constant development, growth, innovation and changing needs and nonetheless cultural habits. How to sustain this constant change and how to adapt to globalisation, technological change and constant creativity and innovativeness of key human resources inside larger corporations as well as knowledge institutions is answering the concept of corporate entrepreneurship, new ventures and academic spin-off creation. Article will show the trend in the field of new venture and academic spin-off creation, involving human and social capital as key success factors. Barriers and innovative solutions will be presented on how to overcome the issue of lacking cooperation between academia and industry. Relevant best practices and experiences will be presented to be discussed as opportunities that can find the place in the already existing strengths of Slovenia and its entrepreneurial development and regional growthAcademic spin-off, Early-Stage Financing, Knowledge-Intensive Regions, Knowledge-Intensive Companies, new venture

Pro-environmental enterprise support: Developing a framework to unlock the potential of SMEs in sustainability transitions.

Although entrepreneurship is well recognised as a crucial element in fostering economic development and growth, it is yet to be viewed as a significant force in sustainability transitions. Public policy related to the performance and growth of small businesses has, to date, paid little attention to the support mechanisms that help SMEs build capacity towards sustainable development. This paper offers a framework of pro-environmental enterprise support developed through a two-round e-Delphi study, followed by a 2.5-hour virtual focus group involving 21 experts across the spectrum of business support agencies, local authorities, and EU-funded projects delivering pro-environmental enterprise support in England. The findings indicate that support for pro-environmental SME capacity building includes attention to; eco-innovation, environmental strategy, environmental capability development, responsible leadership, sustainable value proposition, greening of supply chains, and clean growth skills. The study also concludes that support programmes and interventions need to be more attuned to the specifics of entrepreneurial learning; the challenges small business face in accessing, capturing, and utilising resources; and that broadening the scope and reach of pro-environmental support programmes needs to be matched by the competences of business support professionals

Technological business strategies for environmental sustainability among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) member states: a bibliometric study

The implementation of sustainable development within the member states of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) takes into account business technologies and strategies as key to progress. As such, this paper proposes a methodology for a systematization of the literature that recognizes the importance and growth of the topic over time. It encompasses an analysis of the countries with the greatest scientific output, the most productive authors, and a characterization of the areas and variables researched, as well as some possible future lines of research. The bibliometric analysis was based on a review of 234 scientific papers in the Scopus database. The main results reveal increasing interest in information systems and technologies in relation to environmental problems, with interdisciplinary perspectives to environmental sustainability

Fostering Productive Entrepreneurship : An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Perspective

Entrepreneurial activities and entrepreneurs do not emerge in isolation rather in a very integrated and complex system (ecosystem) with multiple actors (Cowell et al., 2018). The magnitude of entrepreneurship’s contribution to socio-economic development is contingent upon the respective country’s entrepreneurial enabling environments (ecosystems)-EEs (Colombo & Dagnino, 2017). As the newly emerged research stream, entrepreneurial ecosystem has increasingly captured the attention of scholars, policy makers and practitioners (Malecki, 2018). Moreover, the term entrepreneurial ecosystem has been used to express and explicate the frameworks on how entrepreneurs and start-ups interact with other actors. The success of entrepreneurs is fueled by conducive entrepreneurial supporting environments characterized by multiple interconnected players who offer valued resources to them (Audretsch et al., 2019). Thus, the phenomenon of entrepreneurial ecosystems has been recently used as the framework to describe and explain the integrated nature of economic, political, social, and cultural aspects that boost the growth of innovative new enterprises and supports high risk endeavors (Philip, 2017).publishedVersio