Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder: A logistic regression analysis of sustainability and locality as competitive vehicles for human settlements

The present paper aims to investigate the role of creative practices for settlements, with a special focus on the 'Associations of the Most Beautiful Villages' in France and Italy. The paper focuses on the critical parameters of a locality related to the attractiveness of villages from the perspective of visitors and the role of the above-mentioned Associations from the perspective of the local population. Data and information used are derived from in-depth questionnaires filled out by relevant experts from 32 villages. In order to achieve this aim, a multivariate statistical technique, viz. logistic regression, is deployed. The study presents the preliminary results of the analysis on the roles of non-profit organisations in the marketing of settlements regarding their performance in terms of creativity, innovativeness and competitiveness. The results show that the Associations play a crucial role in sustainable development and create an attractive image for villages. Copyright © 2009 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

The economic importance of migrant entrepreneurship: An application of data envelopment analysis in the Netherlands

In the Anglo-Saxon literature in the past decade, much attention has been paid to the economic importance of ethnic (migrant) entrepreneurship. This type of self-employment appears to provide a vital and creative contribution to the urban economy. The rising size and importance of ethnic entrepreneurship has recently prompted much policy and research interest regarding migrant business in Europe. Also in The Netherlands this new phenomenon is increasingly recognised and regarded as an interesting focus for the city’s Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) policy. Migrant entrepreneurs do not only have a substantial impact on the urban economy, but they also act as role models for socio-economic integration. They often operate in interesting market niches and provide a positive stimulus for creative business-making in modern cities. The present article offers first an overview of the literature on this issue and investigates next empirically the economic performance of Turkish migrant entrepreneurs in the highly skilled and hightech sector in the Netherlands through the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA)