Job-Hopping in Silicon Valley: Some Evidence Concerning the Micro-Foundations of a High Technology Cluster

Observers of Silicon Valley’s computer cluster report that employees move rapidly between competing firms, but evidence supporting this claim is scarce. Job-hopping is important in computer clusters because it facilitates the reallocation of talent and resources toward firms with superior innovations. Using new data on labor mobility, we find higher rates of job-hopping for college-educated men in Silicon Valley’s computer industry than in computer clusters located out of the state. Mobility rates in other California computer clusters are similar to Silicon Valley’s, suggesting some role for features of California law that make non-compete agreements unenforceable. Consistent with our model of innovation, mobility rates outside of computer industries are no higher in California than elsewhere.agglomerations, clusters, non-compete agreements, human capital, innovation, Silicon Valley, modular production.

"Job-Hopping in Silicon Valley: Some Evidence Concerning the Micro-Foundations of a High Technology Cluster"

Observers of Silicon Valley's computer cluster report that employees move rapidly between competing firms, but evidence supporting this claim is scarce. Job-hopping is important in computer clusters because it facilitates the reallocation of talent and resources toward firms with superior innovations. Using new data on labor mobility, we find higher rates of job-hopping for college-educated men in Silicon Valley's computer industry than in computer clusters located out of the state. Mobility rates in other California computer clusters are similar to Silicon Valley's, suggesting some role for features of California law that make non-compete agreements unenforceable. Consistent with our model of innovation, mobility rates outside of computer industries are no higher in California than elsewhere.

"If your letter was in German, I would not understand a bit, and would have ignored that": Preliminary findings from a survey of highly skilled migrants from India and China with working/education experience in a German speaking country

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A Methodological Proposal to Evaluate the Sinergical Industry Concentration

This study deals with the firms’ competitiveness in traditional industries. We understand traditional industry as the one that has transmitted its knowledge generation after generation, and it also has some specific characteristics, such as not being a new industry because its activities have been carried out for many years, to have small and medium sized businesses with little or no presence of transnational firms or having little investment on technology and activities of research and development. The objective of this paper is to present a methodological process for the study and evaluation of the impact of the sinérgic geographical concentration of an industry in its competitiveness. The geographical concentration is a factor of great importance, facilitates the exchange and the cooperation among research centers, among the clients and the suppliers of the region, and it promotes research in the industry (Porter, 1998). On the other hand, the specific concentration of activities in a concrete zone attracts the specialized knowledge. The importance of the geographical concentration and the evidence of the existence of industrial clusters has been studied in an extensive manner through time; Saxenian (1996) analyzed the organization and the characteristics of the electronic firms of Sillicon Valley, Glasmeier (1991) the Swiss clocks, Faulkner and Anderson (1987) the film industry in Hollywood, Scott (1991) the electronic-aeroespacial industry in the south of California, and Abrupt (1982) studied the organization of firms in the north of Italy. Following Kaplan (1986), it turns out to be difficult to imagine that theories in the field of management can be verified, if the test is not carried out inside its context. These tests should serve not only to describe the existence or not of procedures, but also to deduce and to contrast how and why certain practices have to be carried out. If the intention of the researcher is to generate a theory, taking into account the theoretical framework and the key questions to answer are how they are created and how they influence the geographical concentration in the competitiveness of an industry, the most appropiate would be to carry out an explanatory type case study. Some cases will be studied according to Rouse and Daellenbach, (1999). The study of cases to be carried out follows the model proposed by Pérez (1998). The method that will be used in this study, interviews in depth, is classified as direct obtaining of data. The type of interview used is the so call interview of open answers (King, 1994). This technique combines the advantages of the use of closed questionnaires along the qualitative interviews. In the paper, we present an instrument to evaluate the impact of the geographical concentration.

Losing the World's Best and Brightest

Presents findings from a survey of Indian, Chinese, and European students at U.S. colleges and universities on their decisions to stay or return home after graduation and the factors behind the decisions, such as where they see the best opportunities

Do regional systems of innovation matter?

The paper deals with the significant impact of location on innovation activity that has been found in many empirical studies. Main elements of such an explanation are the specific problems of a division of innovative labor. Based on an outline of these issues the concept of a regional innovation system is presented in some detail and an overview of results from recent research on regional innovation systems is given. The paper then discusses basic policy options and names a number of important questions for further research. -- Der Beitrag behandelt den Einfluss regionaler Gegebenheiten auf Innovationsakti-vitäten, wie er in diversen empirischen Studien nachgewiesen wurde. Ein wesentliches Element bei der Erklärung der Bedeutung von Standortgegebenheiten sind die besonde-ren Probleme der Arbeitsteiligkeit von Innovationsprozessen. Ausgehend von einem Abriss dieser Besonderheiten wird das Konzept des regionalen Innovationssystems er-läutert und ein Überblick über neuere Forschungsergebnisse gegeben. Schließlich wer-den grundlegende innovationspolitische Strategien diskutiert und wesentliche For-schungsfragen benannt.Innovation,regional innovation systems,division of innovative labor,clusters,technology policy,Innovation,regional innovation systems,division of innovative labor,clusters,technology policy

From \u27Break Out\u27 to \u27Breakthrough\u27: Successful Market Strategies of Immigrant Entrepreneurs in the UK

This paper explores the strategies that enable ethnic minority immigrant entrepreneurs to \u27break out\u27 of local ethnic markets and \u27break through\u27 into more promising markets with greater opportunities. It analyzes the contextual and personal characteristics of the entrepreneurs that implement those strategies, based on a primary survey of South Asian entrepreneurs in the UK. The analysis suggests that breaking out of co-ethnic customer markets is neither necessary nor sufficient for entrepreneurial expansion. The critical factor is the entrepreneur\u27s ability to break through into customer markets that are larger, by geographical reach or profit margins and value added. Many successful immigrant entrepreneurs leverage market knowledge of their home countries. At the same time, the more successful entrepreneurs break out of ethnic labor markets by hiring non-ethnic employees. The capacity to \u27break out\u27 and \u27break through\u27 into larger, global markets, is strengthened by the entrepreneur\u27s education, experience, access and ability to leverage international business networks, and agility to move into more promising markets

Clusters Models, Factors and Characteristics

The industrial cluster concept has become a subject of intense research studies and economic analysis starting with the study conducted by Michael E. Porter regarding the competitive advantage of nations. This concept is an economic phenomenon that is placed in a competitive context in which many businesses simultaneously compete and collaborate to gain different economic advantages. The economic advantages of successful real economic clusters has proves an important reason for the increased attention that this economic model has received from the scientific community and the governmental structures. Despite the advances in cluster research, its model remains a complex one and something that it‘s hard to reproduce in a real economic environment. The paper highlights typologies of clusters, models of determinant factors and its characteristics by doing a survey of the cluster literature. The research is conducted starting with the analysis of the cluster concept, based on different accepted descriptions. From this point there are summarized the main characteristics and are described models of cluster determinants. The objective of the paper is to highlight the importance and advantages of clusters but also the complexity of the cluster model mainly because of its complex determinant factors.Cluster, characteristic, model, regional development

Building Innovative Communities: Lessons from Japan's Science City Projects

Japan's Science City projects are examined in this paper to find the extent that they promote catalytic mechanisms within their communities. It is arguable that the concept of a Science City is little more than a theme for funneling public funds into infrastructural development in support of select high-technology industries. Is this the situation in Japan? Attention focuses on cumulative causation, resource sharing and the shifting mix of private sector initiative and public policy in the evolving cases of Tsukuba and Kansai Science Cities. Regional technopolis projects are also discussed. Can we expect any of these areas to fulfill the promise, detailed in the Kansai Science City Second Stage Plan Report, of being a "pilot model city" deploying "innovative and experimental community development"?technopolis; regional planning; development; cumulative causation; catalytic mechanisms

International Mobility of Engineers and the Rise of Entrepreneurship in the Periphery

entrepreneurship, knowledge economy, start-ups, information technology, venture capital, China, India, USA