Zoltan J. Acs - Böcker

In recent years there has been increased focus on understanding the dynamic relationships among entrepreneurship, policymaking and economic growth. At the heart of research, debate and practical application is the question: “Under what conditions can entrepreneurship flourish?” And the corollary: “To what degree does encouraging entrepreneurship result in economic growth?” A popular response is to argue for “entrepreneurship policy”—that is, targeted policies that are designed to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and small business creation. To the editors and contributors of this volume, that approach is fundamentally flawed. They argue that there is no such thing as a discrete entrepreneurship policy; instead, there is only policymaking in the context of an entrepreneurial economy. The book addresses policies operating at the individual, national, regional, and international levels, and offers a unique perspective on several institutional structures that enhance entrepreneurship and economic growth.

This book analyses the relative importance of small firms in industrial economies. It brings together a series of studies spanning a spectrum of selected countries in developed Western nations and Eastern Europe to identify the exact role of small firms and how this role has evolved. A striking result which emerges is that a distinct and consistent shift away from large firms and towards small enterprises has occurred within the manufacturing sector of all Western countries, while the role of small firms in Eastern European nations has been remarkably restricted, and, indeed, all these countries have experienced a shift away from small firms. It is clear from this analysis that a major challenge for political and economic reform in Central and Eastern Europe is to create the strong entrepreneurial sector which exists in the West.

This book analyses the relative importance of small firms in industrial economies. It brings together a series of studies spanning a spectrum of selected countries in developed Western nations and Eastern Europe to identify the exact role of small firms and how this role has evolved. A striking result which emerges is that a distinct and consistent shift away from large firms and towards small enterprises has occurred within the manufacturing sector of all Western countries, while the role of small firms in Eastern European nations has been remarkably restricted, and, indeed, all these countries have experienced a shift away from small firms. It is clear from this analysis that a major challenge for political and economic reform in Central and Eastern Europe is to create the strong entrepreneurial sector which exists in the West.

This book was originally published in 1999. At this time, the US economy had recently restructured itself, moving away from an industrial economy towards one based on information, while the European Union and Japan were left to worry about rising government deficits, inflexible businesses, persistent unemployment, and workers inadequately trained for the information age. Why did the US economy move beyond its chief competitors? This collection suggests that at least some of the answers to the pattern of divergent development can be found in the role of the entrepreneur. By examining the process that entrepreneurs play in the economy, the essays in this volume make a fundamental contribution to our understanding of the macroeconomy. Each chapter clarifies the role of entrepreneur in economic theory, the function of small and medium-size enterprises that they found and build and the impact of the innovations introduced on employment, productivity, and economic growth.

This book was originally published in 1999. At this time, the US economy had recently restructured itself, moving away from an industrial economy towards one based on information, while the European Union and Japan were left to worry about rising government deficits, inflexible businesses, persistent unemployment, and workers inadequately trained for the information age. Why did the US economy move beyond its chief competitors? This collection suggests that at least some of the answers to the pattern of divergent development can be found in the role of the entrepreneur. By examining the process that entrepreneurs play in the economy, the essays in this volume make a fundamental contribution to our understanding of the macroeconomy. Each chapter clarifies the role of entrepreneur in economic theory, the function of small and medium-size enterprises that they found and build and the impact of the innovations introduced on employment, productivity, and economic growth.

The spillovers in knowledge among largely college-educated workers were among the key reasons for the impressive degree of economic growth and spread of entrepreneurship in the United States during the 1990s. Prior 'industrial policies' in the 1970s and 1980s did not advance growth because these were based on outmoded large manufacturing models. Zoltan Acs and Catherine Armington use a knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship to explain new firm formation rates in regional economies during the 1990s period and beyond. The fastest-growing regions are those that have the highest rates of new firm formation, and which are not dominated by large businesses. The authors of this text also find support for the thesis that knowledge spillovers move across industries and are not confined within a single industry. As a result, they suggest, regional policies to encourage and sustain growth should focus on entrepreneurship among other factors.

While the public policy community has turned to entrepreneurship to maintain, restore, or generate economic prosperity, the economics profession has been remarkably taciturn in providing guidance for public policy for understanding the links between entrepreneurship and economic growth as well as for framing and weighing policy issues and decisions. The purpose of this volume is to provide a lens through which public policy decisions involving entrepreneurship can be guided and analyzed. In particular, this volume provides insights from leading research concerning the links between entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth that shed light on implications for public policy. The book makes clear both how and why small firms and entrepreneurship have emerged as crucial to economic growth, employment, and competitiveness as well as the mandate for public policy in the entrepreneurial society.

The spillovers in knowledge among largely college-educated workers were among the key reasons for the impressive degree of economic growth and spread of entrepreneurship in the United States during the 1990s. Prior 'industrial policies' in the 1970s and 1980s did not advance growth because these were based on outmoded large manufacturing models. Zoltan Acs and Catherine Armington use a knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship to explain new firm formation rates in regional economies during the 1990s period and beyond. The fastest-growing regions are those that have the highest rates of new firm formation, and which are not dominated by large businesses. The authors of this text also find support for the thesis that knowledge spillovers move across industries and are not confined within a single industry. As a result, they suggest, regional policies to encourage and sustain growth should focus on entrepreneurship among other factors.

While the public policy community has turned to entrepreneurship to maintain, restore, or generate economic prosperity, the economics profession has been remarkably taciturn in providing guidance for public policy for understanding the links between entrepreneurship and economic growth as well as for framing and weighing policy issues and decisions. The purpose of this volume is to provide a lens through which public policy decisions involving entrepreneurship can be guided and analyzed. In particular, this volume provides insights from leading research concerning the links between entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth that shed light on implications for public policy. The book makes clear both how and why small firms and entrepreneurship have emerged as crucial to economic growth, employment, and competitiveness as well as the mandate for public policy in the entrepreneurial society.

Interest in and attention to entrepreneurship has exploded in recent years. Nevertheless, much of the research and scholarship in entrepreneurship has remained elusive to academics, policymakers and other researchers, in large part because the field is informed by a broad spectrum of disciplines, including management, finance, economics, policy, sociology, and psychology, often pursued in isolation from each other. Since its original publication in 2003, the Handbook of Entrepreneurship Research has served as the definitive resource in the field, bringing together contributions from leading scholars in these disciplines to present a holistic, multi-dimensional approach. This new edition, fully revised and updated, and including several new chapters, covers all of the primary topics in entrepreneurship, including entrepreneurial behavior, risk and opportunity recognition, equity financing, business culture and strategy, innovation, and the impact of entrepreneurship on economic growth and development. Featuring an integrative introduction, extensive literature reviews and reference lists, the Handbook will continue to serve as a roadmap to the rapidly evolving and dynamic field of entrepreneurship.

In recent years there has been increased focus on understanding the dynamic relationships among entrepreneurship, policymaking and economic growth. At the heart of research, debate and practical application is the question: “Under what conditions can entrepreneurship flourish?” And the corollary: “To what degree does encouraging entrepreneurship result in economic growth?” A popular response is to argue for “entrepreneurship policy”—that is, targeted policies that are designed to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and small business creation. To the editors and contributors of this volume, that approach is fundamentally flawed. They argue that there is no such thing as a discrete entrepreneurship policy; instead, there is only policymaking in the context of an entrepreneurial economy. The book addresses policies operating at the individual, national, regional, and international levels, and offers a unique perspective on several institutional structures that enhance entrepreneurship and economic growth.

Interest in and attention to entrepreneurship has exploded in recent years. Nevertheless, much of the research and scholarship in entrepreneurship has remained elusive to academics, policymakers and other researchers, in large part because the field is informed by a broad spectrum of disciplines, including management, finance, economics, policy, sociology, and psychology, often pursued in isolation from each other. Since its original publication in 2003, the Handbook of Entrepreneurship Research has served as the definitive resource in the field, bringing together contributions from leading scholars in these disciplines to present a holistic, multi-dimensional approach. This new edition, fully revised and updated, and including several new chapters, covers all of the primary topics in entrepreneurship, including entrepreneurial behavior, risk and opportunity recognition, equity financing, business culture and strategy, innovation, and the impact of entrepreneurship on economic growth and development. Featuring an integrative introduction, extensive literature reviews and reference lists, the Handbook will continue to serve as a roadmap to the rapidly evolving and dynamic field of entrepreneurship.

This book presents some of Zoltán J. Ács' most important contributions since the turn of the new millennium, with a particular intellectual focus on knowledge spillover entrepreneurship. It studies the evolution of global entrepreneurship and pays attention to the role of institutions and the incentives they create for economic agents who become either productive or unproductive entrepreneurs.For productive entrepreneurs, those that create wealth for themselves and for society, the author offers a knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship as a new way to help understand the entrepreneurial ecosystem. For those that create wealth only for themselves the author develops a theory of destructive entrepreneurship that undermines the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The book also presents an explanation of the role of philanthropy in reconstituting wealth to complete the circuits of capital in the theory of capitalist development. Finally, the author examines several public policy issues including immigration and technology transfer.This volume will be required reading for students and scholars of entrepreneurship, economics and public policy.

This new and original book by Zoltan Acs explores the relationship between industrial innovation and economic growth at the regional level, and reaches conclusions as to why some regions grow but others decline. While the analysis draws on industrial organization, labor economics, regional science, geography and entrepreneurship, the book focuses on innovation and the growth of cities by the use of endogenous growth theory.The author argues that industrial innovation is the driving force behind long-run regional growth, and explores the issues of how technology and entrepreneurship can foster and promote growth at the regional level.With its multidisciplinary approach, Innovation and the Growth of Cities will be warmly welcomed by academics and researchers alike in the areas of innovation and science, regional science and geography, entrepreneurship and evolutionary economics.

To understand why some regions grow and others stagnate, we need to understand the interactions between economic growth, economic geography and the economics of innovation. Each of these individual approaches has strengths and weaknesses, but when integrated it is possible, as evidenced by this volume, to develop an appropriate model of technology-led regional economic development.This authoritative collection presents a selection of key previously published articles which investigate these three perspectives. The volume explores the importance of human capital, entrepreneurship, clusters, and competition and public policy to the growth of cities. The editor has written a new introduction which highlights the contribution of each article, and calls for a closer collaboration between economics and regional science in order to develop a new approach to the study of the growth of cities.

The effects of obesity have become practically ubiquitous in the US. This book aims to provide an alternative framework through which to explore the important and controversial obesity debate that has spilled over from the medical community. This book is not about obesity as a medical condition, nor does it offer a wide-ranging discussion on the health effects of obesity or the role of the 'right' diet. To this end, the contributors present a multidisciplinary portrait of this complex problem. They explore the rising trend in obesity of the US in terms of its significant economic and social consequences. The web of underlying causes of the 'infrastructure of obesity', they explain, lies with public policy decisions, economic factors and profit opportunities as well as the more obvious nutrition and health choices of individuals. Prevention and treatment of this now global pandemic are then tackled from the perspectives of businesses, governments, society and the individual. The taxation, marketing, cultural, ethical and institutional dimensions of obesity are also addressed.Obesity, Business and Public Policy is unique in its broad social science approach, exploring the obesity epidemic from economic, business, legal, social and public policy perspectives. As such, this truly multidisciplinary study will make fascinating reading for academics and professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds including: business, economics, public and social policy, medicine and nutrition.

This book synthesizes Zoltan Acs' key contributions to the field of entrepreneurship. This invaluable selection of papers represents three decades of research that has resulted in an integrated and important contribution to understanding the evolution from managerial capitalism to an entrepreneurial society. The author explores how socio-economic transformation is placed within a larger context spanning two centuries of economic growth and development in a capitalist society. Zoltan Acs has introduced a radically different view of small firms and argues that entrepreneurs start new companies to deviate innovatively as agents of change creating entrepreneurial rents. Working at the intersection of geography, innovation and growth, these papers pave the way for the remodelling of economic society in the 21st century. One of the unique outcomes of this reconstruction of economic society is the need to focus attention on the links between entrepreneurship and philanthropy as the foundation of opportunity.This book spans close to 25 years of research, presenting collaborations with over a dozen leading international scholars across four disciplines. It represents a major contribution to the literature and to our understanding of the global economy and will be invaluable to those interested in entrepreneurship, political science and regional science and as well academics, graduate students and economists.

With this selection of previously published articles, Professor Acs provides a guided tour to the leading ideas in knowledge spillover theory. The volume not only includes some of the foundational writings on the use of knowledge in business and industry, but also brings us right up to date with some seminal articles illustrating the latest thinking on entrepreneurship, the knowledge spillover theory and the knowledge filter.Professor Acs has written a new, authoritative introduction, which provides a comprehensive overview and informative discussion of the subject.

Entrepreneurship and regional development can be addressed from many different angles: clusters, creativity and human capital. Professor Acs, a distinguished researcher in this field, approaches this debate through technology. Technological change can be regarded as the most important factor in long-run macroeconomic growth. It has been argued in new growth theory that the technological element of the growth process results from the profit-motivated choices of economic agents. This important volume makes an essential contribution to this debate by presenting an authoritative selection of the most significant published work on entrepreneurship and regional economic growth.

The effects of obesity have become practically ubiquitous in the US. This book aims to provide an alternative framework through which to explore the important and controversial obesity debate that has spilled over from the medical community. This book is not about obesity as a medical condition, nor does it offer a wide-ranging discussion on the health effects of obesity or the role of the 'right' diet. To this end, the contributors present a multidisciplinary portrait of this complex problem. They explore the rising trend in obesity of the US in terms of its significant economic and social consequences. The web of underlying causes of the 'infrastructure of obesity', they explain, lies with public policy decisions, economic factors and profit opportunities as well as the more obvious nutrition and health choices of individuals. Prevention and treatment of this now global pandemic are then tackled from the perspectives of businesses, governments, society and the individual. The taxation, marketing, cultural, ethical and institutional dimensions of obesity are also addressed.Obesity, Business and Public Policy is unique in its broad social science approach, exploring the obesity epidemic from economic, business, legal, social and public policy perspectives. As such, this truly multidisciplinary study will make fascinating reading for academics and professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds including: business, economics, public and social policy, medicine and nutrition.

The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index both captures the context features of entrepreneurship and fills a gap in the measurement of development. Building on recent advances in entrepreneurship and economic development, the authors have created an index that offers a measure of the quality of the business formation process in 71 of the most important countries in the world.Zoltan J. Acs and László Szerb expertly capture the contextual feature of entrepreneurship by focusing on entrepreneurial attitudes, entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurial aspirations. The data and their contribution to the business formation process are supported by three decades of research into entrepreneurship across a host of countries. The unique index construction of individual and institutional measures integrates 31 variables from various data sources into 14 pillars, three sub-indexes and a `super index'. The relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development appears to be more or less mildly S-shaped. The findings suggest moving away from simple measures of entrepreneurship across countries illustrating a U-shaped or L-shaped relationship to more complex measures, which are positively related to development. The model has important implications for development policy.This unique book will be invaluable for researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurs themselves keen to expand their understanding of entrepreneurship and development.Contents:Foreword: Entrepreneurship and Global Growth by Jack Goldstone; Preface; Introduction; 1. The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index; 2. Entrepreneurship and Economic Development; 3. Methodology and Data Description; 4. Country Standings

The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index both captures the context features of entrepreneurship and fills a gap in the measurement of development. Building on recent advances in entrepreneurship and economic development, the authors have created an index that offers a measure of the quality of the business formation process in 79 of the most important countries in the world. Zoltan J. Acs and Laszlo Szerb expertly capture the contextual feature of entrepreneurship by focusing on entrepreneurial attitudes, entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurial aspirations. The data and their contribution to the business formation process are supported by three decades of research into entrepreneurship across a host of countries. The unique index construction of individual and institutional measures integrates 31 variables from various data sources into 14 pillars, three sub-indexes and a 'super index'. The relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development appears to be more or less mildly S-shaped. The findings suggest moving away from simple measures of entrepreneurship across countries illustrating a U-shaped or L-shaped relationship to more complex measures, which are positively related to development. The model has important implications for development policy. This unique book will be invaluable for researchers, policy makers and entrepreneurs themselves keen to expand their understanding of entrepreneurship and development. Contents: Foreword: Entrepreneurship and Global Growth (Jack Goldstone) Preface Introduction to the 2012 Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (with Erkko Autio) 1. The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index 2. Entrepreneurship and Economic Development 3. Methodology and Data Description 4. Country Standings

The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index both captures the context features of entrepreneurship and fills a gap in the measurement of development. Building on recent advances in entrepreneurship and economic development, the authors have created an index that offers a measure of the quality of the business formation process in 118 of the most important countries in the world.The authors expertly capture the contextual feature of entrepreneurship by focusing on entrepreneurial attitudes, entrepreneurial abilities and entrepreneurial aspirations. The data and their contribution to the business formation process are supported by three decades of research into entrepreneurship across a host of countries. The unique index construction of individual and institutional measures integrates 31 variables from various data sources into 14 pillars, three sub-indexes and a 'super index'. The relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development appears to be more or less mildly S-shaped. The findings suggest moving away from simple measures of entrepreneurship across countries illustrating a U-shaped or L-shaped relationship to more complex measures, which are positively related to development. The model has important implications for development policy.This unique book will be invaluable for researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurs keen to expand their understanding of entrepreneurship and development.Contents: Foreword: Entrepreneurship and Global Growth, by Jack Goldstone Preface 1. Introduction to the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index 2. Entrepreneurship and Public Policy: Towards National Systems of Entrepreneurship 3. Institutions, Incentives and Entrepreneurship, by Ruta Aidis and Saul Estrin 4. The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index 5. The Role of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development 6. Methodology and Data Description 7. Country Standings

For years the small-firm sector of the economy remained an enigma. However, recently researchers have assembled a far better understanding of the economic role of small firms. One of the surprising findings is that small and medium-sized firms, and entrepreneurship, have become increasingly more important to the economies of both developed and developing countries than previously acknowledged. The purpose of these volumes is to bring together for the first time this diffuse and rich literature on the whole subject of small firms and economic growth. This volume will provide a basic resource for all those engaged with the subject as students, teachers and researchers.

This brief presents a detailed look at the entrepreneurial ecosystem of nations around the world by combining individual data with institutional components. Presenting data from the 2018 Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (GEDI), which measures the quality and scale of entrepreneurial process from 137 countries world-wide, this book provides a rich understanding of entrepreneurship and a more precise means to measure it. The novelty of the GEDI 2018 edition is the examination of the connection between the GEDI score and the computed total factor productivity (TFP) values. The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index is an annual index (composite indicator) that measures the health of the entrepreneurship ecosystems in a given country. The authors have identified 14 components (or pillars) that are important for the health of entrepreneurial ecosystems, identified data to capture each , and used this data to calculate three levels of scores for a given country: the overall GEDI score, scores for Individuals and Institutions, and pillar level scores (which measure the quality of each of the 14 components).

This book presents the 2020 Digital Platform Economy Index (DPE Index).

This edited volume systematically demonstrates the evolution of research in entrepreneurial ecosystems and highlights its importance to policy. Presenting two particular aspects of research in entrepreneurial ecosystems, the book begins with chapters that analyse multi-country contexts before going on to explore the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem. With state of the art research, this volume explores the economic, social, and policy approaches that characterize fruitful research on entrepreneurial ecosystems with economically meaningful implications for policy.Contributing to the rapidly expanding field of research, this is an insightful resource to students, researchers and policy makers interested in entrepreneurship.

This edited volume systematically demonstrates the evolution of research in entrepreneurial ecosystems and highlights its importance to policy. Presenting two particular aspects of research in entrepreneurial ecosystems, the book begins with chapters that analyse multi-country contexts before going on to explore the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem. With state of the art research, this volume explores the economic, social, and policy approaches that characterize fruitful research on entrepreneurial ecosystems with economically meaningful implications for policy.Contributing to the rapidly expanding field of research, this is an insightful resource to students, researchers and policy makers interested in entrepreneurship.