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High Technology, Productivity and Networks pp 117–137Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Entrepreneurship, Small Firms and Self-employment

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Abstract

At the end of the 1970s an important change took place in the economic structure of developed countries: a considerable increase in the number of small and medium enterprises occurred as well as a decrease of large firms. Since then, a wide literature has analysed this phenomenon. Some of these studies focus on the causes of this phenomenon whereas others centre on its consequences on economic growth and public welfare. The empirical literature highlights the dynamism of small firms in terms of both employment generation and innovation (see also the Introduction to this volume). For this reason the number of small enterprises, in relative terms, is considered a good indicator of entrepreneurship.2

An earlier version of this chapter was presented at the Workshop on the Demography of Firms and Industries, University of Barcelona, 2001. The present version was presented at the Workshop on the Post-Entry Performance of Firms, Bologna, 2002.We acknowledge support from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, grant SEC0882-C02-01.

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Authors
  1. David Audretsch
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  2. Maria Callejon
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  3. Mari Jose Aranguren
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Economic Development Policy, University of Birmingham, UK

    Mario Davide Parrilli (Coordinator of the ‘Latin American Graduate School in Industrial Development and SME Policy’) (Coordinator of the ‘Latin American Graduate School in Industrial Development and SME Policy’)

  2. University of Ferrara, Italy

    Patrizio Bianchi (Rector and Full Professor) (Rector and Full Professor)

  3. University of Birmingham, UK

    Roger Sugden (Full Professor and Director of the Institute for Economic Development Policy) (Full Professor and Director of the Institute for Economic Development Policy)

Copyright information

© 2008 David Audretsch, Maria Callejon and Mari Jose Aranguren

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Audretsch, D., Callejon, M., Aranguren, M.J. (2008). Entrepreneurship, Small Firms and Self-employment. In: Parrilli, M.D., Bianchi, P., Sugden, R. (eds) High Technology, Productivity and Networks. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230583726_6

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