Alcina Nunes

Business Demography Dynamics in Portugal: A Non-Parametric Survival Analysis

We address the post-entry performance of new Portuguese firms by investigating the structural characteristics of the hazard and survival functions, using non-parametric survival analysis. In order to approach prevalence of some stylized facts and determinants of new firm survival, we produced a new entrepreneurship database, using the administrative data of Quadros de Pessoal, following the Eurostat/OECD´s internationally comparable business demography methodology. This allowed the computation of a comprehensive array of entrepreneurship indicators on employer enterprise and survival dynamics in Portugal, over a period of 18 years, disaggregated in dimensions such as sectors, regions and size classes

The long-run relationship between the construction sector and the national economy in Cape Verde

The relationship between a countrys level of activity in the construction industry and its stage of economic development is a complex one. Several studies over the last forty years, based mainly on cross sectional data, found a positive association between national income and several measures of the construction industry activity. early studies were concerned with the role of the construction sector, as part of physical capital, in the promotion of economic growth and development. a dominant paradigm that later emerged is the ‘Bon curve’ or the inverted U-shaped pattern of development. More recent research, based on longitudinal analysis, has also pointed to the non-linear relationship between the share of construction in GDP and the level of income per capita. Using time-series data drawn from the United nations, this study applies an econometric methodology to assess the validity of the underlying propositions in a low-middle income economy-Cape Verde—over the long period of 38 years. The findings are in line with the assumptions that in the upward growth trend in developing countries, the pattern of the construction industry tends to follow that of the general economy.

Clustering entrepreneurship aspirations: innovation, growth and international orientation of activities

It is sometimes argued that nations differ in their underlying entrepreneurial spirit. So, in recent years, more researchers started being interested in the analysis of entrepreneurship across regions. Associated with entrepreneurship comes the concept of innovation. Innovation allows the creation of new firms and/or ensures the survival of the existing ones, and in both cases, generates growth. Applying the statistical technique of cluster analysis to a country dataset gathered by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) this paper groups countries into four clusters regarding their entrepreneurial activity and the aspirations of national entrepreneurs concerning innovation, business growth and international orientation of their activities. This is particularly important not only because the achievement of a relevant national entrepreneurship rate depends on the social and economic business environment but also because it is not known if there are particular regions where the entrepreneurial activity is characterised by special patterns of entrepreneurship aspirations.

The dynamics of employer enterprise creation in Portugal over the last two decades: a firm size, regional and sectoral perspective

The Portuguese economy underwent a process of growth and structural transformation during the twentieth century, while the last two decades conveyed a period of considerable creative destruction of firms. Indeed, following a period of rapid economic expansion in the second half of the 1990s, the deterioration of the economic situation felt since 2001 contributed to the deceleration of economic growth, which has also had an impact on firm turbulence. Using Quadros de Pessoal and the Eurostat and OECD methodology (Manual on Business Demography Statistics), this article describes employer enterprise dynamics in Portugal over 1985-2007, and discusses the main stylized facts related to firm creation, performance, and firm size distribution by region and sector.