Heiko Bergmann

The use of global entrepreneurship monitor data in academic research: a critical inventory and future potentials

We systematically review all 109 empirical, peer-reviewed journal articles which are based on the global entrepreneurship monitor’s (GEM) adult population survey data. GEM has become a major database for internationally comparative entrepreneurship research because it is unique and allows investigating research questions that could not have been addressed before. Our research objectives are three-fold: first, we analyse how researchers currently use GEM data in empirical academic research. To do so, we apply an analysing framework that includes data source, level of analysis, variables, methods, measurement schemes, and analytical procedures. Second, we identify best practices and problematic fields of application. Third, we develop suggestions for the future design and use of GEM data. We distinguish between implications for researchers working with existing GEM data and implications for people responsible for the collection of new GEM data, i.e., the national GEM teams and the coordination team.

Entrepreneurship disparities within Switzerland - Do tax and language differences play a role?

Due to its unique political institutions and good economic track record, Switzerland used to be called a special case. This paper investigates the start-up propensities in this country based on the individual data of the adult population survey of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. The focus is on the factors that are distinctive for Switzerland: language differences and differences in taxes on corporate profit and personal income. There are substantial entrepreneurship disparities among the language areas of Switzerland. Still, I do not find evidence for a cultural influence. The different start-up propensities in the three language areas can be explained by structural characteristics of the regional economy. The same applies to differences in income and profit taxes. If other regional factors are taken into account, I do not find evidence for a direct influence of taxes on the entrepreneurial propensity of the inhabitants of Swiss regions. There is however some evidence for indirect effects. This paper adds to our understanding of the effects of culture and tax differences on entrepreneurship.

„Nascent Entrepreneurs” in Deutschland

Der Beitrag diskutiert Grundungspotenzial und Grundungsprozess in Deutschland konzeptionell und empirisch auf Basis eigener Studien sowie der Daten des Sozio-Okonomischen Panel. Die bisherigen Ergebnisse stellen den fur Deutschland erstmaligen Versuch einer konzeptionellen wie empirischen Strukturierung des Vorgrundungsgeschehens dar. Der Grundungsprozess und die -entscheidungen werden als geplanter und emergenter, sich selbstorganisierender Prozess verstanden. Die eigene Erhebung zeigt eine Vielzahl an Grundertypen (werdend, ruhend, abgebrochen) in der Grundungs(vor-)phase. Da nur ein Bruchteil der potenziellen Grunder jemals ihre Absichten verwirklicht, ist der Grundungsprozess auch als „Trichter“ darstellbar, wobei das Ergebnis des Grundungsprozesses prinzipiell offen und nicht vorhersehbar ist. Dabei bestatigt die bivariate Analyse der empirischen Daten bereits fur die Vorgrundungsphase die aus bisherigen Forschungen bekannten Zusammenhange von Grundungsaktivitaten, demographischen Merkmalen sowie dem personlichen Hintergrund und dem Makroumfeld. Gleichzeitig weisen die Analysen darauf hin, dass dem Schritt in die Selbstandigkeit zwar oft ein langgehegter, aber nicht unbedingt explizit geauserter Wunsch zu Grunde liegt, Handlungen und Entscheidungen dagegen haufig spontan erfolgen.

Entrepreneurship in Urban and Rural Switzerland : Similar or Worlds Apart?

This contribution deals with entrepreneurial activities in urban and rural areas in Switzerland. It is the aim to identify differences in the entrepreneurial process between urban and rural regions of the country. The paper builds on a conceptual framework that identifies three stages in the entrepreneurial process. Differences between urban and rural areas are investigated in all three stages by applying an explorative methodology that is based on two datasets: First, data from the GEM-surveys 2005 and 2007 in Switzerland is used to conduct separate logistic regression models in urban and rural areas in order to analyze influencing factors for entrepreneurial activities on the individual level. Second, a descriptive analysis of the Swiss statistics of company demographics (UDEMO) is used to identify differences between urban and rural new firm establishments. The findings of the contribution suggest that there are differences between entrepreneurial activities in rural and urban areas in Switzerland. In the first stage of the entrepreneurial process, people in rural areas less frequently see good opportunities for starting a business than urban residents. In the second stage, common models on influencing factors for entrepreneurship fit only in urban areas, while influencing factors in rural areas are more difficult to determine. On the venture level in the third stage of the entrepreneurial process, urban establishments more often apply new technologies and processes than their rural counterparts. Based on this evidence we derive some recommendations for future research.

Produktpolitik für Gründungsunternehmen

Im Kontext des vorliegenden Kapitels wird die Produktpolitik nicht nur fur das phy sisch fassbare Produkt erortert, sondern auch fur Dienstleistungen erganzt. Die klare Trennung zwischen Produkten und Dienstleistungen ist gerade bei Grundungsunter nehmen oft nicht moglich. Deshalb wird in der Folge der Produktbegriff weit gefasst. Die Beschaftigung mit dem Produkt beziehungsweise Service setzt zunachst eine De finition dieser Begriffe voraus. Obgleich diese Termini einheitlich verwendet werden, liegen ihnen zumeist vollig unterschiedliche Vorstellungen zugrunde. Dem sub stanziellen Produktbegriff zufolge lasst sich ein Erzeugnis als ein Bundel aus verschie denen nutzenstiftenden Eigenschaften beschreiben. Haufig sind die physikalisch chemisch technischen Merkmale eines Objekts ohne grose Muhe zu erkennen. Bei spielsweise besteht das Angebot eines Herstellers von Schokolade aus Vollmilch, Ka kao und Zucker, wahrend ein Produzent von Fruchtsaften zum Beispiel Wasser, Zu cker und Fruchtmark zu einem Gesamt verquickt (vgl. Abbildung 1-1).

Toward rigor and parsimony: a primary validation of Kolvereid’s (1996) entrepreneurial attitudes scales

Abstract Questioning the validity of scholarly work is not a typical path to publication in the management field. However, although considerable scholarship assesses entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions models of behaviour, methodological weaknesses in scale development have hampered scholars’ ability to rigorously interpret and build upon their research findings. We review 20 years of research and discover that the pioneer measure of entrepreneurial attitudes as a predictor of self-employment intentions, has yet to be empirically validated. We show that construct and measurement differences, one-off modifications to existing scales and a lack of adequate justification may partially explain why studies in the entrepreneurship education domain have produced inconsistent results. We address this limitation by performing factor analytic techniques on data from two sets of English-speaking university students from two North American countries. The result is a more parsimonious and streamlined ‘mini-Kolvereid’ scale. We further demonstrate that this scale is an effective predictor of entrepreneurial intentions.

Gründungsforschung im und über das Ruhrgebiet

Entrepreneurship research in and on the Ruhr area - taking stock. The paper takes stock of structures, actors, themes and results of entrepreneurship research in the Ruhr region. Our analysis demonstrates a broad variety of actors, but little contact amongst them. Selected research results indicate low venture creation rates and more necessity-based enterprises compared to Germany. In general, entrepreneurship research in the Ruhr area needs to pay more attention to analysing the sustainability and growth potential of new ventures.