Vivien Procher

Biology and Selection Into Entrepreneurship—The Relevance of Prenatal Testosterone Exposure

This study examines the relationship between prenatal testosterone exposure (PTE) and selection into entrepreneurship. We argue that the relationship between PTE and entrepreneurial intent is positive and mediated by general and domain–specific risk–taking related to financial investment and professional career. Using the second–to–fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) as noninvasive retrospective marker for PTE, we identify two–step mediation effects of PTE on entrepreneurial intent through both general and domain–specific risk–taking. To account for possible socialization–based effects, we control for gender and parental self–employment. Applying ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses and structural equation models, we provide empirical evidence for a biological association between 2D:4D and entrepreneurial intent.

Export, FDI and firm productivity

Many empirical papers tested the theoretical predictions of Helpman, Melitz and Yeaple (HMY, 2004) which sorts firms at different internationalization states according to their productivity levels. While these papers ignore the fact, that the theoretical predictions of HMY only apply to firms that become engaged in market-driven Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), we apply a more precise methodology using a French firm sample with more than 110 000 observations. Our results show that firms with a broader investment strategy, reflecting a great importance of market-driven motives, show higher productivity levels than firms with less encompassing foreign investment strategies. We conclude that the methodology is well-suited to sort firms according to the importance of market-driven FDI.

Export, FDI and Productivity - Evidence for French Firms

Many empirical papers tested the theoretical predictions of Helpman, Melitz and Yeaple (HMY, 2004) which sorts firms at different internationalization states according to their productivity levels. While these papers ignore the fact, that theoretical predictions of HMY only apply to firms that become engaged in market-driven foreign direct investment (FDI), we apply a more precise methodology using a French firm sample with more than 110 000 observations. Our results show that firms with a broader investment strategy, reflecting a great importance of market-driven motives, show higher productivity levels than firms with less encompassing foreign investment strategies. We conclude that the methodology is well-suited to sort firms according to the importance of market-driven FDI.

Gender differences in selection into self-competition

ABSTRACT While previous studies demonstrated that, in many settings, women tend to be less willing than men to engage in interpersonal competition, this study focuses on selection into self-competition. Competing against own past performances can be an integral part of life, including job and sports. Using data obtained from a lab-in-the-field experiment, we find empirical evidence that women are, on average, more reluctant than men to compete against their own past performance. Our results suggest that this difference can be mainly explained by gender differences in risk preferences.

Who Does the Shopping? Evidence of German Time Use from 1996 to 2009

The labor force participation rate of women and men in industrialized countries is converging, but disparities in participation in unpaid activities nevertheless remain. Shopping for household maintenance is a time-consuming out-of-home activity that continues to be undertaken primarily by women, regardless of their employment status. The present study uses panel methods to analyze, descriptively and econometrically, gender disparities in shopping behavior of couples through the use of data from the German Mobility Panel for 1996 to 2009. Although women were still found to shop more than men, the evidence indicated that the differential narrowed in recent years, particularly in couples with children. Several individual and household characteristics were found to be significant determinants of shopping behavior, whereby employment status and children emerged to be the most important single factors. In addition, the possession of a drivers license, coupled with unrestricted car availability, increased the amount of time that each partner spent shopping.

The Asymmetries of a Small World: Entry Into and Withdrawal From International Markets by French Firms

This paper studies the internationalization behaviour of French companies, using more than 330.000 observations for three two-year intervals. We analyze the role of productivity, organisational and ownership structure, and of financial characteristics for the decision to enter into and exit from foreign markets. High levels of productivity are documented to be characteristic of companies deciding to engage in exporting or foreign direct investment (FDI). However, there does not seem to be a significant correlation between productivity and divestment decisions. Moreover, companies with corporate shareholders are more likely to intensify their international engagement and to retain their cross-border activities. Finally, with some exceptions high levels of short-term and long-term debt tend to make entry into a more intense international engagement more and its reduction less likely.

Who does the shopping? German time-use evidence, 1996-2009

The labor force participation rate of women and men is converging in industrialized countries, but disparities nevertheless remain with respect to unpaid activities. Shopping for household maintenance, in particular, is a time-consuming, out-of-home activity that continues to be undertaken primarily by women, irrespective of their employment status. The present study employs panel methods to analyze, descriptively and econometrically, gender disparities in shopping behavior among couples using data from the German Mobility Panel (MOP) for 1996 to 2009. While women still shop more than men, we find evidence that the differential has narrowed in recent years, particularly among couples with children. Several individual and household characteristics are found to be significant determinants of shopping behavior, whereby employment status and children emerge as the most important single factors. In addition, the possession of a driver’s license coupled with unrestricted car availability increase each partner’s time in shopping.

Digit Ratio (2D:4D) Predicts Self-Reported Measures of General Competitiveness, but Not Behavior in Economic Experiments

The ratio of index finger length to ring finger length (2D:4D) is considered to be a putative biomarker of prenatal androgen exposure (PAE), with previous research suggesting that 2D:4D is associated with human behaviors, especially sex-typical behaviors. This study empirically examines the relationship between 2D:4D and individual competitiveness, a behavioral trait that is found to be sexually dimorphic. We employ two related, but distinct, measures of competitiveness, namely behavioral measures obtained from economic experiments and psychometric self-reported measures. Our analyses are based on two independent data sets obtained from surveys and economic experiments with 461 visitors of a shopping mall (Study I) and 617 university students (Study II). The correlation between behavior in the economic experiment and digit ratios of both hands is not statistically significant in either study. In contrast, we find a negative and statistically significant relationship between psychometric self-reported measures of competitiveness and right hand digit ratios (R2D:4D) in both studies. This relationship is especially strong for younger people. Hence, this study provides some robust empirical evidence for a negative association between R2D:4D and self-reported competitiveness. We discuss potential reasons why digit ratio may relate differently to behaviors in specific economics experiments and to self-reported general competitiveness.

Entrepreneurial Orientation and New Venture Closure: The Dimensions’ distinct effects

Previous research on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and venture failure employed uni-dimensional conceptualizations of EO and did not focus on young firms, which, however...

The Impact of Firm Entry Deregulation on Hybrid Entrepreneurship

Hybrid entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs who simultaneously work as wage earners. They constitute a systematic and large part of new firm creation. Hybrid entrepreneurs and their behavioral distincti...