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Economic Entrepreneurship, Startups and Their Effects on Local Development: The Case of Sweden

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  • Hans Westlund
  • Amy Olsson

Abstract

The current empirical entrepreneurship literature mainly shows a positive correlation between entrepreneurship (measured as the number of startups) and economic growth. However, the mechanisms by which entrepreneurship exerts its positive influence are not obvious. The net result of startups on employment or GDP can be negative, at least in the short run, since efficient, new companies may lead to closures of less efficient ones. Based on an assumption that economic entrepreneurship in the form of startups creates unobserved supply side effects on the firm level (Fritsch & Mueller 2004) and entrepreneurial social capital on community level (Westlund & Bolton 2003) this paper studies the connections between startups and local development at the municipal level in Sweden between 2000 and 2008. We use a unique database including not only total startups, but data on startups divided in six branches to study the impact of entrepreneurship on population and employment growth. Analyses are performed on all municipalities as well as by municipality type and by growth rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Hans Westlund & Amy Olsson, 2011. "Economic Entrepreneurship, Startups and Their Effects on Local Development: The Case of Sweden," ERSA conference papers ersa11p327, European Regional Science Association.
  • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa11p327
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    1. Zoltan J. Acs & Catherine Armington, 2008. "Employment Growth and Entrepreneurial Activity in Cities," Chapters, in: Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy, chapter 25, pages 353-369, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Westlund, Hans & Bolton, Roger, 2003. "Local Social Capital and Entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 77-113, September.
    3. Martin Carree & A. R. Thurik (ed.), 2006. "Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3673.
    4. Hans Westlund, 2006. "Social Capital in the Knowledge Economy," Advances in Spatial Science, Springer, number 978-3-540-35366-9, Fall.
    5. Wennekers, Sander & Thurik, Roy, 1999. "Linking Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 27-55, August.
    6. Hans Westlund, 2011. "Multidimensional entrepreneurship: theoretical considerations and Swedish empirics," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(3), pages 199-218, August.
    7. Christine Tamasy, 2006. "Determinants of regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany: A conceptual and empirical analysis," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(4), pages 365-384.
    8. Catherine Armington & Zoltan J. Acs, 2008. "The Determinants of Regional Variation in New Firm Formation," Chapters, in: Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy, chapter 18, pages 224-243, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nebojša Stojčić & Ivan-Damir Anić & Tonći Svilokos, 2021. "The entrepreneurial gains from market integration in the new EU member states," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1-20, October.

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