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Regional Importance of Mittelstand Firms and Innovation Performance

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  • Michael Berlemann
  • Vera Jahn

Abstract

Berlemann M. and Jahn V. Regional importance of Mittelstand firms and innovation performance, Regional Studies. Despite the deeply rooted belief of politicians all over the world about the important role of Mittelstand firms, there has yet been surprisingly little empirical research on this issue. This article contributes to the literature by studying whether the relative regional importance of Mittelstand firms has an effect on regional innovation performance. Using a cross-section of German NUTS-3 regions, a significantly positive relation between the relative importance of owner-managed small and medium-sized enterprises and patent applications is identified. This finding is highly robust when controlling for spatial correlations as they often occur in highly disaggregated regional analyses.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Berlemann & Vera Jahn, 2016. "Regional Importance of Mittelstand Firms and Innovation Performance," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(11), pages 1819-1833, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:50:y:2016:i:11:p:1819-1833
    DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2015.1058923
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    Cited by:

    1. Claudio Loporcaro & Vito Albino & Angelo Natalicchio, 2023. "Regional Legacy Effects on Radically Innovative New Ventures’ Risks," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 32(2), pages 376-419, July.
    2. Michael Berlemann & Vera Jahn & Robert Lehmann, 2018. "Auswege aus dem Dilemma der empirischen Mittelstandsforschung," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 71(23), pages 22-28, December.
    3. Block, Joern H. & Hirschmann, Mirko & Kranz, Tobias & Neuenkirch, Matthias, 2023. "Public family firms and economic inequality across societies," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    4. Basco, Rodrigo & Suwala, Lech, 2021. "Spatial familiness and family spatialities—searching for fertile ground between family business and regional studies," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 7-32.
    5. Anja Ströbele & Patrick Brecht & Lisa Kurz & Carsten H. Hahn, 2023. "Conceptualization of a Cooperative Company Builder for Systematic Transfer of University Research and Innovation in the German Mittelstand," Athens Journal of Business & Economics, Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), vol. 9(4), pages 401-428, October.
    6. Jahn, Vera, 2017. "The Importance of Mittelstand Firms for Regional Apprenticeship Activity," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168260, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Michael Berlemann & Vera Jahn & Robert Lehmann, 2022. "Is the German Mittelstand more resistant to crises?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1169-1195, October.
    8. André Pahnke & Friederike Welter, 2019. "The German Mittelstand: antithesis to Silicon Valley entrepreneurship?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 345-358, February.
    9. Evans Korang Adjei & Stefano Amato & Rodrigo Basco & Lech Suwala, 2025. "Family firms and regional context: literature overview, agenda framing and future research directions," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 45(1), pages 1-16, March.
    10. Matthias S. Johann & Jörn H. Block & Lena Benz, 2022. "Financial performance of hidden champions: Evidence from German manufacturing firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 873-892, October.
    11. Elżbieta Bukalska & Marek Zinecker & Michał Bernard Pietrzak, 2021. "Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) of Family Firms and CEO Behavioral Biases in the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-15, November.
    12. Suwala Lech & Ahrens Jan-Philipp & Basco Rodrigo, 2024. "Family firms, hidden champions and regional development," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 68(1), pages 1-8.
    13. Stough, Roger & Welter, Friederike & Block, Joern & Wennberg, Karl & Basco, Rodrigo, 2015. "Family business and regional science: “Bridging the gap”," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 208-218.
    14. Heider, Anne & Gerken, Maike & van Dinther, Nicolas & Hülsbeck, Marcel, 2021. "Business model innovation through dynamic capabilities in small and medium enterprises – Evidence from the German Mittelstand," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 635-645.
    15. Benz Lena & Block Jörn H. & Johann Matthias S., 2024. "Hidden champions as a determinant of regional development: An analysis of german districts," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 68(1), pages 9-39.
    16. Michael Berlemann & Vera Jahn & Robert Lehmann, 2019. "Wie ist der Mittelstand in Deutschland verteilt? Eine Analyse mit Befragungsdaten," ifo Dresden berichtet, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 26(01), pages 23-28, February.
    17. Welter, Friederike & Schlepphorst, Susanne & Schneck, Stefan & Holz, Michael, 2020. "Der gesellschaftliche Beitrag des Mittelstands: Konzeptionelle Überlegungen [The societal impact of German Mittelstand: Conceptual considerations]," IfM-Materialien 283, Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn.
    18. Hüseyin Doluca & Marcus Wagner & Jörn Block, 2018. "Sustainability and Environmental Behaviour in Family Firms: A Longitudinal Analysis of Environment‐Related Activities, Innovation and Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 152-172, January.
    19. Robert Lehmann & Wolfgang Nagl, 2019. "Explaining spatial patterns of foreign employment in Germany," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(7), pages 991-1003, July.
    20. Timon Immanuel Haasis & Ingo Liefner & Ritam Garg, 2018. "The organization of knowledge transfer in the context of Chinese cross-border acquisitions in developed economies," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(4), pages 286-311, September.
    21. Pahnke, André & Welter, Friederike, 2019. "The German Mittelstand: Antithesis to the Silicon Valley entrepreneurship model?," Working Papers 01/19, Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights

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