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Declining Business Dynamism

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  • Gert Bijnens
  • Joep Konings

Abstract

We build on Decker et al. (2016) who show that business dynamism and entrepreneurship in the U.S. have declined over recent decades and that the characteristics of this decline changed around 2000. Since 2000 the U.S. decline in dynamism has been accompanied by a decline in high-growth, young firms. Using 30 years of data from all for-profit firms incorporated in Belgium, we now offer evidence that Belgium, a far more rigid economy than the U.S., experienced a similar decline in dynamism. Furthermore, the decline set in around 2000 as well. We attribute this not only to the declining share of young firms that become high-growth firms, but more importantly also to the declining propensity for small (not necessarily young) firms to experience fast growth. We do not yet know what caused this decline. Since there are remarkable similarities between Belgium and the U.S. with respect to the secular decline in business dynamism, global trends rather than country specific changes are most likely to be at the basis of this evolution. A possible global trend causing dynamism to decline, is the ICT revolution that started the second half of the ’90s. We find preliminary indications that industries with higher ICT intensity have experienced a dynamism trend change during that same period and show a steeper dynamism decline.

Suggested Citation

  • Gert Bijnens & Joep Konings, 2018. "Declining Business Dynamism," Working Papers of VIVES - Research Centre for Regional Economics 614199, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), VIVES - Research Centre for Regional Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ete:vivwps:614199
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    2. Peter Bauer & Igor Fedotenkov & Aurelien Genty & Issam Hallak & Peter Harasztosi & David Martinez Turegano & David Nguyen & Nadir Preziosi & Ana Rincon-Aznar & Miguel Sanchez Martinez, 2020. "Productivity in Europe: Trends and drivers in a service-based economy," JRC Research Reports JRC119785, Joint Research Centre.
    3. Emannuel Dhyne & Joep Konings & Joep Konings & Stijn Vanormelingen,, 2018. "IT and productivity: A firm level analysis," Working Paper Research 346, National Bank of Belgium.
    4. Ye Zhu & Minggui Sun, 2023. "Entrepreneurs’ Perception of Business Environments and Innovation Based on Warm Impressions and Competence Impressions with the Stereotype Content Model (SCM)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-17, June.
    5. Naudé, Wim, 2023. "We Already Live in a Degrowth World, and We Do Not like It," IZA Discussion Papers 16191, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Jeroen Van den bosch & Stijn Vanormelingen, 2023. "Productivity growth over the business cycle: cleansing effects of recessions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 639-657, February.
    7. Alex Coad & Martin Andersson & Magnus Henrekson & Sarah Jack & Mikael Stenkula & Karin Thorburn & Karl Wennberg & Ivo Zander, 2022. "John Haltiwanger: recipient of the 2020 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 15-25, January.
    8. Tosapol Apaitan & Chanont Banternghansa & Archawa Paweenawat & Krislert Samphantharak, 2020. "Common Ownership, Domestic Competition, and Export: Evidence from Thailand," PIER Discussion Papers 140, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    9. repec:lic:licosd:42821 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Heyman, Fredrik & Norbäck, Pehr-Johan & Persson, Lars & Andersson, Fredrik, 2019. "Has the Swedish business sector become more entrepreneurial than the US business sector?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(7), pages 1809-1822.
    11. Naudé, Wim & Nagler, Paula, 2022. "The Ossified Economy: The Case of Germany, 1870-2020," IZA Discussion Papers 15607, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Naudé, Wim, 2019. "The Decline in Entrepreneurship in the West: Is Complexity Ossifying the Economy?," IZA Discussion Papers 12602, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Daan Freeman & Leon Bettendorf & Harro van Heuvelen & Gerdien Meijerink, 2021. "The contribution of business dynamics to productivity growth in the Netherlands," CPB Discussion Paper 427, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    14. Naudé, Wim & Nagler, Paula, 2021. "The Rise and Fall of German Innovation," IZA Discussion Papers 14154, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Xiaoyang Zhu, 2023. "Financial development and declining market dynamics: Another dark side of “too much finance”?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 275-309, July.
    16. Joze Damijan & Jozef Konings & Aigerim Yergabulova, 2020. "Increasing market power in Slovenia: Role of diverging trends between exporters and non‐exporters," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(5), pages 1327-1345, May.
    17. Yang Ming & Heng-fu Zou, 2024. "The Spirit of Capitalism, Entrepreneurship, and Talent Allocation," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 25(1), pages 1-29, May.
    18. Akcigit, Ufuk & Akgunduz, Yusuf Emre & Cilasun, Seyit Mumin & Ozcan-Tok, Elif & Yilmaz, Fatih, 2020. "Facts on business dynamism in Turkey," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    19. Naudé, Wim, 2020. "From the Entrepreneurial to the Ossified Economy: Evidence, Explanations and a New Perspective," GLO Discussion Paper Series 539, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    20. Omer Majeed & Antonio Balaguer & David Hansell & Luke Hendrickson & Abasi Latcham & Tessa Satherley, 2021. "What Drives High Growth? Characteristics of Australian Firms," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 97(318), pages 350-364, September.
    21. Filip Abraham & Yannick Bormans & Jozef Konings & Werner Roeger, 2020. "Price-cost margins and fixed costs," Working Papers 202010, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    22. Edward Felten & Manav Raj & Robert Seamans, 2021. "Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(12), pages 2195-2217, December.
    23. Ramy El-Dardiry & Benedikt Vogt, 2022. "How far Do gazelles run? Growth Patterns of Regular Firms, High Growth Firms and Startups," CPB Discussion Paper 432, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

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