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The economic contribution of high-growth firms: Do definitions matter?

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  • Daunfeldt, Sven-Olov

    (The Ratio Institute)

  • Elert, Niklas

    (The Ratio Institute)

  • Johansson, Dan

    (The Ratio Institute)

Abstract

Prior studies have defined high-growth firms (HGFs) in terms of sales or employment, and analyzed their contribution to employment growth. We define HGFs by employment and sales and add definitions of value added and productivity. We examine the contribution of HGFs to employment growth, economic growth, productivity growth, and sales growth. All HGFs give a disproportionately large positive contribution to economic growth and most also give large positive contributions to growth in employment, productivity and sales. Although HGFs of different definitions are usually not the same firms, young firms are more likely to be HGFs irrespective of definition.

Suggested Citation

  • Daunfeldt, Sven-Olov & Elert, Niklas & Johansson, Dan, 2010. "The economic contribution of high-growth firms: Do definitions matter?," HUI Working Papers 35, HUI Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:huiwps:0035
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Dan Johansson & Sven-Olov Daunfeldt, 2011. "What explains the presence of High-growth firms in industries?," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1500, European Regional Science Association.
    2. Taelim Choi & John C. Robertson & Anil Rupasingha, 2013. "High-growth firms in Georgia," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2013-20, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    3. Werner Hölzl, 2011. "Persistence, Survival and Growth: A Closer Look at 20 Years of High-Growth Firms in Austria," WIFO Working Papers 403, WIFO.
    4. Enrique Moral-Benito, 2018. "Growing by learning: firm-level evidence on the size-productivity nexus," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 9(1), pages 65-90, March.
    5. Daniele Moschella & Federico Tamagni & Xiaodan Yu, 2019. "Persistent high-growth firms in China’s manufacturing," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(3), pages 573-594, March.
    6. Segarra Blasco, Agustí, 1958- & Teruel, Mercedes, 2014. "High-growth firms and innovation: an empirical analysis for Spanish firms," Working Papers 2072/228402, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    7. Agustí Segarra & Mercedes Teruel, 2014. "High-growth firms and innovation: an empirical analysis for Spanish firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 805-821, December.
    8. Diego F. Grijalva & Valeria Ayala & Paúl A. Ponce & Yelitza Pontón, 2018. "Does firm innovation lead to high growth? Evidence from Ecuadorian firms," Revista Cuadernos de Economia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, FCE, CID, vol. 37(75), pages 697-726, May.
    9. Minghao Li & Stephan J. Goetz & Mark Partridge & David A. Fleming, 2016. "Location determinants of high-growth firms," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1-2), pages 97-125, January.
    10. Jun Du & Yama Temouri, 2015. "High-growth firms and productivity: evidence from the United Kingdom," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 123-143, January.
    11. Başak Dalgıç & Burcu Fazlıoğlu, 2021. "Innovation and firm growth: Turkish manufacturing and services SMEs," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 11(3), pages 395-419, September.
    12. Sven-Olov Daunfeldt & Niklas Elert & Dan Johansson, 2011. "Industrial Variation of High-Growth Firms," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1658, European Regional Science Association.
    13. Sven-Olov Daunfeldt & Daniel Halvarsson, 2015. "Are high-growth firms one-hit wonders? Evidence from Sweden," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 361-383, February.
    14. Halvarsson, Daniel, 2013. "Identifying High-Growth Firms," Ratio Working Papers 215, The Ratio Institute.
    15. Daunfeldt, Sven-Olov & Lang, Åsa & Macuchova, Zuzana & Rudholm, Niklas, 2011. "Firm Growth in the Retail and Wholesale Trade Sectors – Evidence from Sweden," HUI Working Papers 50, HUI Research.
    16. Anders Bornhäll & Sven-Olov Daunfeldt & Niklas Rudholm, 2013. "Sleeping Gazelles: High profits but no growth," SPRU Working Paper Series 2013-10, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gazelles; Firm growth; High-impact firms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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