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How Long Does it Take to Become an Entrepreneurial Society - The Case of German Convergence in Self-Employment

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  • Yvonne Schindele

    (School of Economics and Business Administration, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena)

Abstract

Since the beginning of the transformation of East Germany from a socialist planned economy to a market economy, there has been an ambitious political goal of fostering entrepreneurial activity in that part of the country. One of the most-hoped for results of this undertaking is the anticipated contribution of small and new firms to solving the economic, social, and political problems of East Germany, thereby narrowing the gap between East and West Germany. This paper uses panel data from 1992 to 2005 on 97 German regions to analyze recent convergence in self-employment rates. An astonishing catching-up process is observed for East German regions during the period under study. However, the general convergence between East and West Germany observed during the first years after reunification has not been maintained. In short, some East German regions have achieved convergence with West German self-employment rates and some have not.

Suggested Citation

  • Yvonne Schindele, 2010. "How Long Does it Take to Become an Entrepreneurial Society - The Case of German Convergence in Self-Employment," Jena Economics Research Papers 2010-015, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    • Handle: RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2010-015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. João Ricardo Faria & Juan Carlos Cuestas & Luis Gil-Alana & Estefania Mourelle, 2021. "Self-employment by gender in the EU: convergence and clusters," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 48(3), pages 717-741, August.
    2. Michael Wyrwich, 2011. "New business formation and regional growth across regions with distinct initial industry structures," ERSA conference papers ersa10p656, European Regional Science Association.
    3. Michael Wyrwich, 2014. "Ready, set, go! Why are some regions entrepreneurial jump starters?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 53(2), pages 487-513, September.
    4. Yvonne Schindele & Michael Fritsch & Florian Noseleit, 2011. "Micro-level Evidence on the Survival of German Manufacturing Industries - A Multidimensional Analysis (refereed paper)," ERSA conference papers ersa10p549, European Regional Science Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; regional convergence; self-employment; regional devel- opment; transition; Germany;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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