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A Novel Approach to Incubator Evaluations: The PROMETHEE Outranking Procedures

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  • Schwartz, Michael
  • Göthner, Maximilian

Abstract

Considerable public resources are devoted to the establishment and operation of business incubators (BIs), which are seen as catalysts for the promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation activities and regional development. Despite the vast amount of research that has focused on the outcomes or effectiveness of incubator initiatives and how to measure incubator performance, there is still little understanding of how to determine incubators that are more effective than others. Based on data from 410 graduate firms, this paper applies the multicriteria outranking technique PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) and compares the longterm effectiveness of five technologyoriented BIs in Germany. This is the first time that outranking procedures are used in incubator evaluations. In particular, we investigate whether PROMETHEE is a wellsuited methodological approach for the evaluation and comparisons in the specific context of business incubation.

Suggested Citation

  • Schwartz, Michael & Göthner, Maximilian, 2009. "A Novel Approach to Incubator Evaluations: The PROMETHEE Outranking Procedures," IWH Discussion Papers 1/2009, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:iwhdps:iwh-1-09
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    Cited by:

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    2. González-Uribe, Juanita & Reyes, Santiago, 2021. "Identifying and boosting “Gazelles”: Evidence from business accelerators," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(1), pages 260-287.
    3. VANDERSTRAETEN, Johanna & MATTHYSSENS, Paul & VAN WITTELOOSTUIJN, Arjen, 2012. "Measuring the performance of business incubators," Working Papers 2012012, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Business Incubators; Evaluation; Performance Measures; PROMETHEE; Outranking; Technologiezentren; Gründerzentren; Outranking; PROMETHEE; Evaluierung; Erfolg; Effektivität;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C44 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Operations Research; Statistical Decision Theory
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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