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What Makes Small Firms Grow? Finance, Human Capital, Technical Assistance, and the Business Environment in Romania

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  • J. David Brown
  • John S. Earle
  • Dana Lup

Abstract

Although the development of a new private sector is generally considered crucial to economic transition, there has been rather little empirical research on the determinants of startup firm growth. This paper uses panel data techniques to analyze a survey of 297 new small enterprises in Romania containing detailed information from the startup date through 2001. We find strong evidence that access to external credit increases the growth of both employment and sales. Taxes appear to constrain growth. The data suggest that entrepreneurial skills have little independent effect on growth, once demand conditions are taken into account, and there is only weak evidence for the effectiveness of technical assistance, and only when it is provided by foreign partners. A wide variety of alternative measures of the business environment (contract enforcement, property rights, and corruption) are tested, but none are found to have any clear association with firm growth.

Suggested Citation

  • J. David Brown & John S. Earle & Dana Lup, 2004. "What Makes Small Firms Grow? Finance, Human Capital, Technical Assistance, and the Business Environment in Romania," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 2004-702, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    • Handle: RePEc:wdi:papers:2004-702
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Small Firms; Entrepreneurship; Microfinance; Business Environment; Romania;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights

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