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PurposeWhen a successful policy intervention for small firm growth is ending, a continuation decision may be relevant. However, immediately after program termination, solid analysis of the growth of the treated firms in comparison with similar firms cannot be produced, so decision makers rely on less valid data. Moreover, the decision process is challenging because many players, alternative programs, decision levels and financial sources tend to be part of the process. In such a complex and volatile policy environment, successful programs may well be discontinued despite a clear continuation need. The purpose of the paper is to explore this weakness.Design/methodology/approachThe paper identifies four fundamental principles that are conducive for a rational continuation choice: “additionality,” “substitution,” “need” and “success”. It argues that if these principles are fulfilled, the rational choice would be to continue the program. To demonstrate that this rational outcome does not always happen in practice, an extreme case fulfilling the four principles well was selected.FindingsThe program aimed to enhance growth in small firms through manager training. It encompassed about 700 growth-oriented small firms in three years and was comprehensively evaluated after program termination. This evaluation demonstrated a high success rate of the program in all respects, including in terms of achieved growth compared to a control group of similar firms.Originality/valueThis discontinuation case suggests that non-rational reasoning plays a significant role in contemporary complex and volatile policy environments, which again points to a need for reform in this policy area.

Neoliberalism is based on the economic rationality of economic agents, but both cognitive shortcomings and emotional biases in economics decision-making are well documented. A neuroeconomic model (NeM) comprising seven different nodes in a client-server-integrator system (cybernetics of the second order) presents a new approach to behavioral economics focusing risk-preference. The way that individual characteristics influence economic decisions depends on personality. Some people are principally pragmatic with little preference for risk, some are more rational with a moderate approach to risk and some enjoy risk. These people are identified respectively as Pragmatics, Rationalists and Explorers. The rapid rise of explorative behavior is the core of the creative class. Three macroeconomic focus points are outlined: 1) Equality by Universal Basic Income, 2) Environmental protection by Carbon Emission Tax, and 3) Individualized stress-management. In-all, neuroeconomics calls for center-based macroeconomic alternatives to the ruling Neoliberalism e. g. social liberalism or social democracy.

Purpose The growing involvement of management researchers in knowledge exchange activities and collaborative research does not seem to be reflected in a growing academic output. The purpose of this paper is to explore barriers for the limited academic output from these activities as well as the potential for ‘interesting’ papers. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses secondary data and statistics as well as an illustrative case study to trace knowledge exchange activities and barriers for academic output based on these activities. Findings The paper identifies a number of barriers for the turning of data derived from knowledge exchange activities into academic papers such as low priority of case study research in leading management journals, a growing practice orientation in the research funding systems, methodological challenges because of limited researcher control and disincentives for researcher involvement in knowledge exchange activities. The paper also identifies a potential for ‘interesting’ research and discoveries through collaborative research. Research limitations/implications Diminishing the barriers for collaborative and case-based research and exploring the potential for ‘interesting’ discoveries has the potential to increase the number of published papers with a high level of scientific rigor as well as a high level of relevance for practice. Originality/value An outcome focus on the relationship between knowledge exchange activities and management research is to the author’s knowledge new in the debate about weak practical relevance of management research.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the special interests of key decision makers in entrepreneurship policy formation at the national level. The core question is: what is the role that special interests play in a situation with significantly improved evidence through a growing number of high-quality international benchmark studies on entrepreneurial performance. Design/methodology/approach – An ethnographic method is applied to analyse in depth the 2005 decision by the Danish Government to shift from a volume-oriented to a growth-oriented entrepreneurship policy. This decision process is an extreme case since Denmark has world-class evidence of its entrepreneurial performance. Findings – Even in such a well-investigated country, which since 2000 has had a pioneering role in the development of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor study and international register-based studies, the special interests of a few top-level politicians and civil servants have significantly influenced the decision to shift the overall policy. These special interests guided the interpretation of the ambiguous evidence provided by these two benchmark studies. Practical implications – Policy makers are made aware of the need to take a critical view on international benchmark studies, asking what is studied and how and realising that “the truth” about a country’s entrepreneurial performance cannot be found in just one study. Originality/value – The theoretical value of this paper is its challenge to the widespread rationality view in the entrepreneurship policy field and a deepened understanding of how the pursuit of special interests is related to ambiguous evidence and system-level rationality.

Purpose – Entrepreneurial learning through formal growth-oriented training programs for SME managers promises to enhance the growth competences and growth intentions of the enrolled managers. The impact of such programs, however, depends on who enrolls since initial competence and growth-intention levels vary significantly. Potential participants may suffer from limited ability to transform new knowledge into practice, absence of growth intention and too high or too low a prior competence level to be able to benefit substantially. Selection and self-selection processes therefore have a bearing on the extent to which such programs result in additionality, i.e. improved growth performance compared to non-intervention. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Selection and self-selection processes are explored through a study of a large-scale training program for growth-oriented managers of small Danish firms. This program has, from 2012 to 2015, trained about 700 SME managers. Data are currently available for 366 of these participants. This evidence is compared with survey results from a randomly selected control group of 292 growth-oriented SME managers in the same firm-size group. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Findings – A number of selection and self-selection biases were identified in the analysis. While some of the identified biases did not seem to conflict with the ambitions of this growth program, others potentially have consequences for the additionality of the program. Originality/value – The paper is the first systematic study of the importance of who enrolls in training programs for SME managers.

This article addresses venture team relationships in an advanced high tech incubator through an analysis of the personal relationships of venture team members. During the study period of almost 2 years, the ventures were projected to grow and commercialise but, overall, they failed. Quantitative data collected in two rounds showed that commercial relationships remained weak while political relationships intensified. Qualitative follow-up interviews suggest that the political rivalry and low level of knowledge sharing between the ventures were further exacerbated by the individualistic-competitive structure of the incubator and weak management in some respects.

Les gouvernements neerlandais et danois ont mis en oeuvre une combinaison de mesures incitatives et obligatoires au cours des dix dernieres annees, en vue de promouvoir le developpement d'une agriculture plus sensible aux questions environnementales. Ceci a conduit, dans les deux pays, a faire une pause dans le processus d'intensification engage depuis la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, et meme a introduire un certain degre d'extensification. De telles mesures sont souvent considerees comme secondaires et inefficaces, mais les enquetes recentes parmi les agriculteurs au Danemark et aux Pays-Bas et l'analyse des approches de groupes d'etude agricole dans les deux pays, remet en question ce jugement. On peut observer qu'un changement se fait jour dans les comportements et attitudes des agriculteurs, et que les mesures incitatives y ont eu une part importante. Les agriculteurs en contact etroit avec les groupes de vulgarisation, ceux qui participent a des groupes d'etude et les fermiers verts s'orientent plus rapidement et plus profondement vers les methodes soucieuses de l'environnement que les autres agriculteurs

Indledning til antologi om socialt entreprenørskab med 23 artikler

Entrepreneurs enter the global business scene with a global mindset and trust in business partners around the world.While the global mindset is attained as result of reflection based on international experience, trust develops through existing social structures that sometimes transcend national borders, particularly if they are distinctly ethnic social structures.Entrepreneurs, then, may enter the global scene with a global mindset and add trust-based relationships as they gain encouraging experiences with international business partners, or they may enter with trust and develop a global mindset as they engage in international activities. Ethnic business networking operates primarily on trust-based relationships.Created by immigrants over a long period of time, these networks are traditionally confined to localities. More and more local and national co-ethnic networks, however, are supplemented by international co-ethnic networks in larger regions.Chinese-owned firms and networks, which have experienced globalization at three distinct levels, illustrate the growing global interconnectedness of ethnic businesses as the overall trend. Although ethnic entrepreneurs generally maintain strong ties with business partners at the same geographical level and weaker ties with partners across the levels, observations of partnerships such as that between Silicon Valley and Taiwan suggest that ethnic business networking also involves collaboration between global-minded ethnic entrepreneurs and more traditional ethnic entrepreneurs in other parts of the world.In addition to local, ethnic partnerships, entrepreneurs may eventually take on more and more global, non-ethnic partnerships. (SAA)

The topic concerning intrapreneurs pursuing new ventures within established firms is underresearched, despite the booming literature on corporate venturing. We know little about whether intrapreneurs are especially competent, proactive, innovative, growth-oriented and risk takers – and how well they perform. These issues are addressed by comparing intrapreneurs with commoners and with entrepreneurs starting new firms, and also by comparing spin-off entrepreneurs starting a new firm based on an existing firm with independent entrepreneurs. Our comparisons use two data sets: our Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey of adults in Denmark with follow-up interviews of intrapreneurs, entrepreneurs and commoners, and our survey of newly established entrepreneurs in a typical county in Denmark. Comparisons reveal that intrapreneurs are more competent and growth-oriented than entrepreneurs. Likewise, spin-off entrepreneurs are more competent and growth-oriented than independent entrepreneurs, and spin-off firms quickly reach higher performance. These similarities and differences among intrapreneurs, spin-off entrepreneurs and independent entrepreneurs offer directions for a deeper understanding of both internal and external venturing.

Consumer cooperatives were born together with industrial capitalism and its social classes, being a reaction against miserable economic conditions and disgracefully low positions of farmers and workers. Nowadays, the traditional, class-based motives have lost their importance, but still many consumers are attracted by consumer cooperatives and each year numerous consumers stand for election to the committees of consumer cooperatives. A recent survey amongst newly elected and newly retired committee members in Denmark reveals three major motivating factors: cooperative ideology, survival of local shops, and nutrition. Therefore it seems wise for consumer cooperatives to emphasize activities related to these motives, and by doing so they may eventually succeed in their search for a new identity.

Entrepreneurship policy emerges, as other policy fields, across formal and informal institutional boundaries and should, according to rational reasoning, be tailored to specific institutional contexts. However, policies do not always adjust well to the rational needs in each institutional context. Certain policies and the way they are implemented may also disseminate from one nation to another. A prime reason for this tendency to harmonisation is the existence of policy communities across institutional boundaries. Researchers talk with researchers, policy makers with policy makers, etc. – and they often cross-fertilise. Such interaction tends to lead to legitimised conceptualisations of challenges and needed policies. These conceptualisations are built on and legitimised by rational arguments, but may in fact be only loosely connected to the specific situation and challenges of an institutional entity. These neo-institutional ideas about how entrepreneurship policy is formed are outlined in this article and supported with empirical evidence from a comparative study of entrepreneurship policy in Australia and Denmark.

Vækst har i mange år været et af de ord, der gennemsyrer samfundsdebatten. Vækst i den private sektor skaber økonomisk fremgang. Vækst skaber jobs, vækst øger velfærden og vækst er således en indikator for, om vi klarer os godt som samfund og nation på verdensmarkedet. Vækst er desværre også en udfordring, som specielt SMV’ere kan have svært ved at overvinde. Mange små virksomheder når i de første leveår en vis størrelse – og står så i stampe. Det kan der være mange årsager til: virksomhedens teknologi, medarbejdernes dygtighed, markedsmulighederne, ledelsens risikovillighed og meget andet. Ledernes vækstorienterede kompetencer og motivation synes her at være en central faktor, fordi små virksomheder typisk er organiseret omkring en central leder, der ofte også ejer virksomheden. Hvor lederne i de større virksomheder typisk har både erfaringen og kompetencerne til at gå ind i et vækstforløb, så er mange SMV-ledere udfordret netop på disse to parametre. De har ofte ikke de fornødne evner til at drive en virksomhed i vækst (Morrison m.fl., 2003). Det er på mange måder en meget paradoksal problemstilling i et samfund med så meget fokus på vækst, og hvor der er ca. 10 gange så mange SMV’ere (10-99 fuldtidsansatte) som store virksomheder (100+ fuldtidsansatte) (Schlichter, 2016).Samtidig har SMV-lederen typisk et mere ambivalent forhold til vækst end lederen af en større virksomhed. På den ene side kan de se fordele i at virksomheden vokser sig større og stærkere, men på den anden side kan de også se ulemper og de kan have svært ved at overskue de ledelsesmæssige udfordringer de vil møde i en vækstproces. Specielt hvis lederen samtidig er ejer af virksomheden, kan det være uoverskueligt at drive ens hjerteblod ud i en usikker vækstfase: frygten for at tabe kontrol samt hensynet til medarbejdernes ve og vel vejer tungt (Wiklund m.fl. 2003).I denne artikel ser vi nærmere på, hvordan ledere af SMV’ere kan drage nytte af deltagelse i kompetenceudviklingsforløb med henblik på at styrke deres evner til og motivation for vækst. Ydermere ser vi på, hvordan vi som samfund opnår større effekt af at investere i træningsprogrammer for ledere af mindre virksomheders kompetenceudvikling ved at rekruttere deltagere med størst vækstpotentiale. Vi tager udgangspunkt i et offentligt støttet ledelsesudviklingsforløb, Vækst via Ledelse, hvor 700 danske SMV ledere har deltaget i forskellige trænings- og netværksaktiviteter for netop at øge deres motivation for vækst og deres kompetencer til at styre vækstprocesser.