Abstract
appropriate targeting and forms of support. Public policy also needs to focus on the retention of HGFs which are acquired by non-local businesses. Finally, policy-makers need to properly reflect upon the specificities of their entrepreneurial environment when
devising appropriate policy interventions.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 211-225 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Small Business Economics |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 27 Sep 2011 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2013 |
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Keywords
- entrepreneurship
- high-growth firms
- gazelles
- regional development
- policy
Cite this
}
Creating good public policy to support high-growth firms. / Mason, Colin; Brown, Ross.
In: Small Business Economics, Vol. 40, No. 2, 02.2013, p. 211-225.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Creating good public policy to support high-growth firms
AU - Mason, Colin
AU - Brown, Ross
PY - 2013/2
Y1 - 2013/2
N2 - Writing in Small Business Economics Scott Shane argues that policy-makers should stop subsidising start-ups and instead focus on supporting the small subset of new businesses with high growth potential. However, both Shane and other scholarswho havemade the same argument only offer broad-brush proposals to achieve this objective. The aim of this article, in contrast, is to engage in a detailed discussion of how to create appropriate policies for high-growth firms (HGFs). Drawing on research in Scotland, we argue that policy-makers are looking for HGFs in the wrong places. The heterogeneous nature of HGFs in terms of sector, age, size and origins makes in impractical to target support on particular sectors, technologies or types of firms (e.g., new or R&D intensive). The article proposes a reorientation of HGFs, both in terms of appropriate targeting and forms of support. Public policy also needs to focus on the retention of HGFs which are acquired by non-local businesses. Finally, policy-makers need to properly reflect upon the specificities of their entrepreneurial environment when devising appropriate policy interventions.
AB - Writing in Small Business Economics Scott Shane argues that policy-makers should stop subsidising start-ups and instead focus on supporting the small subset of new businesses with high growth potential. However, both Shane and other scholarswho havemade the same argument only offer broad-brush proposals to achieve this objective. The aim of this article, in contrast, is to engage in a detailed discussion of how to create appropriate policies for high-growth firms (HGFs). Drawing on research in Scotland, we argue that policy-makers are looking for HGFs in the wrong places. The heterogeneous nature of HGFs in terms of sector, age, size and origins makes in impractical to target support on particular sectors, technologies or types of firms (e.g., new or R&D intensive). The article proposes a reorientation of HGFs, both in terms of appropriate targeting and forms of support. Public policy also needs to focus on the retention of HGFs which are acquired by non-local businesses. Finally, policy-makers need to properly reflect upon the specificities of their entrepreneurial environment when devising appropriate policy interventions.
KW - entrepreneurship
KW - high-growth firms
KW - gazelles
KW - regional development
KW - policy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873151369&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11187-011-9369-9
DO - 10.1007/s11187-011-9369-9
M3 - Article
VL - 40
SP - 211
EP - 225
JO - Small Business Economics
T2 - Small Business Economics
JF - Small Business Economics
SN - 0921-898X
IS - 2
ER -