IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cai/jiedbu/jie_004_0015.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Entrepreneurship and social networks in IT sectors: the case of the software industry in Portugal

Author

Listed:
  • Isabel Salavisa
  • Pedro Videira
  • Filipa Santos

Abstract

Empirical research has repeatedly confirmed that social networks are important for the creation, survival and growth of new companies. In this article, the leading research questions are: 1) how do networks contribute to the creation of software firms and further development of a competitive IT sector; 2) what is the structure and features of those networks; 3) how have they evolved from the companies? founding stage to the current period; 4) what resources (scientific and technological knowledge, skills, and others) do entrepreneurs mobilize through their networks. Based on a survey of 13 companies, those research questions have been tested, using a methodology that combines applied statistical techniques and social network analysis. Our results seem to support our research questions. They also show that some companies and research units play a relevant role as brokers in the access of many companies to technological, informational and other resources. JEL Codes: L26, M13, L86, L96

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Salavisa & Pedro Videira & Filipa Santos, 2009. "Entrepreneurship and social networks in IT sectors: the case of the software industry in Portugal," Journal of Innovation Economics, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(2), pages 15-39.
    • Handle: RePEc:cai:jiedbu:jie_004_0015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.cairn.info/load_pdf.php?ID_ARTICLE=JIE_004_0015
    Download Restriction: free
    File URL: http://www.cairn.info/revue-journal-of-innovation-economics-2009-2-page-15.htm
    Download Restriction: free
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhao, Liming & Aram, John D., 1995. "Networking and growth of young technology-intensive ventures in China," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 10(5), pages 349-370, September.
    2. Thomas Grebel & Andreas Pyka & Horst Hanusch, 2004. "An evolutionary approach to the theory of entrepreneurship," Chapters, in: John Foster & Werner Hölzl (ed.), Applied Evolutionary Economics and Complex Systems, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Cantillon, Richard, 1755. "Essai Sur La Nature du Commerce en Général," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number cantillon1755.
    4. Bruderl, Josef & Preisendorfer, Peter, 1998. "Network Support and the Success of Newly Founded Businesses," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 213-225, May.
    5. Mark Casson & Nigel Wadeson, 2007. "The Discovery of Opportunities: Extending the Economic Theory of the Entrepreneur," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 285-300, April.
    6. Mustar, Philippe & Renault, Marie & Colombo, Massimo G. & Piva, Evila & Fontes, Margarida & Lockett, Andy & Wright, Mike & Clarysse, Bart & Moray, Nathalie, 2006. "Conceptualising the heterogeneity of research-based spin-offs: A multi-dimensional taxonomy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 289-308, March.
    7. G. M.P. Swann, 2009. "The Economics of Innovation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13211.
    8. Guido Buenstorf, 2006. "Perception and pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities: an evolutionary economics perspective," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2006-01, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
    9. Birley, Sue, 1985. "The role of networks in the entrepreneurial process," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 107-117.
    10. Klepper, Steven, 1996. "Entry, Exit, Growth, and Innovation over the Product Life Cycle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 562-583, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christopher Hayter, 2013. "Conceptualizing knowledge-based entrepreneurship networks: perspectives from the literature," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 899-911, December.
    2. Hoang, Ha & Antoncic, Bostjan, 2003. "Network-based research in entrepreneurship: A critical review," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 165-187, March.
    3. Richard Harris & John Moffat, 2011. "R&D, Innovation and Exporting," SERC Discussion Papers 0073, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    4. Fabiola Baltar & Sonia de Coulon, 2014. "Dynamics Of The Entrepreneurial Process: The Innovative Entrepreneur And The Strategic Decisions," Review of Business and Finance Studies, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 5(1), pages 69-81.
    5. Jean–Luc Arregle & Bat Batjargal & Michael A. Hitt & Justin W. Webb & Toyah Miller & Anne S. Tsui, 2015. "Family Ties in Entrepreneurs’ Social Networks and New Venture Growth," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(2), pages 313-344, March.
    6. Enrico Santarelli & Hien Tran, 2013. "The interplay of human and social capital in shaping entrepreneurial performance: the case of Vietnam," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 435-458, February.
    7. Watson, John, 2007. "Modeling the relationship between networking and firm performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 852-874, November.
    8. Mehmet Bac & Eren Inci, 2010. "The Old‐Boy Network and the Quality of Entrepreneurs," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(4), pages 889-918, December.
    9. Sam Tavassoli, 2011. "A Comparative Investigation of Firms' Innovative behaviors During Different Stages of the Cluster Life-Cycle (Cover study for PhD dissertation)," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1045, European Regional Science Association.
    10. Marco Cucculelli, 2018. "Firm age and the probability of product innovation. Do CEO tenure and product tenure matter?," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 153-179, January.
    11. Hervas-Oliver, Jose-Luis & Lleo, María & Cervello, Roberto, 2017. "The dynamics of cluster entrepreneurship: Knowledge legacy from parents or agglomeration effects? The case of the Castellon ceramic tile district," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 73-92.
    12. Yli-Renko, H. & Autio, E. & Tontti, V., 2002. "Social capital, knowledge, and the international growth of technology-based new firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 279-304, June.
    13. Hervas-Oliver, Jose-Luis & Sempere-Ripoll, Francisca & Boronat-Moll, Carles, 2012. "Process innovation objectives and management complementarities: patterns, drivers, co-adoption and performance effects," MERIT Working Papers 2012-051, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Andreas Pyka & Uwe Cantner & Alfred Greiner & Thomas Kuhn (ed.), 2009. "Recent Advances in Neo-Schumpeterian Economics," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 12982.
    15. Peter Klein & Per Bylund, 2014. "The place of Austrian economics in contemporary entrepreneurship research," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 27(3), pages 259-279, September.
    16. Lindholm-Dahlstrand, Asa & Andersson, Martin & Carlsson, Bo, 2016. "Entrepreneurial Experimentation: A key function in Entrepreneurial Systems of Innovation," Papers in Innovation Studies 2016/20, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    17. Gerrit Rooks & Adam Szirmai & Arthur Sserwanga, 2009. "Interplay of Human and Social Capital in Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries: The Case of Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2009-09, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Andreas Stephan, 2014. "Are public research spin-offs more innovative?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 353-368, August.
    19. Michael Fritsch & Florian Noseleit, 2009. "Start-ups, Long- and Short-Term Survivors and their Effect on Regional Employment Growth," Jena Economics Research Papers 2009-081, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    20. Zhongmin Wang & Qing Xue, 2016. "The Market Structure of Shale Gas Drilling in the United States," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(2), pages 793-801.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    entrepreneurship; social network analysis; firm creation; IT Subsector; software industry;
    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
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cai:jiedbu:jie_004_0015. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Jean-Baptiste de Vathaire (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cairn.info/revue-journal-of-innovation-economics.htm .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.