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Entrepreneurship and sustainability: The need for innovative and institutional solutions

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  • Ben Youssef, Adel
  • Boubaker, Sabri
  • Omri, Anis

Abstract

The role of innovation and institutional quality for achieving sustainability are important issues tackled by current sustainable development debates, particularly in developing countries. Using a modified environmental Kuznets curve model, the present study improves our understanding of the critical roles of innovation, institutional quality, and entrepreneurship in structural change toward a sustainable future for Africa. Our empirical results show that formal and informal entrepreneurship are conducive to reduced environmental quality and sustainability in 17 African countries however informal entrepreneurship contributes more than formal entrepreneurship to this environmental degradation. The relationship between entrepreneurship and sustainable development turns strongly positive in the presence of high levels of innovation and institutional quality. This study contributes to this emerging research strand by clarifying the conditions that allow African countries to move toward more sustainable economies. Our results highlight the important roles played by innovation and institutions for achieving sustainability in Africa.

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  • Ben Youssef, Adel & Boubaker, Sabri & Omri, Anis, 2018. "Entrepreneurship and sustainability: The need for innovative and institutional solutions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 232-241.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:129:y:2018:i:c:p:232-241
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2017.11.003
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; Sustainability; Innovation; Institutional quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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