IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/sbusec/v25y2005i2p159-174.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Revealing Entrepreneurial Talent

Author

Listed:
  • Francesco Ferrante

Abstract

A society’s allocation of working time to entrepreneurial, organizational and learning activities is the main factor behind technical change and economic growth. Building on Lucas (1978) and Kihlstrom and Laffont (1979), in this paper I offer evidence that the amount of working time spent by small business owners in entrepreneurial activities affects the performance of the business and reveals their entrepreneurial talent. The intuition is that it is reasonable to allocate more of our time to those activities where we realize we are more productive. As actual consumption choices reveal consumer preferences, the varying entrepreneurial content of the activities performed is a signal of an individual’s ability as entrepreneur. The results obtained suggest that the allocation of working time by small business owners: (a) throws light on their behavioral patterns; (b) is related to the owner’s human capital and to firm size; and (c) has a significant correlation with business performance. The main finding of my analysis, confirming previous studies on this topic, is that education is an important part of entrepreneurial human capital. Moreover, the latter is the main factor that can sustain small firms’ competitiveness in a globalizing economy. The entrepreneur is at the same time one of the most intriguing and one of the most elusive characters in the cast that constitutes the subject of economic analysis (Baumol, 1965, p. 64). Copyright Springer 2005

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco Ferrante, 2005. "Revealing Entrepreneurial Talent," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 159-174, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:25:y:2005:i:2:p:159-174
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-003-6448-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11187-003-6448-6
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11187-003-6448-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David B. Audretsch & Roy Thurik, 2001. "Linking Entrepreneurship to Growth," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2001/2, OECD Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gupta, Himanshu & Barua, Mukesh Kumar, 2016. "Identifying enablers of technological innovation for Indian MSMEs using best–worst multi criteria decision making method," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 69-79.
    2. Silvia Blasi & Silvia Rita Sedita, 2020. "Determinants and success factors of student entrepreneurship: Evidence from the University of Padova," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0260, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    3. Ferrante, Francesco & Supino, Stefano, 2014. "Le misure di sostegno alla nuova imprenditorialità. Le buone pratiche su scala europea, con particolare riferimento all’educazione imprenditoriale [Supporting early-stage entrepreneurship]," MPRA Paper 68930, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Muhammad Israr & Mazhar Saleem, 2018. "Entrepreneurial intentions among university students in Italy," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Salisu Isyaku, 2014. "Mediating Effect of Uncertainty Avoidance on the Relationship between Entrepreneurial Talent and SMEs Performance in Nigeria: A Conceptual Analysis," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 4(6), pages 368-383, June.
    6. Agnieszka Klucznik-Tӧrő, 2021. "The New Progression Model of Entrepreneurial Education—Guideline for the Development of an Entrepreneurial University with a Sustainability Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-16, October.
    7. Achkasov, Yu. & Pilnik, P., 2017. "Income Tax Effect on Economic Performance in Terms of Endogenous Choice between Labor and Enterprise Market," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 33(1), pages 12-27.
    8. Ferrante, Francesco & Federici, Daniela & Parisi, Valentino, 2017. "University Students and Entrepreneurship. Some insights from a population-based survey," MPRA Paper 76980, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. CHEAH, Sarah Lai-Yin & HO, Yuen-Ping & LI, Shiyu, 2020. "How the effect of opportunity discovery on innovation outcome differs between DIY laboratories and public research institutes: The role of industry turbulence and knowledge generation in the case of S," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    10. Dawn DeTienne & Melissa Cardon, 2012. "Impact of founder experience on exit intentions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 351-374, May.
    11. Ferrante, Francesco & Sabatini, Fabio, 2007. "Education, social capital and entrepreneurial selection in Italy," MPRA Paper 2451, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Mayer-Haug, Katrin & Read, Stuart & Brinckmann, Jan & Dew, Nicholas & Grichnik, Dietmar, 2013. "Entrepreneurial talent and venture performance: A meta-analytic investigation of SMEs," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 1251-1273.
    13. Funda Kılıç, 2022. "The Relationship Among Entrepreneurship Tendency, Income Level and Life Satisfaction of Future Business People: Generation Z," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(3), pages 1-1, March.
    14. Nieto, Jannine & Hernández-Maestro, Rosa M. & Muñoz-Gallego, Pablo A., 2014. "Marketing decisions, customer reviews, and business performance: The use of the Toprural website by Spanish rural lodging establishments," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 115-123.
    15. Guo, Liwen & Cheng, Zhiming & Tani, Massimiliano & Cook, Sarah & Zhao, Jiaqi & Chen, Xi, 2022. "Air Pollution and Entrepreneurship," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1196, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    16. de Bruin Anne M. & Ferrante Francesco M., 2011. "Bounded Opportunity: A Knowledge-Based Approach to Opportunity Recognition and Development," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 1(4), pages 1-23, October.
    17. Luis Medrano-Adán & Vicente Salas-Fumás, 2022. "The added value of management skill in the explanation of the distribution of firm size," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 1379-1405, March.
    18. Piero Esposito & Francesco Ferrante, 2024. "Control freaks or good parents? Entrepreneurial motivation and firms’ innovative performance," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 41(3), pages 739-769, October.
    19. Deniz Ucbasaran & Paul Westhead & Mike Wright, 2008. "Opportunity Identification and Pursuit: Does an Entrepreneur’s Human Capital Matter?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 153-173, February.

    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. Liñán Alcalde, Francisco & Santos Cumplido,Francisco Javier, 2006. "Social capital's incluence on potencial entrepreneurs/La influencia del capital social sobre los empresarios potenciales," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 24, pages 459-489, Agosto.
    2. Caliendo, Marco & Künn, Steffen & Weißenberger, Martin, 2016. "Personality traits and the evaluation of start-up subsidies," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 87-108.
    3. Hong Joo Lee, 2019. "What Factors Are Necessary for Sustaining Entrepreneurship?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-20, May.
    4. Leitão, João & Ferreira, João, 2007. "Liberalization of European Telecommunications and Entrepreneurship: Why German and Portuguese Experiences are so Equal and so Different?," MPRA Paper 5728, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Galor, Oded & Michalopoulos, Stelios, 2006. "The Evolution of Entrepreneurial Spirit and the Process of Development," CEPR Discussion Papers 6022, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Steve Talbot, 2016. "Creating a smart rural economy through smart specialisation: The microsphere model," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 31(8), pages 892-919, December.
    7. Renat Butabaev, 2015. "There is no growth without change - policy implications for transition economies," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 11(1), pages 69-84.
    8. Kameliia Petrova, 2016. "Entrepreneurship And The Informal Economy: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(02), pages 1-21, June.
    9. Braunerhjelm, Pontus, 2010. "Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Growth - past experience, current knowledge and policy implications," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 224, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    10. Renata Dana Nițu-Antonie & Emőke-Szidónia Feder & Valentin Partenie Munteanu, 2017. "Macroeconomic Effects of Entrepreneurship from an International Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-21, July.
    11. Michael Anyadike-Danes & Mark Hart & Helena Lenihan, 2011. "New business formation in a rapidly growing economy: the Irish experience," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 503-516, May.
    12. Scarpetta, Stefano & Tressel, Thierry, 2004. "Boosting productivity via innovation and adoption of new technologies : any role for labor market institutions?," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 29144, The World Bank.
    13. Soogwan Doh & Connie McNeely, 2012. "A multi-dimensional perspective on social capital and economic development: an exploratory analysis," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 49(3), pages 821-843, December.
    14. Anokhin, Sergey & Schulze, William S., 2009. "Entrepreneurship, innovation, and corruption," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 465-476, September.
    15. Emilia Vázquez & Sofia Gomes & Elvira Vieira, 2011. "Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth in Spanish and Portuguese Regions," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1537, European Regional Science Association.
    16. Doh, Soogwan & Kim, Byungkyu, 2014. "Government support for SME innovations in the regional industries: The case of government financial support program in South Korea," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1557-1569.
    17. Herrmann & Kim van der Putten, 2014. "Uraveling start-up processes with the help of sequence analyses," Innovation Studies Utrecht (ISU) working paper series 14-02, Utrecht University, Department of Innovation Studies, revised Jun 2014.
    18. Yaron Zelekha & Gil Avnimelech & Eyal Sharabi, 2014. "Religious institutions and entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 747-767, April.
    19. Nadeem Ul Haque, 2007. "Entrepreneurship in Pakistan," PIDE-Working Papers 2007:29, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    20. Christian Bjørnskov & Nicolai Foss, 2010. "Economic Freedom and Entrepreneurial Activity: Some Cross-Country Evidence," Springer Books, in: Andreas Freytag & Roy Thurik (ed.), Entrepreneurship and Culture, chapter 0, pages 201-225, Springer.

    More about this item

    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:kap:sbusec:v:25:y:2005:i:2:p:159-174. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.