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Incubation Push or Business Pull? Investigating the Geography of U.S. Business Incubators

Author

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  • Haifeng Qian

    (Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA)

  • Kingsley E. Haynes

    (George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA, khaynes@gmu.edu)

  • James D. Riggle

    (George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA)

Abstract

The primary purposes of this article are to present new data on the geographic distribution of U.S. business incubators and to explore the geographically bounded factors that influence the location of business incubators. The authors’ data show that U.S. business incubators are unevenly distributed across urban/rural divisions, states, and counties. Factor analysis identifies three common factors from 28 demographic, social, and economic variables drawn from publicly available data at the county level. These factors include agglomeration, welfare, and business/entrepreneurship. The results of binomial logistic regressions suggest that incubators are more likely to be found in counties with high levels of agglomeration but low levels of existing business development. Our findings suggest support for the incubation push hypothesis over the business pull hypothesis on the location of business incubators based on the regional configuration of incubator presence.

Suggested Citation

  • Haifeng Qian & Kingsley E. Haynes & James D. Riggle, 2011. "Incubation Push or Business Pull? Investigating the Geography of U.S. Business Incubators," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 25(1), pages 79-90, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecdequ:v:25:y:2011:i:1:p:79-90
    DOI: 10.1177/0891242410383275
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Iryna Lendel & Haifeng Qian, 2017. "Inside the Great Recession: University Products and Regional Economic Development," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 153-173, March.
    2. Haifeng Qian & Kingsley Haynes, 2014. "Beyond innovation: the Small Business Innovation Research program as entrepreneurship policy," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 524-543, August.
    3. Kingsley E. Haynes & Haifeng Qian & Sidney C. Turner, 2012. "The location of business support programs: does the knowledge context matter?," Chapters, in: Charlie Karlsson & Börje Johansson & Roger R. Stough (ed.), Entrepreneurship, Social Capital and Governance, chapter 13, pages 302-324, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Mack, Elizabeth A. & Marie-Pierre, Lisa & Redican, Kyle, 2017. "Entrepreneurs’ use of internet and social media applications," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 120-139.
    5. Haifeng Qian & Zoltán J. Ács & Roger R. Stough, 2015. "Regional systems of entrepreneurship: the nexus of human capital, knowledge and new firm formation," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 14, pages 257-285, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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