This paper explores the significance of individuals and their particular assets of experience and networks, as the key influence to the growth process of the high technology cluster in Cambridge. There is substantial evidence that serial entrepreneurs may develop a high level of social capital and play an important role in shaping the formation of clusters in which they operate. Their multiple ...

Approximately 16.7% of output in high-income OECD countries is produced informally. Across these countries, the size of the informal economy is positively related to tax rates and negatively related to governance quality. While existing models of the informal economy mostly focus on developing countries, this paper studies the mechanisms behind the informal economy in high-income countries. I b...

Urban social entrepreneurs have been suggested to play an essential part in the success of local health promotion initiatives. Up to now, roles like these have only been identified in retrospect. This prospective collaborative study explored the possibilities of institutionalizing a comparable role for a 'health broker' in four Dutch municipalities as an additional investment to promote health ...

This paper reports on a locally initiated investigation into the suitability of the Internet in helping to meet the information needs of women in small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the textile industry in Botswana. The background is the stated government policy to encourage the development of SMMEs and the Internet infrastructure. The question is, how likely are women entrepreneurs...

This study differentiates female entrepreneurs from male entrepreneurs using the Big-Five Personality Model. The five factors include adjustment, sociability, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and intellectual openness. Adjustment determines confidence versus instability. Sociability measures extraversion versus introversion. Conscientiousness determines impulsiveness versus cautiousness. Agree...

This study examines perceived entrepreneurial ability, perceived obstacles to important business relationships, and performance of firms in the Midwest using social learning and social identity theories. From a survey of 68 entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial self-efficacy reduced obstacles to key business relationships and enhanced business performance. Firm age and entrepreneur age did not affect ...

Entrepreneurship is seen as a viable and powerful job engine for the U.S. economy. In 2008, 18.7% of workers 18-64 were either an owner-manager of an established business or involved in early-stage entrepreneurial activity For many women, entrepreneurship has been hailed as a welcoming workplace with great opportunity. Studies and growth projections by government and trade organizations such as...

Despite the recent enthusiasm for charter schools as a policy alternative for improving student learning, studies indicate that they are not increasing student achievement over traditional public schools (Bettinger 2005; Crew & Anderson 2003). Nevertheless, legislative activity in the states suggests that charter schools as a policy alternative is gaining support on the public agenda. Agenda se...

This paper focuses on the quality of entrepreneurs when individuals, who di¤er in terms of entrepreneurial ability and wealth, choose between entrepreneurship and wage-earning. A loan is required to become an entrepreneur. Four wealth classes form endogenously. Banks’ inability to identify the ability of individuals leads them to o¤er pooling contracts to the poor and the lower-middle classes. ...

Anyone who is inclined to think that the " Reading Wars " are over, or that the main warriors in these wars are only professional educators and researchers who support either whole language or phonics approaches to reading will continuously rethink their views during the reading of Reading across International Boundaries: History, Policy, and Politics. Openshaw and Soler have compiled a collect...