UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Growth expectations of business owners: impact of human capital, firm characteristics and environmental transition

Aidis, R.; Mickiewicz, T.; (2005) Growth expectations of business owners: impact of human capital, firm characteristics and environmental transition. (Economics Working Papers 50). Centre for the Study of Economic and Social Change in Europe, SSEES, UCL: London, UK. Green open access

[thumbnail of 17521.pdf]
Preview
PDF
17521.pdf

Download (327kB)

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical study based on a survey of 399 owners of small and medium size companies in Lithuania. Applying bivariate and ordered probit estimators, we investigate why some business owners expect their firms to expand, while others do not. Our main findings provide evidence that SME owner's generic and specific human capital matter. Those with higher education and 'learning by doing' attributes, either through previous job experience or additional entrepreneurial experience, expect their businesses to expand. The expectations of growth are positively related to exporting and non-monotonically to enterprise size. In addition, we analyse the link between the perceptions of constraints to business activities and growth expectations and find that the factors, which are perceived as main business barriers, are not necessary those which are associated with reduced growth expectations. In particular, perceptions of both corruption and of inadequate tax systems seem to affect growth expectations the most.

Type: Working / discussion paper
Title: Growth expectations of business owners: impact of human capital, firm characteristics and environmental transition
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: http://www.ssees.ucl.ac.uk/wp50sum.htm
Language: English
Keywords: Corruption, employment, human capital, SME, taxes
UCL classification: UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > SSEES
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/17521
Downloads since deposit
1,879Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item