The Economics of Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship

Provides a timely and comprehensive overview of self-employment and entrepreneurship in our modern economy.

Simon C. Parker (Author)

9780521030632, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 31 July 2006

344 pages, 8 tables
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm, 0.517 kg

As self-employment and entrepreneurship become increasingly important in our modern economies, Simon C. Parker provides a timely, definitive and comprehensive overview of the field. In this book he brings together and assesses the large and disparate literature on these subjects and provides an up-to-date overview of new research findings. Key issues addressed include: the impact of ability, risk, personal characteristics and the macroeconomy on entrepreneurship; issues involved in raising finance for entrepreneurial ventures, with an emphasis on the market failures that can arise as a consequence of asymmetric information; the job creation performance of the self-employed; the growth, innovation and exit behaviour of new ventures and small firms; and the appropriate role for governments interested in promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship. This book will serve as an essential reference guide to researchers, students and teachers of entrepreneurship in economics, business and management and other related disciplines.

1. Introduction
Part I. Entrepreneurship: Theories, Characteristics and Evidence: 2. Theories of entrepreneurship
3. Characteristics of entrepreneurs and the environment for entrepreneurship
4. Ethnic minority and female entrepreneurship
Part II. Financing Entrepreneurship: Debt Finance for Entrepreneurial Ventures
5. Debt finance for new start-ups
6. Other sources of finance
7. Evidence of credit rationing
Part III. Running and Terminating an Enterprise: 8. Labour demand and supply
9. Growth, innovation and exit
Part IV. Government Policy: 10. Government policy: issues and evidence
Part V. Conclusion: 11. Conclusions.

Subject Areas: Business & management [KJ], Labour economics [KCF]