Regional Business Environment Research Articles

Potential for Development and Limitations of Regional Business Environment

The article deals with the institutional support of the regional business environment. Due to the constant growth of social obligations of the regional and municipal authorities causing the growth of the risks of imbalances in the budgets of the respective levels, the necessity of development in the regions of favorable business environment conducive to enhancing business activity is proved. Using the methodology of the institutional matrix business model, the process of development of the institutions of the business environment in the region is analyzed. The mechanism influencing the occurrence of the specific characteristics of the institutional configuration of the regional business environment is revealed. The conclusion of the determining role of the institutional configuration of the business environment in the existing differences in the levels of socio-economic development of regions is drawn. The hypothesis is made that the maintenance of a favorable institutional configuration of the regional business environment stimulating business activity in a territory cannot be indefinitely, and its development is cyclical. The modeling of parameters of development and maintains a favorable institutional configuration of the business environment in the Russian regions is made. For the purposes of the practical application of the proposed approach, the methodological tools, which allows regional authorities to calculate the profitability of a favorable institutional configuration of the business environment and on the basis to form the business rules ensuring the growth of business activity and increase the contribution of business to socio-economic development of the region are proposed. The approach considered in the article provides an opportunity to validate the theoretical — methodological basis for the development of practical design mechanism and maintenance of a favorable long-term future of the institutional configuration of the business environment promoting the growth of business activity in a region resistant to the adverse effects of the environment.

Potential for Development and Limitations of Regional Business Environment

Potential for Development and Limitations of Regional Business Environment

Female Indigenous entrepreneurship in remote communities in northern Australia

Little is known about Australian Indigenous female entrepreneurship. Misconceptions typifying Australian Indigenous businesses are community enterprises are encumbered by research limitations, generalisations and stereotyping; the material is seldom voiced by Australian Indigenous people; and few sources detail the challenges for grass roots female Indigenous entrepreneurs in remote Australian Aboriginal communities that maintain patriarchal cultures. In this paper is described how 21 Indigenous female entrepreneurs in a remote region of northern Australia have tailored their businesses to comply with the regulatory and statutory framework of the dominant society while preserving sensitivity to the traditional cultural norms, rules, and obligations. The data were independently corroborated by Indigenous and non Indigenous men of recognised standing in the region. These empirical observations provide foundation for better informed judgements about the business environment in remote regions of Australia, which is fundamental when developing policies for delivering sustainable female Indigenous small businesses.

Generation Favorable Institutional Configuration Regional Business Environment

This article discusses the theoretical issues of creating an enabling business environment, which is the base platform for the successful development of entrepreneurship in the regions. Provides A definition of a favorable institutional configuration of the regional business environment, which refers to forms of implementing the basic institutions and other regional institutions, taking into account existing regional system of formal and informal interaction between economic actors. States that despite the measures taken, the landscape of the Russian business community in terms of regions, remains uneven, with different indices of investment and business attractiveness, there is differentiation in business conditions in the regions with similar natural and geographical conditions and resource potential, which is primarily determined by , differences in the institutional configuration of the regional business environment and quality of interaction among the business community of the region. Hypothesis about the impossibility of creating a favorable business environment, institutional configurations at the same time in all regions of the country, as well as its limited duration. Conducted theoretical and probabilistic analysis of the parameters of creating an enabling institutional configuration of the business environment in the Russian regions. Grounded approach whereby institutional configuration of regional business environment, may be subject to management and control actions through targeted by the regional authorities can accept the specified (favorable to the business community) parameters. The necessity of planning and effective management of a favorable institutional configuration of the business environment by regional authorities to increase the period of its existence.

Institutional Configurations Of Regional Businessenvironment: Projection Parameters

The article considers some issues of institutional support for developing regional business environment as the basis of successful economic development of a region. The process of regional business environment institutions forming is analyzed using the methodology of constructing a matrix-based institutional model of entrepreneurial activities. The authors conclude that it is the institutional configuration of business environment that accounts for the existing discrepancies in the levels of social and economic development among regions. Applying the instruments of institutional projecting the authors construct models of interaction between business entities and regional authorities in the context of newly introduced rules of running a business that allows to determine the parameters of optimal institutional configurations of regional business environment.

Sustainable Development through Entrepreneurial Initiatives in Center Region, Romania

Abstract: Sustainable development is one of the future directions of economic evolution for each member state of the European Union. In order to reduce the development gap between Romanian economy and the European average, our country has to support the entrepreneurial initiatives at regional level, respecting and sustaining the specific situation of each region. Education has an important role in sustaining entrepreneurship. In this paper is presented the starting point of a future research among graduated students, which is aiming to present the dimension of the entrepreneurial education: entrepreneurial competences, entrepreneurial intentions, individual employability and the impact on the society and economy. The authors of this paper will present a small research developed in “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia in order to determine the graduated students’ motivation for choosing entrepreneurship. This research has to be seen in the framework of the cooperation between university and business environment, so that the graduated students could be integrated in the regional business environment.

An econometric approach for evaluating the linkages between broadband and knowledge intensive firms

In addition to highlighting improvements in the availability and speed of broadband as a national priority, the National Broadband Plan also includes several recommendations for improving access and use of broadband by small businesses. The plan also recommends economic development officials include broadband in their local development strategies. While these are certainly import goals, more research is needed to evaluate how broadband impacts the regional business environment, and regional capacity to retain and attract businesses in particular industries. In order to further our understanding about the linkages between broadband and businesses, and the ability of places to retain and attract businesses in particular industries, this study will develop and estimate econometric models to better understand the linkages between broadband and firms in the knowledge intensive sector. Specifically, 54 metropolitan area specific models will be developed to examine regional variations in the linkages between broadband and firms in the knowledge intensive sector in 2004. Model results highlight the importance of broadband to knowledge firms in all but five metropolitan areas across the U.S. They also reveal variations in the impact of broadband on knowledge firm presence related to metropolitan area size and industrial legacy.

Business Ethics and Organizational Values in Romanian Enterprises

Business ethics has been subject to so many studies in the contemporary literature. Being a type of human activity, business can and must be also evaluated from the moral behavior's point of view, not just from the economic efficiency perspective. The goal of our qualitative study is to reveal the relationship between the ethical values and the organizational culture. It is based on a survey of 148 subjects, managers and employees who work in companies in the regional business environment of Romania, in the Mures county. We have reached a main conclusion: the implementation of ethical values is connected, through the organizational culture, to the size of the enterprise. Big companies are more likely to elaborate written ethical codes within a strategic vision and their employees acknowledge this aspect, compared with small enterprises and their workers.

Empirická analýza regionálního podnikatelského prostředí vybraných zemí EU

The article is focused on the application of multivariety classification techniques for assessing the business environment of selected European Union regions. The theoretical part deals with the issue of identifying the factors, which boost the attractiveness of regions for possible investors. In accordance with a character of used data the authors have chosen the factor analysis and the cluster analysis for the classification process. As an input for the practical analysis such data sets have been selected which describe regional business environment in the EU. The initial number of chosen regions had to be reduced because of the missing data. The ZET algorithm has been applied to complete the mising values in the remaining number of regions. The following four indicators of business environment were created on the basis of factor analysis: the indicator of quality of labour forces and innovations, the indicator of labour market, the indicator of economic activity and the indicator of demographic development. Empirical classifications were explored on two different linkages by means of created factors. Individual clusters were compared by average values of factor scores. The results of comparison were discussed.

Entrepreneurial effectiveness of European universities: An empirical assessment of antecedents and trade-offs

The phenomenon of entrepreneurial universities has received considerable attention over the last decades. An entrepreneurial orientation by academia might put regions and nations in an advantageous position in emerging knowledge-intensive fields of economic activity. At the same time, such entrepreneurial orientation requires reconciliation with the scientific missions of academia. Large-scale empirical research on antecedents of the entrepreneurial effectiveness of universities is scarce. This contribution examines the extent to which scientific productivity affect entrepreneurial effectiveness, taking into account the size of universities and the presence of disciplines, as well as the R&D intensity of the regional business environment (BERD). In addition, we assess the occurrence of trade-offs between different transfer mechanisms (contract research, patenting and spin off activity). The data used pertain to 105 European universities. Our findings reveal that scientific productivity is positively associated with entrepreneurial effectiveness. Trade-offs between transfer mechanisms do not reveal themselves; on the contrary, contract research and spin off activities tend to facilitate each other. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Regional Context of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises’ Development: Case Study of Southern Poland

The paper verifies the existence of relations between development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the particular factors of regional environment as well as demographic parameters of entrepreneurs and their enterprises. SMEs localized in Southern Poland in accordance with NUTS -1 nomenclature, which is made of two voivodeships: Lesser Poland (Malopolska) and Silesia (Śląsk), are research subjects. The main aim of the research is indication factors of regional environment which have stimulating and/or restrictive influence on SMEs development. These factors, having varied character, range and meaning, create conditions for SMEs development in a given region. The dissertation tries also to assess regional environment behaviour as well as indicate desirable directions of its changes. The study of literature including over 300 bibliographic positions as well as synthesis of conducted theoretical considerations allowed to formulate three main and twelve working hypotheses, which were statistically verified. The results of own empirical research can be used on theoretical (as inspiration to further research in this range), as well as practical field (as basis of changes for local decision-makers while creating regional business environment). The undertaken research problem has pragmatic character. Desirable directions of changes in regional business environment of small and medium-sized enterprises in Southern Poland especially including regional institutional environment as well as local policy in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises were determined on the basis of own empirical research results. The results contained in the dissertation can be used by regional business environment institutions, as empirical material made up the basis for forming recommendations directed to local decision-makers.

Regional Barriers and Stimuli of SMEs Development in Southern Poland

The aim of the paper is to present regional business framework which affects small and medium-sized enterprises’ development. The paper presents results of own empirical research, which were conducted in late-2004 year within two groups: entrepreneurs and local authorities. The research was restricted to two provinces in southern Poland (Lesser Poland Voivodeship - Malopolska and Silesian Voivodeship - Śląsk), which make up one region within the EU NUTS classification (region II). The first research group consisted of 109 micro, small and medium-sized firms random sample and the second one of 150 commune authorities. The empirical study was based on the numerous questions, which thematically can be divided into three groups: local business environment, the entrepreneurial attitude of the owner and the characteristics of the firm as well as the development of a firm. In entrepreneurs’ perceptions nationalwide factors (96,2%) and entrepreneurial attitude of entrepreneurs (94,3%) matter most on development of small and medium-sized enterprises, but regional factors in entrepreneur’s opinions also play a very important role (76,5%). The factors based in regional business environment can be divided into two groups: stimuli and barriers. On the basis of empirical research it is possible to determine upon sixteen barriers and stimuli of small and medium-sized enterprises development, in addition to which it is worth underlining, that they are common for the whole studied community, as only in two incidents statistical essential differences were proved. As far as legal form is concerned differences of financial support evaluation were affirmed (χ2 = 8,43 at p = 0,07, χ2 YATESA = 9,05 at p = 0,06). One-man private enterprises considerably more often than remaining enterprises defined this factor as a barrier. Industrial enterprises in predominant majority (considerably more often than remaining enterprises) defined public financial support as a barrier of small and medium-sized enterprises development (χ2 = 26,2 near p = 0,03), but in addition to which the level of significance in first case is rather weak. Taking additionally the percentages of confirmed dependences into account, which carried out 3% (16 factors x 4 variables characterizing each enterprise) it can be commonly accepted, that the prepared on the basis of empirical research composition of barriers and stimuli is typical for the all studied enterprises, which allow for generalizations in this range.

Impact of the Regional Business Environment on the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Southern Poland

The point of departure of this study is the assumption that there is correlation between regional factors and business success. The paper presents a regional business framework in southern Poland which affects small and medium-sized enterprises' development. The study tries to verify the impact of nine regional factors, which are: regional capital, regional initiatives, regional entrepreneurship infrastructure, regional business to business services, regional labour resources, regional infrastructure, regional mobility, regional technology and knowledge transfer and regional life standard. On the basis of these factors the aim of the study is to find out whether there is dependency between the regional factors and the success of firms, and if so, what kind of connection exists between the characteristics of the regional business environment factors and the level of small and medium-sized development in a given region (positive or negative impact).

Managerial Perception of Regional Small Business Environment in Southern Poland

The paper elaborates on managerial perception of regional business environment of small and medium-sized enterprises in southern Poland (i.e. two voivodeships: Malopolska and Slask). The paper is based on own empirical research, which was conducted in late-2004 year. The research was conducted on a random sample of 109 micro, small and medium-sized firms located in a studied region. The paper presents statistical verifications of the correlations between the eight regional environment factors and on one hand four variables describing entrepreneurs and on other hand four variables describing enterprises.

Potencjał małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw regionu południowego

The paper presents the synthetic diagnosis of the social and economical situation of thestudied region, especially referring to the state and development tendencies of small and me-dium-sized enterprises in dynamic perspective, that is in years 2001–2005. The author presentsconditions for small and medium-sized enterprises’ functioning and development, which are laidin regional business environment, on the other hand he focuses on developmental tendenciesof SMEs sector in the studied region.

Potencjał małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw regionu południowego

The paper presents the synthetic diagnosis of the social and economical situation of thestudied region, especially referring to the state and development tendencies of small and me-dium-sized enterprises in dynamic perspective, that is in years 2001–2005. The author presentsconditions for small and medium-sized enterprises’ functioning and development, which are laidin regional business environment, on the other hand he focuses on developmental tendenciesof SMEs sector in the studied region.

Innovation in the food sector: Regional networks and internationalisation

This paper focuses on the role of regional networks in processes of innovation, in relation to internationalisation. The findings are drawn from a survey conducted in the food sector in the region of Meetjesland, Belgium. The initial aim was to find out which regional characteristics are strongly related to the innovation competence of the food sector, by applying discriminant analysis. The results pointed to two factors as being the most significant: firms are classified as having a stronger innovation competence when networking within the region, and when oriented towards the international market. This finding contains an apparent paradox, which is related to contemporary research pointing at the importance of the regional business environment for the firm's performance, but also at the benefit of internationalisation. In this paper it is argued that these theories are not contradictory, and that firms gain innovation competence by searching for external knowledge on different geographical scales. The results demonstrate that the innovators in the sample tend to be operating internationally and networking within the region. Both firms and policy makers can learn from this finding by acknowledging that the region is one of the geographical scales at which the firm can make a profit. Improving regional networks is therefore a way to gain innovation competence.