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Although business advice has been linked to entrepreneurial outcomes, it is subject to information asymmetries and market failure. We argue that the knowledge concerning from whom to take advice before starting a new firm is more easily accessed in areas with high start-up rates which therefore ameliorates market failure. The study is based on surveys of 599 new firm founders in England and 381 new firm founders in Catalonia. A series of probit and heteroskedastic probit models are employed to investigate not only the probability of taking advice but also the variance in that probability, which reflects uncertainty. Supporting our view, the findings show that the taking of advice in the places with higher start-up rates exhibit less variation compared to other localities. We also find differing effects of place on the take up and variation of private sector and public sector advice. Implications from the findings are discussed

Universities are increasingly expected to engage in regional innovation policy. This has reinforced the need for organizational adaptation of university structures to respond to these new challenges. Recently, a variation in the typical knowledge transfer structures has emerged: strategic network interface units. These units are multidisciplinary and cluster-like formal networks led by universities in collaboration with businesses, government authorities and other organizations. This paper compares the organizational adaptation of two universities–the University of Aveiro and the Autonomous University of Barcelona–as they assume increased responsibilities in regional innovation dynamics. Through interview-based analysis, findings suggest these interface units were created to support the alignment of the universities with smart specialization strategies and EU priority areas for accessing funding. However, while the original aims of these units are very similar, their institutional and operational configuration has led to different cooperative arrangements. Transversal communication based on trust and capacity-building was an important supporting factor in the innovation impact of these units.

Based on an institutional perspective, this study examines the influence of the social desirability of entrepreneurship on early-stage entrepreneurs' internationalization and the moderating role of home country economic freedom. Using data from 45,454 early-stage entrepreneurs in 48 countries for the period 2005–2016, we find that the social desirability of entrepreneurship negatively affects early-stage entrepreneurs' internationalization, and that economic freedom positively moderates this relationship. The study contributes to the literature by showing how the home country institutional context affects the level of early-stage entrepreneurs' internationalization across countries.JEL CLASSIFICATION: F23; L26; O17

This paper examines pre-start determinants of the demand for publicly funded external support to new ventures. It also investigates the effects of different types of such support on subsequent firm growth. Adopting resource-based and information asymmetry approaches, the paper argues that the entrepreneurs who ask for publicly funded pre-start support are more likely to face information asymmetries with regard to resource providers, which in turn depend on their level of human and social capital. It also suggests that intangible support oriented towards knowledge generation would be the most beneficial. A series of two-stage treatment effects models applied to a representative sample of new firms in Navarra (Spain) offer considerable support to our predictions. Implications for research and policy are discussed. ; The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support received to conduct this research from the Government of Navarra under project PA03018. Support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology is also acknowledged (Projects ECO2010-21242-C03-01, ECO2010-21242-C03-03 and ECO2010-21393-C04-03).

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the nature and factors that influence student evaluation of the teaching performance of university teachers by integrating two areas of research: services marketing and higher education.Design/methodology/approachA set of hypotheses were developed taking into consideration customer (student), employee (teacher) and service (course) characteristics. They were then tested using data from 952 courses for a three‐year period and employing different multivariate techniques.FindingsStudents basically evaluate the expertise, attitude and behavior of teachers. The results also indicate that this evaluation is a complex phenomenon that depends on factors related to teacher, student and course profiles.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the nature of the data used here, future studies should extend the scope of research to other institutions, examine quality from an objective standpoint and include teachers' perceptions and the outcomes of their research activity.Practical implicationsBased on the results of this paper, the authors recommend the following: to permit teachers to teach the same courses repeatedly, allowing them to consolidate their practice; to provide training in teaching techniques and ethics; to pay particular attention to those students who move to another degree program; and to maintain an appropriate class size.Originality/valueThis study integrates two areas of research and proposes a wide range of service quality determinants in the context of higher education, including several factors that had not been previously considered.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse how entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and the family control of the company influence the performance of underachieving firms and how they contribute to economic recovery.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test the authors' predictions on a unique and representative sample of 1,500 Spanish small firms in high and medium technology manufacturing and service industries. Given the nature of the dependent variable, the authors estimate a series of regression models to test the hypotheses. In addition, the authors consider two interaction terms where the underperforming firms' variable is interacted with family firms and EO.FindingsThe results of analyses show that both EO and family ownership separately increase subsequent performance for underachieving firms.Originality/valueThe study contributes to expand the literature on underperforming firms analysing how strategic and structural factors affect the performance of firms that face an economic downturn. It also provides some guidance for practitioners on the decision and contexts that better serve the economic recovery of underperforming firms.

Policies targeting human capital formation and entrepreneurial training contribute not only to enhance opportunity‐seeking entrepreneurship, but also to territorial economic performance by enhancing the growth aspirations of entrepreneurs.