Prospects for Africa in the third quarter

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Ivory Coast ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Regional Economic Growth ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
The Political ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Third

Subject Prospects for Africa in the third quarter. Significance Regional economic growth is slowing from previous highs as the larger economies either strain under lower commodity prices or face slowing domestic indicators. Preparations for elections or party primaries shape the political outlook from Uganda and Tanzania, to Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Activity from Islamist militant groups sustains external and domestic attention on the need to strengthen regional security sectors; improvements are possible in Nigeria, but not Kenya.

scholarly journals Increasing small- and medium-enterprise contribution to local and regional economic growth by assessing the institutional environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyla A. Gamidullaeva ◽  
Sergey M. Vasin ◽  
Nicholas Wise
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Regional Economic Growth ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Practices ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Medium Enterprise

PurposeA neo-institutional methodology defines the entrepreneurial environment for SMEs as a multidimensional set of interacting formal/informal institutions influencing regional economic growth. Acknowledging the multidimensional nature of SME growth, this study tests an approach to measure SME institutional environment quality through the identification of regional-level determinants.Design/methodology/approachThe method used in this paper is based on Bruns et al.’s (2017) model and is tested on 81 Russian Federation regions. The approach seeks to determine variation in entrepreneurial ecosystems based on quality and estimated marginal effects of difference across geographical regions.FindingsThe most severe obstacle to SME development in Russia is its shadow economy and corruption. Access to finance, high transportation fees, and instability in the political and economic field ranks second and third, respectively. Results suggest governments should eliminate main obstacles at country-level, which hampers the SME sector's development. While this is noted for this case looking at Russia, this is a common argument found in SME research.Practical implicationsFindings from this study are useful in managerial practice, aimed at increasing innovative development and increasing the competitiveness of Russian SMEs. A neo-institutional approach is one of the theoretical strands with the emphasis on enhanced understanding of organizational behavior and social capital, including cultural norms and beliefs.Originality/valueUtilizing an extended empirical approach to assess the institutional environment for SMEs addresses a research gap – offering novel insight on SME growth useful for policy makers. The results can inform managerial practices to increase SME contribution to economic growth.

scholarly journals The nature of publicly funded innovation and implications for regional growth

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chay Brooks ◽  
Cristian Gherhes ◽  
Tim Vorley ◽  
Nick Williams
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Regional Growth ◽  
Business Model Innovation ◽  
Regional Economic Growth ◽  
City Region ◽  
Regional Innovation ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The aim of this paper is to unpack the nature of business innovation and understand the impact on regional innovation and competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a qualitative study of Advanced Manufacturing and Advanced Materials businesses in the Sheffield City Region (UK). Interviews were conducted with 23 firms in exploring how innovation in the firm translates to innovation-led regional economic growth. Findings The paper demonstrates that there is a tendency of owner managers to focus on innovation in terms of the development of new products, processes and/or services. Many of the businesses interviewed were technologically innovative, yet there was little evidence of wider business model innovation. This, the authors conclude, stymies regional innovation and with it regional economic growth. Research limitations/implications This study is based on a case study of the Sheffield City Region and is not generalizable, but offers insights into the nature of business model innovation which are valuable in generating questions for further research. Practical implications The paper highlights the need to think of innovation in broader terms and the scope of business model innovation to not only improve the performance of firms but also regional economic growth. Originality/value Business model innovation is a growing domain of the literature, and this paper highlights how narrow interpretations of innovation may serve to limit growth business growth, and with it regional economic growth.

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