The Finnish Paradox: The Curious Absence of High- Growth Entrepreneurship in Finland

Erkko Autio

No 1197, Discussion Papers from The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy

Abstract: This paper looks at how well Finland performs in high growth entrepreneurship and uses data from the Global Entrepreneurship monitor to benchmark Finland against other European countries. It is found that Finlands prevalence rate of high growth entrepreneurial activity lags significantly behind most of its European and all of its Scandinavian peers. That this weak performance in high-growth entrepreneurship goes hand in hand with Finland being a world leader in per capita investment in R&D may be described as a paradox. The reasons underlying the underperformance of Finland remain however unclear. At this point, explanations should be sought in culture, industrial traditions and systemic experience in high growth entrepreneurship.

Keywords: firm growth; high growth firms; gazelles (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D21 L25 M13 O12 O40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 30 pages
Date: 2009
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-ent and nep-sbm
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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