Purpose – Although it has been recognised that many entrepreneurs operate in the informal economy, little is so far known about their reasons for doing so. The purpose of this paper is to begin to unravel entrepreneurs’ rationales for trading in the informal economy in order to consider what...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of intermediary platforms, such as Pandora and Spotify, in reducing piracy of digital music. Design/methodology/approach – The authors modify a predator-prey theoretical framework of copyright piracy to account for the impact of...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the long-run impact of federal government healthcare subsidies on the level of entrepreneurship as measured by self-employment. Design/methodology/approach – Using annual healthcare and employment data from 1948 through 1999, the paper...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether public corruption influences entrepreneurial activity in the USA. Because the true underlying level of corruption is inherently unobservable, it cannot be factored into business venturing decisions. The authors hypothesize,...

Purpose – Small businesses play a vital role in job creation and economic growth, and previous studies have noted that higher state tax rates may reduce entrepreneurial activity, growth, and hiring. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of immigrant and ethnic enclaves on the success of entrepreneurial ventures as measured by firm profits and viability. Design/methodology/approach – Data on entrepreneurs and their new firms were provided by the Kauffman Foundation...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the obstacles encountered by current and potential entrepreneurs. The authors explore the areas associated with starting and running a business in which entrepreneurs find difficulties. Furthermore, the authors explore which entrepreneurs...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development of the SME sector in Australia, concentrating on a number of key areas: small business definitions and numbers; the role of government; the emergence of key industry groups; and the evolution of education,...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of the combined (Federal and state) estate, inheritance, and gift (EIG) tax burden per decedent on the number of firms in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – Estimates are based on a longitudinal panel of 50 American states...