This paper studies the influence of cultural and economic variables on differences in the level of self-employment in more than twenty Western nations and Japan, for the period 1974-1994.

The central question in this paper is how many small-business owners employ fewer personnel than they really need, and what factors can provide an explanetion for this phenomenon. Data on more than 300 Dutch small-business owners show that about 18% of them hire fewer personnel than needed.

Using disaggregated data for Dutch manufacturing industries over the period 1975-1986 we find considerable evidence that the price-cost margins of small firms do not tend to follow those of large firms. These findings support the theory that small firms pursue a strategy of producing in distinct...

This paper investigates the impact of union coverage on sectoral wages in the Netherlands. The estimates imply that wages are around 5 per cent higher if all workers are covered by a collective agreement that if non is covered.

It is generally acknowledged that the size-class distribution of enterprises in a country is an important characteristic of its economy. The EU countries are increasingly co-operating and adjusting to each other's needs in order to achieve optimal joint output. However, country differences -at...