Etla » Working Papers

Network! Network! Network! How global technology start-ups access modern business ecosystems

Antti-Jussi Tahvanainen — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:56:09 +0000

Abstract: This study explores the very first mile in entrepreneurial networking by examining what entrepreneurs really do to connect to critical stakeholders and, thereby, to integrate into foreign business ecosystems. Reverting to explorative, inductive methodology, the study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by approaching networking from a rare angle; networking as practice. The study examines (i) the precepts and principles that direct the start-ups’ networking efforts, (ii) the practices they employ to identify relevant partners and establish connections to them, (iii) the practices they make use of in the interface of newly established connections to sway and commit the respective partners to their cause and network, and finally (iv), the practices that offshore governmental agency nodes apply to help start-ups assimilate to foreign local ecosystems. We found that firms need to embrace and learn how to exploit serendipitous networking opportunities to gain access to stakeholders that purely ansoffian planning approaches could never uncover. The exploitation of serendipity necessitates flexibility with regard to the start-ups’ existing product or service concepts, strategies and business plans because in the serendipitous mode these are often re- and co-designed with newly encountered stakeholders. Many of the actual networking practices were found to have evolved together with the progress of other dominant megatrends such as the spread and acceptance of social and other digital media. Such progress seems to have endogenously affected some of the conventional cultural tenets of networking, helping to bypass hierarchical gatekeepers in organizations, for instance. In addition, the diffusion and acceptance of more content- and context-rich communication techniques such as social and mobile video, prototyping and story-telling have made pitching a proposal faster, more holistic, experiential and interactive. We further found that offshore governmental agency nodes can play a decisive role in accelerating and facilitating the integration of foreign newcomers into a local ecosystem. Important prerequisite for the capability to provide such services is a respected and established status within the ecosystem, a vast, cross-sectoral network, and professional employees with hands-on industrial experience in the respective ecosystem.

Julkaisuvuosi: 2013
Sivuja: 32
Hinta: 15 €
Kieli: englanti

ETLA Working Papers No 4
ISSN 2323-2439

Matching in the housing market with risk aversion and savings

Niku Määttänen — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 07:14:14 +0000

Abstract:We develop a model of the housing market that features both financial and matching frictions. In the model, risk-averse households may save or borrow in order to smooth consumption over time and finance owner housing. Each household either rents or owns its house. Some renter households become dissatisfied with rental housing and want to buy a house. Prospective sellers and buyers meet randomly and bargain over the price. We show how the outcome of the bargaining process depends on buyer’s and seller’s asset positions. The results also illustrate how financial frictions magnify the effects of matching frictions. For instance, because of the borrowing constraint, some matches do not result in trade and identical houses are traded at different prices.

Julkaisuvuosi: 2013
Sivuja: 34
Hinta: 15 €
Kieli: englanti
ETLA Working Papers No 3
ISSN 2323-2439 (pdf-online)

ICT and occupation-based measures of organisational change: Firm and employee outcomes

Antti Kauhanen — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:13:08 +0000

Abstract: To examine the productivity, employment and wage effects of ICT, we apply novel occupation based measures of organisational change within firms. With these measures, we directly address the complementarities between ICT and organisational changes. Our results support the view that organisational change complements ICT investments in a productivity-enhancing manner. In particular, the ICT-driven productivity gains are associated with the destruction of routine and non-interactive tasks in an organisation. Furthermore, using longitudinal aspects of our linked employer-employee data, we find that whereas ICT does not affect the probability of an employee becoming unemployed, it has a positive impact on the wage growth of retained employees.

Julkaisuvuosi: 2012
Sivuja: 39
Hinta: 15 €
Kieli: englanti

ETLA Working Papers No 2
ISSN 2323-2439

Micro-components of aggregate wage dynamics

Antti Kauhanen — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:16:38 +0000

Abstract: We propose an approach for measuring and analyzing the dynamics of standard aggregate wage growth of macro statistics with micro-data. Our method decomposes aggregate wage growth to the wage growth of job stayers and to various terms related to job and worker restructuring. This method produces explicit expressions with clear interpretations for the various restructuring components and therefore opens new opportunities for a deeper analysis of various micro-level mechanisms and their cyclicality. The methodology also allows us to study many topics simultaneously that have previously been studied in isolation. Using comprehensive longitudinal employer-employee data over an extended period of time, we study how job and worker restructuring influences aggregate wage growth and its cyclicality. We show that wage formation is significantly more flexible than suggested by the aggregate numbers, and we identify the microlevel mechanisms that explain the greater flexibility.
This version: December 7, 2012

Julkaisuvuosi: 2012
Sivuja: 54
Hinta: 15 €
Kieli: englanti

ETLA Working Papers No 1
ISSN 2323-2439