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Training Propensity of Startups
in Switzerland: A Study Based on Data
for the Startup Cohort 1996-97
-- Spyros Arvanitis and Tobias Stucki
New firms are important drivers of economic growth. Apprenticeship training is, primarily in
German-speaking countries, a widespread practice of skill formation. In this study, we combine these two
facts and analyze the determinants of the training propensity of startups in Switzerland. This study is
based on data for Swiss firms founded in 1996-97 that were collected in the years 2000, 2003 and
2006 respectively by means of a postal survey among those firms, which still existed at that time. The use
of this dataset allows us to analyze how the determinants of training propensity change with
increasing firm age.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Venture Capital Exit: In Pursuit of Optimal Strategy
-- Raghupathy M B and Thillai Rajan A
The study of venture capital exit has started gaining momentum since the last decade. Though
valuation and pricing still remain the important areas in decisions relating to exit, other factors like the
selection of appropriate timing, optimal exit route, etc. too are being studied extensively. This report
summarizes the studies relating to the exit route and exit timing of venture capitalists and provides an optimal
exit strategy. Though this report does not explicitly consider the factors influencing the exit design
involving exit route and exit timing, these factors have been mentioned while explaining the other
major objectives. Of the studies related to decisions regarding the optimal exit route, identification
and grouping of five basic routes have been reviewed and summarized. Additionally, certain
variants relating to the exit routes, like the partial exits, foreign IPOs, use of convertible securities, etc.,
have also been covered usefully. Finally, a review of the studies relating to the exit timing decisions has
been made. Studies related to this commonly acknowledge the fact that IPO can be used for early exit
and trade sales, buybacks, secondary sales and write-off, in the descending order. Based on the
studies related to exit type and timing, appropriate exit strategies have been evolved with different
combinations of type and timing. This is expected to give some beneficial guidelines to the executives of venture
capital firms as well as to entrepreneurs.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Skdrdp's Successful Experiment
with Group Entrepreneurship
-- Devaraj K and Vidyavathi K
Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), launched in the year 1982 by Dr.
D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala, a small temple town in South India, aims at
the upliftment of rural poor. SKDRDP is active at present in the State of Karnataka in South India,
where it is engaged in an intensive fight against poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, alcohol abuse,
gender discrimination, division of villages on the lines of caste, creed and money power. SKDRDP has
promoted various income-generation activities in production and service sector. Self-help groups are
motivated, trained and assisted in setting up group ventures to help the poor rural
women earn their own income and escape poverty permanently through
self-employment or entrepreneurship. The SIRI Gramodyoga Yojane of SKDRDP is
the focus of this research paper due to its central role in group
entrepreneurship promotion among poor rural women. It is under this program, many women earn their livelihood from group ventures. Many women
support themselves and their families through the income they earn from their entrepreneurial activities. In
this paper, the authors have made an attempt to understand the key support structure and identify the
success factors for creating, developing and sustaining group enterprises.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Self-Employed Artisan Entrepreneurs: An Empirical Study of Lock Manufacturing Units
in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu
-- G Jeyanthi
Self-employment is widely viewed as an important engine of economic and employment growth.
This study attempts to examine the entrepreneurial performance of units in terms of their size of
investment, number of workers, level of production, etc. Results show that entrepreneurial performance
variables are positively and significantly correlated in rural and urban units. An attempt has been made in
this paper to highlight the problems faced by entrepreneurs and finding a way out of the problems
through suitable government policies like liberalized credit policies, exemption in tax rates, setting up of
an association, etc. The study emphasizes that there is a need to enhance awareness among
entrepreneurs regarding utilization of services provided by supporting agencies.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved. |
