Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Are Credit Unions In Ecuador Achieving Economies Of Scale?, Nick A. Marchio

Economics Honors Projects

This study tests the assertion that membership growth in credit unions is constrained by their unique structural features, such as their non-profit mission and member-based ownership. Although these features enhance inclusiveness, existing theory suggest that they work against efficiency when membership grows too diffuse. To address this issue, this study uses a model that takes into account existing theory on constrained-optimization in credit unions and theory on the adverse effects of diffuse ownership. Using data on 36 public credit unions in Ecuador, the empirical analysis finds evidence that credit unions can achieve economies of scale despite their problematic structural features. …

Fisher Management Regimes And Fisheries Governance In Floodplain Wetland Of Assam, Ganesh Chandra

Ganesh Chandra

Assam is endowed with copious aquatic wealth in the form of beels, swamps, ponds and rivers. The floodplain wetlands (beels) extending over one lakh hectare, constitute the most important fishery resource of the state. The beels are considered as one of the most productive ecosystems owing to their characteristic interactions between land and water system. These wetlands are the common property resource and under different management regimes. Livelihood of fishers’ family from time immemorial is dependent upon fishing in floodplain wetlands. Fishers include the actual fishermen belonging to the Schedule castes and the Maimal community of the district of Cachar. …

Defining And Measuring Entrepreneurship For Regional Research: A New Approach, Sarah A. Low

Sarah A. Low

A strong correlation might exist between entrepreneurship and long-term regional

employment growth (Acs and Armington, 2003). Entrepreneurship may be a more

sustainable economic development strategy than alternatives, like industrial recruitment,

because entrepreneurs tend to locate in their home region. Research and policies on

fostering entrepreneurship are hindered, however, by the lack of a clear definition and

measure of entrepreneurship (Bruyat and Pierre-Andre, 2000). Multiple definitions of

entrepreneurship, often flawed, lead to contradictory findings that fuel policymaker

confusion (Tamasy, 2006). Most importantly, the commonly used measures of

entrepreneurship ignore innovation—a long established defining attribute of

entrepreneurship for economic development. This is …