Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/147825 
Year of Publication: 
2016
Series/Report no.: 
ZEW Discussion Papers No. 16-074
Publisher: 
Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW), Mannheim
Abstract: 
We investigate the extent to which complementarities between technical and business skills of founders and employees matter for the generation of market novelties by new ventures. Using data about German start-ups, we find that there are no complementarities between technical and business skills within the group of founders, but that there are significant complementarities between technically trained founders and employees who have business skills. This suggests that the innovation potential of start-ups by technically trained founders is best explored by hiring employees who are trained in business. However, a reverse relationship does not exist: There are no complementarities between founders with business skills and employees with technical skills.
Subjects: 
Entrepreneurship
Innovation
Human Capital
Skills
Complementarity
JEL: 
J24
L23
L26
M13
M51
Q31
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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