Call For Papers
Labour Market Rigidities, Human Capital and Innovation

October 22, 2013, Swedish Embassy/House of Sweden, Washington DC.

Hosted by: The Swedish Agency of Growth Policy Analysis /The Office of Science and Innovation Office at the Swedish Embassy to the US

OVERVIEW: Innovation is critical for economic advancement, such as through growth effects, firm productivity growth, employment growth, competitive disciplining of markets, and welfare effects. An extensive literature on the drivers of innovation has grown dramatically over the last few decades.

Another important research agenda, focused on the critical role and allocation of labour resources for firms, has also been well-documented. This includes questions on how capital and labour markets affect firms and their use of resources e.g., for investments in R&D.

This call for papers addresses the intersection of these two literatures. In particular, the focus is on how labour market regulations and rigidities and human capital impact new firms, incumbent firms, and interrelate with innovation and productivity. Labour market policy can have important implications for firms, and can be both conducive or disruptive to incentives for innovation. Further, education policy can play a role in generating and maintaining human capital necessary for innovative firms. The mechanisms which connect labour market rigidities and human capital to innovation, and which subsequently impact economic and macro outcomes, are not well understood.

TOPICS: We treat innovation in this context as both a behaviour and a process, e.g, to include innovative employees, investments in R&D, and outcomes of innovative process such as patents and new industry creation. Against this background we invite theoretical and empirical papers across disciplines. Papers with a multi-level approach are particularly welcome. Examples include:
- Labour market rigidities and new firm formation
- Labour market rigidities and investment in R&D
- Labour market dynamics, productivity and labour market outcomes
- Labour market regulation and change impacts on new and incumbent firms
- Education policy and its impact on human capital in entrepreneurial firms
- Regulations affecting the allocation of human capital among firms or industries
- The role of human capital in creative destruction
- Innovation as a behaviour within firms
- Innovative employees
- The process of innovation, including its relevant inputs and measurable outcomes, within firms, within an industry, or across firms and industries
- Implications of labour market regulation on economic development
- Labour mobility, human capital, knowledge spillovers and firm performance
- Educational policy and labour market implications for innovation

FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions and inquiries about scientific content can be directed to:
Johan Eklund (johan.eklund@entreprenorskapsforum.se); Sameeksha Desai (desai@indiana.edu); Rolf Höijer (rolf.hoijer@growthanalysis.se). For further information please visit the workshop webpage: http://eng.entreprenorskapsforum.se/

PAPER SUBMISSIONS/RELEVANT DEADLINES:
5-page summary to Britt-Marie.Nordestrom@entreprenurshipforum.se: Sept 2, 2013
Notification of paper acceptance: September 10, 2013
Full paper submission: October 10, 2013

ORGANIZERS:
Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum, Sweden
Swedish Agency for Growth Policy Analysis, Sweden
Indiana University, Institute for Development Strategies, USA

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
Johan Eklund, Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum &
Jonkoping International Business School
Sameeksha Desai, Indiana University
Rolf Hoijer, Swedish Agency for Growth Policy
Analysis/Office of Science & Innovation at the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC