Jarle Aarstad | Western Norway University of Applied Science (original) (raw)

Papers by Jarle Aarstad

The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2021

We study whether business incubator management collaboration with R&D milieus affects incubated e... more We study whether business incubator management collaboration with R&D milieus affects incubated entrepreneurs to also collaborate with R&D milieus in different regional contexts. Empirically, we analyse 281 Norwegian entrepreneurs in 32 different business incubators. Incubator collaboration with R&D milieus increases entrepreneur collaboration with R&D milieus in sparsely but not densely populated regions. Also, education level increases collaboration with R&D milieus (plus investor milieus and international customers). Entrepreneur collaboration with R&D milieus is positively associated with market orientation and perceptual performance but tends to delay enterprise development.

Papers in Regional Science, 2018

Despite that previous studies have examined factors that affect location decisions of enterprise ... more Despite that previous studies have examined factors that affect location decisions of enterprise R&D investments, they have not investigated if regional industry structures play a role. Responding to this research gap, we analyse data from Norway and find that location in regions with unrelated, diversified, and fragmented industry structures increases both the probability and amount of enterprise R&D investments. Location in regions with related and complementary industry structures, on the contrary, has no effect. We further find that location in populous regions spanning a large geographical area increases the probability of enterprise R&D investments.

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Oct 25, 2022

Purpose This study aims to investigate how and to what extent structural network properties affec... more Purpose This study aims to investigate how and to what extent structural network properties affect dyadic negotiation behavior in tourism destination ecosystems. Specifically, this study addresses negotiation behavior in terms of problem-solving and contending, because these two key strategies reflect the integrative and distributive aspects of dyadic interactions. Design/methodology/approach This study relies on network data and dyadic survey data from nine mountain tourism destinations in Southeastern Norway. The structural network properties the authors research are triadic closure – the extent to which a dyad has common ties to other actors – and structural equivalence – the similarities in networking patterns that capture firms’ competition for similar resources. In addition, the authors also study a possible effect of relationship duration on negotiation behavior. Findings Triadic closure and relationship duration have positive effects on problem-solving, and structural equivalence tends to decrease problem-solving, although the effect is inconsistent; none of these three independent variables was found to affect contending negotiation behavior. Research limitations/implications This study shows that a dyad’s structural network embeddedness has implications for negotiation behavior. Further research is encouraged to develop this theoretical perspective. Originality/value This study is a pioneering investigation of how structural network properties affect dyadic negotiation behavior in ongoing coproducing relationships in real-world destination ecosystems.

Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Mar 8, 2018

Research in economic geography has paid increasing attention to regional innovation systems (RISs... more Research in economic geography has paid increasing attention to regional innovation systems (RISs) as a potential vehicle for growth and development. Yet despite an increasing amount of research studying RISs in particular and economic regions in general, we have limited knowledge about their influence on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. We respond to this knowledge gap and study if entrepreneurs' localization in thick vs. thin RISs affects their innovativeness and growth ambitions. Thick RISs are predominately urbanized spaces that include organizations of higher-level education, R&D intensive milieus, and an ample industry sector, while thin RISs to a lesser degree encompass these features. Empirically, we analyse 870-917 entrepreneurial firms in Agder of Southern Norway. Based on trade and labour markets, as defined by the EU's classification of local administrative units (LAU1), we identify two thick and six thin RISs in Agder. Econometric analyses show that entrepreneurs located in thick RISs are more innovative than entrepreneurs located in thin RISs, but there are no significant differences concerning entrepreneurs' growth ambitions. In light of our findings, we discuss the potential agency role played by entrepreneurial firms at a micro level on path dependent features of RISs at a macro level.

Tidsskrift for Den norske lægeforening, Feb 16, 2023

Jarle Aarstad er dr.oecon. og professor ved Høgskulen på Vestlandet, Bergen. Forfa eren har fylt ... more Jarle Aarstad er dr.oecon. og professor ved Høgskulen på Vestlandet, Bergen. Forfa eren har fylt ut ICMJE-skjemaet og oppgir ingen interessekonflikter. Regnefeil og tvilsom forutsetning for referanseperiode gjør at Folkehelseinstitu et måler overdødelighet i 2022 for lavt. Overdødelighet betyr at totaldødeligheten i en bestemt befolkning i en gi periode er høyere enn forventet (1). Estimert overdødelighet er prosentuell økning i totaldødelighet sammenlignet med en historisk referanseperiode hvor en antar omtrent normal totaldødelighet (2).

Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, Oct 23, 2013

Many inter-firm networks take a skewed power-law- or scale-free distribution in which one or a fe... more Many inter-firm networks take a skewed power-law- or scale-free distribution in which one or a few central actors are connected to numerous peripheral actors. Research argues that central actors can act as early adopters and catalysts for the adoption of technological innovations, but studies are inconclusive regarding central actors’ de facto role in this matter. Peripheral actors in scale-free networks tend to cluster, which implies that they are structurally embedded and mutually dependent. A major thesis in this paper is that clustered peripheral actors in scale-free networks may restrict central actors’ propensity to adopt innovations, and as a result impede their diffusion. The paper discusses which implications this may have for stakeholders in the private and public sector domain and practitioners of strategic management.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Nov 8, 2010

Tidsskrift for Den norske lægeforening, May 8, 2023

Forfa eren har ikke oppgi noen interessekonflikter. Takk for kommentar til denne deba artikkel (1... more Forfa eren har ikke oppgi noen interessekonflikter. Takk for kommentar til denne deba artikkel (1). E er hva jeg kjenner til er det de feilaktige estimatene som i overveiende grad har bli gjengi i media. Avslutningsvis skriver Ann Kristin Skrindo Knudsen og Hanne Gulseth som for øvrig: «De beste diskusjonene får vi imidlertidig når kritikken er basert på korrekt informasjon. Vi mener Aarstad baserer sin kritikk av vår bruk av referanseperiode på en misforståelse av hva innholdet i tabell 1 viser til.» All den tid tabell 1 inneholdt feilaktige beregninger, noe også forfa erne innrømmer, sliter jeg med å forstå meningsinnholdet i sitatet.

International Journal of Management and Network Economics, 2014

Industrial inter-firm networks and interpersonal networks often take a so-called scale-free distr... more Industrial inter-firm networks and interpersonal networks often take a so-called scale-free distribution in which numerous peripheral actors are connected to one or a few highly central actors. Previous research has argued that central actors in scale-free networks will be late adopters of innovations and obstruct technological change. This paper argues, on the contrary, that central actors may tend to be early adopters and will consequently facilitate technological change. It furthermore argues that a network's scale-free distribution can moderate technological change. The paper discusses how the theorising advanced here can have implications for our understanding of the diffusion of technological- and innovative change in the society at large.

Journal of Entrepreneurship, Sep 1, 2012

Research shows that structural holes and network connectivity are associated with entrepreneurial... more Research shows that structural holes and network connectivity are associated with entrepreneurial performance. Yet the explanatory variables will tend to be correlated, and multicollinearity may skew the results. The use of instrumental variables can nevertheless generate reliable estimates. The methodology can also identify possible reverse causal orders. Here a network of rural entrepreneurs building their own hydroelectric micro-power plants is studied. The use of instrumental variables shows that structural holes and network connectivity have strong and additive effects on performance, and with a particular focus on rural entrepreneurs in developing countries, the findings’ implications are discussed.

Journal of Strategy and Management, Feb 11, 2014

Purpose – Many networks take a small-world structure, with a high degree of clustering and shortc... more Purpose – Many networks take a small-world structure, with a high degree of clustering and shortcut ties that reduce the path-length between the clusters. It can be argued that small-world networks have benefits that are simultaneously related to network closures and the spanning of structural holes, but research on the network members’ performance is nonetheless inconclusive. The purpose of this paper is to argue that the concept of resource idiosyncrasy can explain the mixed findings. Firm idiosyncratic resources are not easily generalizable across enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – Industries may vary in terms of resource idiosyncrasy, and the paper elaborates how this can moderate shortcut ties’ effect on performance in an inter-firm network. Findings – If resource idiosyncrasy predominates in an industry, the paper proposes that inter-firm shortcut ties may increase performance, whereas shortcut ties may decrease performance if non-idiosyncratic resources predominate. Originality/value – Applying the concept of resource idiosyncrasy as a moderating variable, the paper aims to explain shortcut ties’ effect on performance in an inter-firm network. The theory advanced here can have practical implications and also motivate future empirical studies to gain further knowledge about small-world networks’ effect on performance.

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Jan 22, 2011

Divan et al 1 find that prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phone use is associated with beha... more Divan et al 1 find that prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phone use is associated with behavioural problems at age 7 years. The study controls for relevant confounders, but the results nevertheless indicate that unobserved heterogeneity is present, I argue. What particularly draws my attention is the declining effect of prenatal and postnatal cell phone use on behavioural problems for the birth years between 1998 and 2000 (see tables 1 and 2 in Divan …

International Journal of Epidemiology, Nov 8, 2011

hence may already know of their places of sex. In such situations, the proposed typology of sex w... more hence may already know of their places of sex. In such situations, the proposed typology of sex work could be introduced in current outreach efforts fairly easily, and attempts could be made to incorporate the main place of sex into pre-existing monitoring tools. Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to R.B.

African Journal of Business Management, Dec 7, 2011

Scholars argue that studies in business administration, more than other fields of study, expose s... more Scholars argue that studies in business administration, more than other fields of study, expose selfinterest and narrow economic assumptions. This can have negative consequences for ethical attitudes to stakeholders beyond a firm's shareholders. To study this, we carried out a controlled experiment and examined if economic incentives affected a cohort of business students' ethical attitudes to vulnerable stakeholders in a developing country as compared to a cohort of engineering students. For the business students, we found that economic incentives tended to legitimize an ethically questionable investment on issues that were related to relativism and egoism. The results were the opposite for the engineering students. Women were more ethically sensitive than men on issues that were related to universal fairness. The study discusses the findings' implications for management theory, education, and practice.

Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, Mar 4, 2013

Successful tourism destination development rests upon how actors internalize and integrate a shar... more Successful tourism destination development rests upon how actors internalize and integrate a shared strategy. In general, tourism enterprises can manage inter-firm integration on a continuum from conventional and individualistic collaboration with ad hoc coordination, to collaboration administered through common ownership. An advantage of the latter form is that the actors can act in a coherent and unified way. This research note argues how a scale-free distribution – with one or a few dominant and numerous small actors – can enable a destination to achieve an integrated and shared strategy. It also calls for future studies on scaling behaviour in the tourism industry.