Policy Instruments for High-Growth Enterprises

Abstract

High-Growth Enterprises (HGEs) have received growing interest from entrepreneurship scholars, the business press, and of course policymakers. HGEs can potentially make large contributions to economic growth, which has led to various policy initiatives. This chapter discusses the main topics surrounding policy interventions for HGEs, including a discussion of the various rationales for policy interventions. We next discuss the many areas that relate to possible HGE policy instruments. We then evaluate some previous HGE policy instruments, discuss some that have been successful, and possible areas for improvement. Our main policy suggestions are critical listening to stakeholders by policymakers, identifying the decision points (e.g., growth trigger points) to leverage the impact of growth stimuli, designing incentives in the spirit of up or out dynamics, and enhancing the coordination of HGE policies.