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TIM-troduction: Astrid Marinoni

  
And now we have Astrid Marinoni of Georgia Tech which is in Atlanta, Georgia. Astrid, you recently won the Best Dissertation at the 2022 Annual Conference. Congratulations! So…

What are your research interests right now?

My research is at the intersection of regional entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial policy, and strategy. My areas of interest are immigrant entrepreneurship, the consequences of entrepreneurship on broader societal outcomes, and the role of location on startups' success.

What do you think is your most exciting contribution to academia?

I think my most exciting contribution is to tackle relevant but challenging research questions by drawing on work in economics, strategy, as well as work related to the sociology of entrepreneurship and innovation.

At the 2022 Conference you won an award from TIM. Tell us about your dissertation and why you think its findings are important.

The three papers in my dissertation link “micro” phenomena, such as the creation of new businesses and the determinants to innovation, to broader social dynamics such as immigration, inequality, and culture. In my first paper, I find that immigration increases immigrant entrepreneurship only in areas with a low presence of co-nationals. This can be explained by labor market frictions in those areas, which push immigrants to pursue entrepreneurship as last resort. These results suggest that immigrants might be better off in enclaves, and that dispersion policies might increase entrepreneurship, but a low-quality type.

In my second paper, I study the effect of high-quality entrepreneurship on the income distribution. I find that though entrepreneurship increases average incomes for everyone, those gains are highly skewed, with the top 1 percent absorbing more than 80%. This paper suggests that governmental investments in high-growth entrepreneurship might end up favoring already rich individuals.  

The third paper examines the relationship between culture and innovation. Its findings suggest that scientific breakthroughs, besides having an impact on growth and productivity, also influence the political and cultural discourse in the long-term. I believe the findings are important as they can inform managers and policymakers about topics that are very relevant nowadays.

Tell us something personal about yourself.

I enjoy trying out different cuisines and exploring the food scenes in new places. I also love hiking, snowboarding and being outdoors, besides being an avid soccer fan.

Thanks Astrid!

If you (the reader) would like to be profiled for a TIM-troduction, or would like to nominate someone else, please contact us at: tim@aom.org.

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