Alessandro Nuvolari
Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa
Pier Angelo Toninelli
University of Milano-Bicocca
Michelangelo Vasta
Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena
Abstract
In this paper we employ a “quantitative” prosopographical approach to study the nature and the determinants of entrepreneurial success. Our main source is the “Biographical Dictionary of Italian Entrepreneurs” which contains very detailed information on 608 major Italian entrepreneurs active over more than two centuries. Our findings indicate the multidimensional nature of entrepreneurial success, comprising both a strictly economic and a “celebrity” dimension. Concerning the determinants of success, our findings point to the “political” nature of Italian capitalism.
Jel Codes
N73-74; N83-84; L26
