Publications
IfM Bonn publishes its research findings primarily in its publication series: study results are published as "IfM-Materials" - or in condensed form as a "Denkpapier" (summary). Statistical analyses and results appear in the series "Daten und Fakten". Discussion and technical papers from all research areas are published as "Working Papers".
In addition, until 2012 selected articles were published in the series "Schriften zur Mittelstandsforschung" (Gabler Verlag). Under the "External Publications" tab, you find numerous essays by IfM researchers that have appeared in (peer-reviewed) specialist journals and external publication series.
581 Results
Working Papers | 2025 Public childcare – its impact on gender equality in entrepreneurship revisited
The paper at hand analyzes the impact of public childcare provision on start-up rates of women and men in Germany based on public statistical data covering the years 2012 to 2018.
Facts and figures | 2025 Business successions in Germany 2026 to 2030
There are no official statistics that provide reliable information on succession events.
External publication | 2025 Contextualizing the Canon: Sociohistorical Change and the Future of Entrepreneurship Research
In this paper, the authors examine canonical studies of entrepreneurship since the mid-19th century ...
Chartbooks | 2025 Self-employed women becoming mother - The consequences for their employment
The birth of a child represents a signicant break in the employment history not only of paid employed women but also of self-employed women.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2025 Local Entrepreneurship Helps Places Bounce Back After Extreme Weather Shocks
The presence of entrepreneurial organizations in an economy is associated with greater regional resilience to external shocks. Why?
External publication | 2025 Silicon Valley entrepreneurship: Reflection on a popular myth
Silicon Valley entrepreneurship is regarded as a model for regionally concentrated and globally successful high-tech entrepreneurship.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2025 Psychological costs as a key factor in the bureaucratic burden on businesses
Compliance costs measured in terms of time and financial resources significantly underestimate the bureaucratic burden on companies.
External publication | 2025 Interference in children’s affairs An exploratory study about the role of self-employed parents
The literature on entrepreneurship suggests that children of self-employed parents are more likely to become self-employed themselves due to parental role models and socialisation.
External publication | 2025 Business succession in Germany: The role of women-led businsses
In Germany, around 38,000 owner-managed businesses are up for succession every year.
IfM-Background-Paper | 2025 The SME sector in the face of US tariffs
The unilateral tariff policy of the current US administration represents a serious departure from the rules-based global trading system in terms of the level of the (threatened) tariffs and their application to almost all countries and industries.
IfM-Materialien | 2025 Self-employed craftswomen as (expectant) mothers – results of a survey conducted across North Rhine-Westphalia
This study analyses the professional and operational consequences of pregnancy and maternity for self-employed craftswomen in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2025 Crafts entrepreneurship: A new perspective on the role of the Big Five trait "conscientiousness"
This paper presents new findings on the entrepreneurial role of the "conscientiousness" trait from the Big Five personality model, as illustrated by self-employment in the crafts sector.
Facts and figures | 2025 The relationship between birth of a child and women's self-employment
The birth of a child often represents a significant break in the employment history of women in paid employment. We investigate whether this also applies to self-employed women.
External publication | 2025 Comparing the Prediction Performance of Random Forest, Lasso, and Logit in the Context of IPO Withdrawal
This paper examines the prediction of IPO withdrawal using machine learning methods and conventional regression.
External publication | 2025 Young and small firms and resilience to extreme weather events
Regions with high levels of entrepreneurial initiative, in which there are many young and small businesses, are more economically resilient to extreme weather events.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2025 Time or Money? Mothers and Start-up Decisions
How do parental leave policies influence mothers’ decision to become an entrepreneur? This study finds: A reduction in parental leave duration significantly lowers the likelihood that mothers start their own business.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2025 Content and communication channels for successfully addressing women with the topic of entrepreneurship
There is a gender gap regarding entrepreneurship in Germany: women are less likely to start new businesses than men.
External publication | 2025 Why reducing psychological costs in public tenders is more important for SMEs than reducing bureaucratic effort
This article presents the findings of a research project conducted by IfM Bonn on the bureaucratic burdens faced by SMEs in the construction industry when participating in public tenders.
External publication | 2025 No time to lose in research and innovation policy
The German federal government has set out in its coalition agreement a comprehensive catalogue of measures on education, research and innovation.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2025 What really helps young People start a Business
Young people are vital drivers of innovation and economic renewal.