El capital social y el autoempleo en EEUU: Evidencia con datos de Facebook

Social Capital and Self-Employment in the United States: Evidence from Facebook Data

Antonio Gutierrez-Lythgoe

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: This study aims to analyse disparities in entrepreneurship across the United States, taking into account the diverse socioeconomic contexts of each county and emphasizing the role of social capital structures and their connections to nearby regions. To conduct this research, we utilize data on Non-farm Proprietorships (NFP) as an indicator of entrepreneurial activity, sourced from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, in conjunction with socioeconomic and demographic variables from the US Census Bureau, and social network data from Facebook via the Social Capital Atlas project. Employing spatial econometric techniques, we examine spatial dependence patterns and reveal a statistically significant and positive spatial autocorrelation. Particularly, we identify statistically significant correlations between the proportion of connections among different socioeconomic groups and entrepreneurial activity, as well as negative correlations between the Social Cohesion Index and non-farm proprietorships. These findings corroborate the significance of "weak ties" in social networks, as theorised by Granovetter, and underscore how associations with individuals of higher socioeconomic status could invigorate entrepreneurial initiatives, carrying notable practical implications for entrepreneurship promotion and policy development.

Keywords: Non-farm proprietorship; Social Capital; Facebook data; Spatial Econometrics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 L26 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-11-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ent, nep-net and nep-sbm
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:119068

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