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Ruta Aidis

George Mason University, USA

It’s great to be part of this new initiative to make research accessible to a broader audience of policymakers and academics

IZA World of Labor role

Author

Current position

Senior Fellow, Schar School for Policy and Government, George Mason University; CEO and Founder, ACG Inc.

Research interest

Small and medium-size enterprise development (SMEs), entrepreneurship and public policy, female entrepreneurship development, international development, gender issues, economic and institutional development, migration issues, entrepreneurship education and training, quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Website

https://rutaaidis.wordpress.com/about/

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Consultant, UN High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment; Consultant, DFID, UK

Past positions

Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in Entrepreneurship and Governance, University College London, 2003–2006; Summer School Assistant Professor, London School of Economics, 2005; Assistant Professor, Maastricht School of Management, 1995–2000.

Qualifications

PhD Economics, Tinbergen Institute and the University of Amsterdam, 2003

Selected publications

  • “Mapping the gendered ecosystem: The evolution of measurement tools for comparative high-impact female entrepreneur development.” International Journal for Gender and Entrepreneurship (Forthcoming) (with J. Weeks).

  • “Size matters: Entrepreneurial entry and government.” Small Business Economics 39 (2012): 119–139 (with S. Estrin and T. Mickiewicz).

  • “Institutions and entrepreneurship development in Russia: A comparative perspective.” Journal of Business Venturing 23 (2008): 656-672 (with S. Estrin and T. Mickiewicz).

  • “Illegal entrepreneurship experience: Does it make a difference for business performance?” Journal of Business Venturing 22:2 (2007): 283–310 (with M. van Praag).

article(s)

  • Do institutions matter for entrepreneurial development? Updated

    In post-Soviet countries, well-functioning institutions are needed to foster productive entrepreneurial development and growth

    Ruta Aidis, August 2023
    Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the differing impact of institutions on entrepreneurship development is undeniable. Several post-Soviet countries benefitted from early international integration by joining the EU, adopting the euro, and becoming OECD members. This process enabled entrepreneurship to develop within institutional contexts where democratic and free market principles were strengthened. In general, however, post-Soviet economies continue to be characterized by higher levels of corruption, complex business regulations, weak rule of law, uncertain property rights and often, lack of political will for institutional change.
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