The typology of entrepreneurial exporters: has it all been said? An empirical approach using latent class segmentations

Abstract

This paper aims to research the driving forces of wages across the countries of the European Union (EU-28) during the period 2006-2018. We apply structural equation modelling to analyse relationships between observed variables and latent variables, focusing on factors explaining wages. Based on the literature review, we hypothesized that innovation, budgetary deficit and the rate of unemployment predict wages across EU-28 countries. Our results suggest that innovation is a significant factor in explaining wages. The budgetary deficit has a significant negative impact on wages, while the effect of rate of unemployment is insignificant. The findings of our research underline the importance of policies that accelerate the growth in labour productivity, particularly those which boost innovation and ensure macroeconomic stability, efficient markets, and an adaptable and skilled workforce.