Exploring Entrepreneurs’ Motivation: Comparison of Croatia, European Post-socialist and Developed Countries

Abstract

This article explores the entrepreneurial profiles of Croatian entrepreneurs and compares them with the profiles of entrepreneurs of post-socialist and developed European countries. Specifically, logistic regression analysis was used to find the best descriptors of the opportunity and necessity-driven entrepreneurs in Croatia, post-socialist and developed European countries. Results indicate that chances for engaging in opportunity-driven entrepreneurship in Croatia are increasing for men and those who perceive their income level and competencies for running a business as high. The likelihood of engagement in opportunity-driven entrepreneurial activity in the post-socialist context has been related to the age rather than gender and innovations in the product/market matrix or higher export expectations. The developed countries’ datasets reveal that opportunity-driven entrepreneurs have been related to higher expectations of growth through new job openings.