The Distinctiveness of Female Entrepreneurship in Post-Transition Countries: The Case of Central Europe and the Baltic States

Abstract

Female entrepreneurship has an increasingly significant role in the development of the world economy. In developed countries, there are special incentives and support for the development of entrepreneurship, which are designed for women. However, in post-transition countries, the situation is different, because the initiatives they spawn face obstacles that discourage the development of female entrepreneurship. The main purpose of this chapter is to investigate the influence of factors (technical and technological development, economic, demographic, institutional, and cultural factors) on female entrepreneurship in post-transition economies. The aim of this chapter is to identify the influences of the external environment on female entrepreneurship by using appropriate methodology, as well as to rank the post-transition economies on the basis of macro-level factors, in order to identify the countries that have the most favorable environment for female entrepreneurship. The study includes post-transition countries in the European Union, i.e., the Baltic States, as well as transition countries which belong to Central Europe. The study is conducted by applying the VIKOR method and method for determining attribute weight based on the subjective and objective integrated approach, as well as the correlation and comparative analysis.