What attracts young talent from Taiwan to start businesses in mainland China? A fuzzy analytic hierarchy process study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Innovation and entrepreneurship drive technological evolution, social progress, and economic development. With technological competition and a stagnant economy, innovation and entrepreneurship appear to be promising approaches to growing a country’s economy. Accordingly, in this study, we identified factors influencing the entrepreneurial process by systematically integrating the opinions of 43 experts into 5 aspects and 21 key indicators by using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. We focused on young Taiwanese entrepreneurs starting their businesses in China. The results revealed that marketing and business development, venture fund support, investment financing, interpersonal resources and convenience administrative service were exerted the greatest influence on the entrepreneurs’ decision-making process. The findings can serve as a reference for fostering a more entrepreneur-friendly environment, especially in China, whose government has actively encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship by, in part, attracting young talents from Taiwan. These results can also provide a reference for scholars interested in the field of youth entrepreneurship research.