Entrepreneurial Support Research Articles

Immersed in Coleman's bathtub: multilevel dynamics driving new venture survival in emerging markets

PurposeThe authors probe the relationships between country institutional support for entrepreneurship and new venture survival. Specifically, the authors unpack the nuanced influences of entrepreneurs' perceived environmental uncertainty and their subsequent entrepreneurial behavioral profiles and how this particularly bolsters venture survival in contexts with underdeveloped institutions for entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachColeman (1990) ‘bathtub’ framework is applied to develop a model and propositions surrounding how and when emerging market entrepreneur's perceptions of their countries institutional support toward entrepreneurship can ultimately enhance new venture survival.FindingsEntrepreneurs' interpretations of regulatory, cognitive and normative institutional support for private enterprise helps them embrace uncertainties more accurately reflective of “on the ground” realities and stimulates constructive entrepreneurial behaviors. These are critical for increasing survival prospects in characteristically turbulent, emerging market contexts that typically lack reliable formal resources for cultivating nascent ventures.Practical implicationsThis paper has implications for international policymakers seeking to stimulate and sustain entrepreneurial ventures in emerging markets. The authors shed light on the practical importance of understanding the social realities and interpretations of entrepreneurs in a given country relating to their actual perceptions of support for venturing—cautioning a tendency for outsiders to over-rely on aggregated econometric indices and various national ‘doing business' rankings.Originality/valueThis study is the first to create a conceptual framework on the mechanisms of how entrepreneurs in emerging economies affect new venture survival. Drawing on Coleman's bathtub (1990), the authors develop propositional arguments for a multilevel sequential framework that considers how developing economies' country institutional profiles (CIP) influence entrepreneurs' perceptions of environmental uncertainty. Subsequently, this cultivates associated entrepreneurial behavior profiles, which ultimately enhance (inhibit) venture survival rates. Further, the authors discuss the boundary conditions of this regarding how the national culture serves to moderate each of these key relationships in both positive and negative ways.

ASSESSMENT OF MEASURES OF STATE SUPPORT OF THE SOCIO-ORIENTED SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY DURING THE PANDEMIC

The presented article evaluates the measures of state support for the socially oriented business during the pandemic. The purpose of the study is to assess its functioning and determine the most popular measures of state support. The object of the research is the entrepreneurial structures.
 The method of research, which is used to evaluate activities and examine the measures of state support used, is a survey. Questionnaire questions provide information about the development of the socially oriented sector and the measures of state support that are applied and used. As part of the survey, measures of state support entrepreneurship for the economy sector are assessed from the standpoint of being in demand during the pandemic.
 As a result of the study, differences were revealed in the individual support measures used by socially-oriented businesses at various time intervals of the pandemic. The most demanded measures and the most frequently used by the business sector the economy are identified. The results obtained make it possible to determine the differences in social and economic policy.

Youth Entrepreneurship in Germany: Empirical Evidence on the How, the Why, the How Many, the Who and the When

Youth entrepreneurship is an increasingly prominent aspect of entrepreneurship support policies, but there is surprisingly little relevant research-based empirical evidence. This research gap is particularly noticeable when it comes to the personal and contextual factors that steer young people’s decision to start a business. Using statistically representative survey data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for Germany, we apply logit regressions to determine the influence of 10 independent variables on the likelihood of starting a business. We distinguish between 18–24-year-olds and 25–64-year-olds as well as between founders and non-founders. Self-efficacy in entrepreneurial skills, fear of failure and gender are the strongest influencing variables for the person-related factors and knowledge of other founders for the contextual factors. For younger people, the formal level of education and the perception of local entrepreneurial opportunities do not play a role in the decision to start a business, whereas they are very important for older people. Our results suggest that start-up promotion policies should explicitly address the empirically proven factors of youth entrepreneurship instead of a ‘one size fits all’ policy for new businesses, regardless of the age of the founders.

‘Take it easy’: how informal institutions shape an emerging economy Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

ABSTRACT While it is widely acknowledged that entrepreneurial processes are embedded in an institutional framework, understanding exactly how institutions impact Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs) remains a challenge. This is especially the case for informal institutions, and in particular those not directly related to entrepreneurship support. This paper contributes to this gap by addressing the question: How can an informal institution – not directly related to entrepreneurship support – shape entrepreneurial processes within an EE? It relies on a qualitative case study of a regional EE in Colombia, drawing on direct observation, semi-structured interviews, and secondary data analysis. ‘Take it easy’ was identified as an informal institution of the Colombian Caribbean where the analysed EE is located. Contrary to expectations, ‘take it easy’ does not refer to laziness; rather, it refers to doing things calmly, including conflict avoidance and an a preference for entertainment. While ‘take it easy’ is specific to this case study, the notion that informal institutions linked to individual agency and behaviour affect EE performance applies to any context.

IS FISCAL POLICY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SOCIO-ECONOMIC DRIVERS FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY IN EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES?

This research highlights the extent to which fiscal policies, along with government effectiveness, trade, economic growth, and education, influence the entrepreneurial environment, starting from the assumption that the effectiveness of public policies and the public administration support for entrepreneurship has proven to be a trigger for development and a means of reducing social inequalities and increasing well-being. Our analysis is based on a panel threshold regression model, which returns parameters for the predictors, in which there is a changing point in fiscal policy as the threshold variable on entrepreneurship activity. The database consisted of annual data from 2002-2019, referring to the European Union’s member states, presented visually based on the data mapping process to evidence the hierarchy of the EU countries for each of the analysed phenomena. Our results evidenced tax policy, trade, and government effectiveness as significant influential factors in stimulating entrepreneurship in EU countries. Although GDP growth and education positively influenced entrepreneurial activity, the statistical tests did not confirm it. Therefore, Governments can encourage entrepreneurial opportunities through harmonised tax legislation with EU regulations and a lighter regulatory burden and policies that foster competition, lower taxes, increase transparency and provide open access for all businesses.

Contextual Factors, Individualism Value, and Theory of Planned Behavior That Affect Student Entrepreneurial Intention in Indonesia

This study integrates predictions from the theory of human values and combines contextual support with the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a form of research renewal. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism by which internal factors in humans (individualism values) and contextual factors (contextual support) with entrepreneurial intentions use a sample of 200 students or who have graduated in Indonesia. This study uses the Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ) to measure the theory of planned behavior, Portraits Value Questionnaire (PVQ) to measure individualism values, and the entrepreneurial support model (ESM) to measure contextual support. The data analysis method uses Partial Least Square (PLS) - Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results showed that individualism values (self-enhancement, and openness to change) had a positive and significant effect on students' entrepreneurial intentions. Contextual support (perceived educational support, perceived relational support, and perceived structural support) has a positive but not significant effect and the theory of planned behavior has a positive and significant role on student entrepreneurship intentions. Self-enhancement and openness to change cannot be mediated by Subjective Norms on student entrepreneurship intentions.

Study on Digital Economy for Rural Relative Poverty Governance in Anhui Province

Since the 18th Party Congress, the Chinese government has actively promoted anti-poverty strategies and achieved the goal of poverty eradication as scheduled. However, poverty governance is not over, and the problem of relative poverty still exists. By analyzing the development of digital economy and the current situation of rural relative poverty in Anhui Province, this paper further explores the theoretical mechanism of digital economy for rural relative poverty governance. Finally, four measures are proposed: continuously increasing the construction of digital technology infrastructure, developing entrepreneurship support policies, promoting a fair social income distribution system, and actively promoting the urbanization process, so as to establish a long-term poverty alleviation mechanism to address relative poverty.

Entrepreneurship education and graduate’s venture creation activities: roles of entrepreneurial support and entrepreneurial capabilities

Entrepreneurship education and graduate’s venture creation activities: roles of entrepreneurial support and entrepreneurial capabilities

Does University business incubator boot the Entrepreneurial Intention and Entrepreneurial Decision among students: A case study in Vietnam

Boosting entrepreneurial intention (EI) and entrepreneurial decision (ED) among Vietnamese students is a hot topic with many researchers and policymakers. Based on the TPB theory, this study analyzes factors influencing students' EI and ED. It is emphasized that EI plays a mediating role between entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), entrepreneurial education (EE), entrepreneurial support policy (ESP), and ED. In addition, university business incubators play a moderating role between ESE and EI and between EI and ED. A data set of 295 students was collected in most universities in Vietnam, and the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) model was used for the data analysis. The study outcomes demonstrated that all suggested factors positively impacted EI and ED, except that students with good ESE would skip the EI phase and go straight to ED. In other words, the mediating role of EI could have been better, even when University business incubators appeared. Another interesting result was that University business incubators performed better in the EI and ED relationship than ESE and EI. The research results provide scientific proof for the university and policymakers to build entrepreneurial training programs, ESP, and improve UBI's operation, promoting entrepreneurship among students.

Strengthening Legal Legality of Local Culture Creative Works to Support Entrepreneurship in the Tourism Field

Local cultural copyrighted assets have the potential to support entrepreneurship programs in the tourism sector because, in addition to being numerous and varied, they also have a close emotional relationship in the form of a sense of belonging to the supporting community. However, in practice, these copyrighted assets are problematic in terms of the legality of their ownership due to the weakness of the documents underlying the legal ownership relationship, so these local cultural assets often fall under foreign claims. Another problem is the legal institution that underlies it as an intellectual property right; there is an intersection of conceptions in the relationship between private ownership and communal ownership. This qualitative research uses an empirical normative legal approach by investigating written law as a new legal institution, examining legal principles regarding the applicability of law, studying article by article as a legal formality, and binding it as a force of legislation. The normative approach uses library research with secondary data sources, including conventions, laws, and regulations in Indonesia and journals on the legality of cultural copyright assets. While the empirical approach describes the enactment of the law regarding the legality of cultural copyright assets and analyzes the application of legal institutions regarding communal intellectual property in Makassar City. An empirical approach is used to explore data and information about the maintenance of the legality of cultural copyright assets, and the effects of legal weaknesses on the development of the tourism industry conducted through in-depth interviews with the Regional Office of Law and Human Rights of South Sulawesi, Makassar City Education, and Culture, distributing questionnaires to 100 respondents in Makassar City. The population determined is observers and actors of cultural arts activities in Makassar City. Each population has an equal opportunity to be selected as a sample, so by using a simple random sampling technique, the population is not sorted or stratified first. To determine the sample of informants to be interviewed, purposive sampling was carried out deliberately by the researcher based on certain criteria or considerations. The conclusion of the research shows that the confusion of conceptions can temporarily be overcome because it has been accommodated by Copyright legislation and has not shown any deviation between conceptions. Another conclusion is that the weakness of the legality of local cultural copyright ownership significantly affects the development of local culture-based tourism businesses.

Do psycho-entrepreneurial traits and social networks matter for innovativeness among Saudi female entrepreneurs?

PurposePsychological and entrepreneurial traits have been widely studied as explicative variables of encouraging entrepreneurial behavior, while their impact on innovative activity is less explored. This study examines whether, how and why psycho-entrepreneurial traits and social networks effect innovativeness among women firm owners.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis of data collected from 304 Saudi women entrepreneurs accompanied by business accelerators provides a wide support with some notable exceptions. We use Structural Equation Modeling technique to estimate how different constructs interact with each other and jointly affect directly or indirectly women's innovativeness behavior in Saudi Arabia.FindingsFindings point out that innovativeness is positively and significantly affected by emotional intelligence, internal locus of control, entrepreneurial alertness and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The construct of entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediates the relationship between both business and personal networks and innovativeness. However, professional forums and mentors have no significant effect on innovativeness.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample selection is limited to two entrepreneurial support structures especially business accelerator and business incubator. Expanding the context to other support structures can reinforce the implications and provide more valuable results.Practical implicationsThe findings are likely to be of applicability for improving women entrepreneurship by entrepreneurial support structures.Originality/valueThis research is original in the sense that it investigated useful insights of innovativeness among Saudi female entrepreneurs.

Global development agenda meets local opportunities: The rise of development-focused entrepreneurship support

Emerging economies provide abundant opportunities for entrepreneurship with social impact, but they often lack the resources to support it. This dilemma has led to the emergence of “development-focused entrepreneurship support” (DFES), which is typically provided by development organizations in the Global North, and which targets impact-oriented entrepreneurs operating in the Global South. This study examines, based on rich qualitative data from the U.S., Rwanda and Uganda, how international DFES organizations (iDFESOs) support entrepreneurs. We show that iDFESOs link entrepreneurship support to development goals, and thereby make entrepreneurs part of development aid chains. Towards this end, iDFESOs build three interrelated support infrastructures – or “scaffolds”: individual resource channels, local ecosystem capacity, and transnational infrastructures. Findings have important implications for entrepreneurship and international development research, while also raising critical questions about new dependencies between Global North and Global South.

Transformational and transactional leadership, organizational support and environmental competition intensity as antecedents of intrapreneurial behaviors

In an era of constant changes, organizations need to promote innovative thinking that leads to intrapreneurial behaviors. The current study aims to explore how leadership style (transformational and transactional leadership), organizational support for entrepreneurship, and the intensity of competition relate to employee intrapreneurial behaviors. Two studies were conducted to answer the research questions. In the first study, a paper-based survey was distributed to 464 employees. Following the first study's result, 150 manager-employee dyads were examined. Employees were asked to evaluate their manager's leadership style and the amount of organizational support, while their managers evaluated the employee's intrapreneurial behaviors and the intensity of the competition in the organization's environment. The results show that both transformational leadership and transactional leadership are connected to intrapreneurial behaviors via the mediation of organizational support. However, in a highly intense competitive environment, transformational leadership exhibits a stronger relationship with organizational support, which mediates the connection of the former with intrapreneurial behaviors. The results of the current study extend previous findings suggesting that both transformational and transactional leadership have positive effects on employee intrapreneurial behaviors. However, to actualize intrapreneurial development, an organization must provide support and help allocate both tangible and intangible resources accordingly.

To what extent are the self-employed satisfied? A focus on involuntariness and forms of dependency in Europe

This article aims to investigate how job satisfaction varies for different types of self-employment classified on the basis of working conditions – genuine vs. dependent – and the motivation to enter self-employment – voluntary vs. involuntary – in different institutional contexts. First, it analyses how job satisfaction is affected by the cumulative experience of different forms of economic and operational dependency, and by the involuntariness of entering self-employment. Second, it studies how differences in job satisfaction between types of self-employment are modulated by the country's entrepreneurship support environment. The analyses are based on the 2017 ad-hoc module on self-employment of the EU-LFS. Results show that the negative consequences of being self-employed on an involuntary basis, the accumulation of forms of dependency, and the lack of business opportunities all influence the job satisfaction of the self-employed without employees and small entrepreneurs.

Drivers, Challenges, and Support of Student Entrepreneurship at the University of Lagos, Nigeria

Universities have been known to declare the intention to graduate students who are entrepreneurial and innovative in ways that spur socio-economic development. However, the outright increase in the rate students pursue white-collar jobs and delist from active entrepreneurial life has become alarming. There is more to student entrepreneurship development than teaching courses and setting up entrepreneurship centres. This study adopted a mixed-method approach to explore the drivers, challenges, and support available for student entrepreneurs at the University of Lagos. The study employed qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data from 15 students (*10 randomly selected through the university entrepreneurship centre and five students yet to engage with the university entrepreneurship centre). A researcher-designed open-ended questionnaire and key informant interview guide were used to gather data from the respondents. Responses from the questionnaire were synthesized and converted to quantitative data manually. In contrast, responses from the key informant interviews were coded into themes and stated verbatim in line with the study's objectives. The results showed that the craving for financial independence was the top of the reasons why students engage in entrepreneurship. In contrast, the inability to combine entrepreneurship with school activities served as one of the major challenges for student entrepreneurs. However, student entrepreneurs also need help with significant challenges, such as lack of funding, lack of support from the University, and difficulty balancing academic demands with entrepreneurial pursuits. The study also recommends that the university timetable and yearly schedule be designed to allow student entrepreneurs to balance their academic responsibilities with the demands of their businesses. Overall, the findings of this study have implications for universities, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Critical Issues and Trends in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in Higher Education in the Post-COVID-19 Era in China and Spain

In the post-COVID-19 era, where innovation and entrepreneurship as an engine for economic development is a top priority for each country, acquiring various skills through innovation and entrepreneurship education is a trend for higher education students. We focus our analysis on two public universities in China and Spain with some similarities in the implementation of innovation and entrepreneurship education. To obtain our information, we conducted interviews with multiple experts in both universities. The study shows that both countries provide funding and policies to promote innovation and entrepreneurship education as innovation and entrepreneurship education is seen as making the university more visible, both at the national and international levels, and as providing society with employment opportunities. We conclude that although innovation and entrepreneurship education design and definition in both universities are different, their development characteristics and trends are the same. Moreover, both universities face common difficulties, namely financial support, management support, and integration with different disciplines. Finally, innovation and entrepreneurship education promote also internationalization and regional development, which requires both countries to strengthen foreign language education and the provision of more entrepreneurial support services.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Interaction between Government Policy, Funding and Networks (Study on Entrepreneurship in West Java)

This study examines the entrepreneurial ecosystem in West Java, Indonesia, and explores the interaction between government policy, funding, and networks in shaping the ecosystem. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews with entrepreneurs and key regional stakeholders. The findings suggest that government policy, such as tax incentives and support for small and medium enterprises, is critical in creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurship in the region. Funding and networking opportunities were identified as essential components of the ecosystem. The study highlights the need for more investment-ready businesses and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs in the region. The study also identifies several challenges entrepreneurs face in the region,including limited access to funding and networking opportunities, and regulatory barriers. The study concludes that continued support for entrepreneurship in the region is necessary and suggests areas for future research, including the impact of specific government policies, cultural factors, and technology on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in West Java. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the factors that shape the entrepreneurial ecosystem in West Java and has important implications for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to support entrepreneurship in the region.

Unpacking the effect of institutional support on international corporate entrepreneurship in entrepreneurial support systems

Unpacking the effect of institutional support on international corporate entrepreneurship in entrepreneurial support systems

Stuck in short-term, daily operations, or not?: Unraveling SME's long-term orientation.

Long-term orientation (LTO) is an essential strategic option for firms to shape their future success, in particular for SMEs which are often submerged by daily operations. Surprisingly, little is known about the underlying personal and contextual drivers of LTO in an SME context. To unravel why some SME entrepreneurs adopt an LTO, while others seem to be stuck in short term and daily operations, we consider the (interacting) impact of both personal and contextual drivers. We carefully select well known drivers for their impact on various other aspects of SME's LTO: Need for achievement, as a personal driver, and the entrepreneur's perception of the institutional entrepreneurial support (PIES), as a contextual driver. The latter consists of a regulative, normative and cognitive institutional dimension. Based on a study on 176 SMEs in an emerging country, Indonesia, we confirm that both personal as well as contextual drivers individually and interactively impact an SME's LTO. Specifically, when highly achievement motivated entrepreneurs perceive that institutional regulations support entrepreneurial activities, they tend to adopt a higher level of LTO. We discuss implications for SMEs and policy makers, and provide suggestions for future research.

TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AS A CHALLENGE OF THE DIGITAL ERA

Nowadays, universities in general generate and transfer fundamental knowledge, when businesses have necessities to use this theoretical knowledge in practice. Partnerships, that are directected towards gaining new knowledge, create new discoveries, which are useful for the whole society. Every university has a mission to prepare every student for the future career. The goals of the modern universities cannot be limited to scientific work and creating competent, desired specialists. Universities, by the support of the business initiatives, have all the chances to become centers of the entrepreneurial thinking, which, in long term, accelerates the well-being of the social and economic states. It is openly admitted, that the main outcome of the entrepreneurial support for the student/alumni is the development of entrepreneurial thinking, entrepreneurial culture, formation of the entrepreneurial skills under behavioral economics. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, teaching entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial thinking, entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial skills.