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Informal Investment in Transition Economies: Individual Characteristics and Clusters

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  • László Szerb
  • Gábor Rappai
  • Zsolt Makra
  • Siri Terjesen

Abstract

This paper investigates the factors driving informal investment in Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. Using Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data, we find that the low rates of informal investment activity and the small amounts of investments in these countries are driven by entrepreneurial behaviors consistent with limited market economy experience. We extend prior studies by investigating the role of business ownership, and identify significant differences between individuals with and without business ownership experience in terms of having start-up skills, knowing an entrepreneur and fearing failure. Cluster analysis identifies seven distinct groups of informal investors, and reveals the heterogeneity in terms of investors’ age, gender, level of education, amount of investment, start-up skills, ownership status, income, opportunity perception and country of residence. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007

Suggested Citation

  • László Szerb & Gábor Rappai & Zsolt Makra & Siri Terjesen, 2007. "Informal Investment in Transition Economies: Individual Characteristics and Clusters," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 257-271, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:28:y:2007:i:2:p:257-271
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-006-9019-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mike Wright & Judit Karsai & Zbigniew Dudzinski & Jan Morovic, 1999. "Transition and Active Investors: Venture Capital in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 27-46.
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    3. Kornai, Janos, 1990. "The Affinity between Ownership Forms and Coordination Mechanisms: The Common Experience of Reform in Socialist Countries," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 4(3), pages 131-147, Summer.
    4. Tyson, Laura d'Andrea & Petrin, Tea & Rogers, F Halsey, 1994. "Promoting Entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 165-184, June.
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    7. Tomi Ovaska & Russell S. Sobel, 2005. "Entrepreneurship in Post-Socialist Economies," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 21(Fall 2005), pages 8-28.
    8. Zoltán J. Ács & Colm O'Gorman & László Szerb & Siri Terjesen, 2015. "Could the Irish Miracle be Repeated in Hungary?," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 30, pages 584-603, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    informal investment; entrepreneurship; Global Entrepreneurship Monitor; CEE; transition economies; G24; G28; L26; M13; P20;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • P20 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - General

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