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Explaining International Differences in Entrepreneurship: The Role of Individual Characteristics and Regulatory Constraints

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  • Silvia Ardagna
  • Annamaria Lusardi
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    Abstract

    We use a micro dataset that collects information across individuals, countries, and time to investigate the determinants of entrepreneurial activity in thirty-seven developed and developing nations. We focus both on individual characteristics and on countries' regulatory differences. We show that individual characteristics, such as gender, age, and status in the workforce are important determinants of entrepreneurship, and we also highlight the relevance of social networks, self-assessed skills, and attitudes toward risk. Moreover, we find that regulation plays a critical role, particularly for those individuals who become entrepreneurs to pursue a business opportunity. The individual characteristics that are impacted most by regulation are those measuring working status, social network, business skills, and attitudes toward risk

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    Bibliographic Info

    Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 14012.

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    Date of creation: May 2008
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    Publication status: published as Silvia Ardagna, Annamaria Lusardi. "Explaining International Differences in Entrepreneurship: The Role of Individual Characteristics and Regulatory Constraints," in Josh Lerner and Antoinette Schoar, editors, "International Differences in Entrepreneurship" University of Chicago Press (2010)
    Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14012

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