IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/asiapa/v36y2019i4d10.1007_s10490-018-9573-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are entrepreneurial cultures stable over time? Historical evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Sonja Opper

    (Lund University)

  • Fredrik N. G. Andersson

    (Lund University)

Abstract

Are entrepreneurial cultures stable over time? In this paper, we use historical measures of the outgrowth of entrepreneurial culture in China and test whether these correlate with entrepreneurial activities today. We employ provincial panel data from China documenting the regional distribution of entrepreneurial activities during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and private firm activities in post-reform China (1992–2012). Our study finds a significant association between the regional distribution of historical and current measures of entrepreneurship, supporting (1) the long-term stability of underlying regional cultural differences; and (2) the adaptability of entrepreneurial activities to changing institutional arrangements and relative payoff structures. These results are robust to numerous alternative explanations, including geography, agglomeration advantages, education, and technology. Our findings suggest that government efforts to encourage new business ventures—if they are to have more than short-term effects—will need to take into account local cultural norms.

Suggested Citation

  • Sonja Opper & Fredrik N. G. Andersson, 2019. "Are entrepreneurial cultures stable over time? Historical evidence from China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 1165-1192, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:36:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s10490-018-9573-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s10490-018-9573-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10490-018-9573-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10490-018-9573-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Francisco Liñán & José Fernandez-Serrano, 2014. "National culture, entrepreneurship and economic development: different patterns across the European Union," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 685-701, April.
    2. Greif,Avner, 2006. "Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521480444, January.
    3. Wang, Jue & Liu, Xiaming & Wei, Yingqi & Wang, Chengang, 2014. "Cultural Proximity and Local Firms’ catch up with Multinational Enterprises," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1-13.
    4. Guido Tabellini, 2010. "Culture and Institutions: Economic Development in the Regions of Europe," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 8(4), pages 677-716, June.
    5. Bo Wen & Hui Li & Daru Lu & Xiufeng Song & Feng Zhang & Yungang He & Feng Li & Yang Gao & Xianyun Mao & Liang Zhang & Ji Qian & Jingze Tan & Jianzhong Jin & Wei Huang & Ranjan Deka & Bing Su & Ranajit, 2004. "Genetic evidence supports demic diffusion of Han culture," Nature, Nature, vol. 431(7006), pages 302-305, September.
    6. Kevin M. Murphy & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1991. "The Allocation of Talent: Implications for Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 106(2), pages 503-530.
    7. Lu Jiao & Graeme Harrison & Maria Cadiz Dyball & Jinhua Chen, 2017. "CEO values, stakeholder culture, and stakeholder-based performance," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(4), pages 875-899, December.
    8. Davidsson, Per & Wiklund, Johan, 1997. "Values, beliefs and regional variations in new firm formation rates," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 18(2-3), pages 179-199, April.
    9. Y Paul Huo & Donna Randall, 1991. "Exploring subcultural differences in hofstede's value survey: The case of the Chinese," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 159-173, October.
    10. Li, Baibing & Martin, Elaine B. & Morris, A. Julian, 2002. "On principal component analysis in L1," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 471-474, September.
    11. McCloskey, Deirdre Nansen, 2006. "The Bourgeois Virtues," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226556635, April.
    12. Acemoglu, Daron, 1995. "Reward structures and the allocation of talent," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 17-33, January.
    13. Garry D. Bruton & David Ahlstrom & Han–Lin Li, 2010. "Institutional Theory and Entrepreneurship: Where Are We Now and Where Do We Need to Move in the Future?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(3), pages 421-440, May.
    14. Long, Cheryl & Yang, Jin & Zhang, Jing, 2015. "Institutional Impact of Foreign Direct Investment in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 31-48.
    15. Nicholas R. Lardy, 2014. "Markets over Mao: The Rise of Private Business in China," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 6932, October.
    16. Sizhong Sun, 2011. "Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Spillovers in China's Manufacturing Sector," Chinese Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(2), pages 25-42, March.
    17. Daniel DellaPosta & Victor Nee & Sonja Opper, 2017. "Endogenous dynamics of institutional change," Rationality and Society, , vol. 29(1), pages 5-48, February.
    18. Jong-Wook Kwon, 2012. "Does China have more than one culture?," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 79-102, March.
    19. Carol H. Shiue & Wolfgang Keller, 2007. "Markets in China and Europe on the Eve of the Industrial Revolution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(4), pages 1189-1216, September.
    20. Baumol, William J., 1996. "Entrepreneurship: Productive, unproductive, and destructive," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 3-22, January.
    21. Shane, Scott, 1993. "Cultural influences on national rates of innovation," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 59-73, January.
    22. Anisya S Thomas & Stephen L Mueller, 2000. "A Case for Comparative Entrepreneurship: Assessing the Relevance of Culture," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 31(2), pages 287-301, June.
    23. Michael Fritsch & Michael Wyrwich, 2014. "The Long Persistence of Regional Levels of Entrepreneurship: Germany, 1925-2005," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(6), pages 955-973, June.
    24. Yaron Zelekha & Gil Avnimelech & Eyal Sharabi, 2014. "Religious institutions and entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 747-767, April.
    25. Mike W Peng & David Ahlstrom & Shawn M Carraher & Weilei (Stone) Shi, 2017. "An institution-based view of global IPR history," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(7), pages 893-907, September.
    26. Nee, Victor & Opper, Sonja, 2012. "Capitalism from Below: Markets and Institutional Change in China," Economics Books, Harvard University Press, number 9780674050204, Spring.
    27. María-José Pinillos & Luisa Reyes, 2011. "Relationship between individualist–collectivist culture and entrepreneurial activity: evidence from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 23-37, July.
    28. James C. Hayton & Gerard George & Shaker A. Zahra, 2002. "National Culture and Entrepreneurship : A Review of Behavioral Research," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 26(4), pages 33-52, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Reynal-Querol, Marta & García-Montalvo, José, 2020. "Colonization, Early Settlers and Development: The Case of Latin America," CEPR Discussion Papers 15020, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. José García-Montalvo & Marta Reynal-Querol, 2020. "Colonization, Early Settlers and Development: The Case of Latin America," Working Papers 1189, Barcelona School of Economics.
    3. Sunny Li Sun & Weilei (Stone) Shi & David Ahlstrom & Li (Rachel) Tian, 2020. "Understanding institutions and entrepreneurship: The microfoundations lens and emerging economies," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 957-979, December.
    4. Boddewyn, Jean J. & Peng, Mike W., 2021. "Reciprocity and informal institutions in international market entry," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(1).
    5. Michael Fritsch & Michael Wyrwich, 2023. "Entrepreneurship in the Long-Run: Empirical Evidence and Historical Mechanisms," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 19(1), pages 1-125, January.
    6. Mike W. Peng & Joyce C. Wang & Nishant Kathuria & Jia Shen & Miranda J. Welbourne Eleazar, 2023. "Toward an institution-based paradigm," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 353-382, June.
    7. Michael Wyrwich & Michael Fritsch, 2023. "How does Regional Entrepreneurship Transfer over Time? The Role of Household Size and Economic Success," Jena Economics Research Papers 2023-006, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    8. Andersson, Fredrik N. G. & Jonung, Lars, 2022. "European Stabilization Policy After the Covid-19 Pandemic: More Flexible Integration or More Federalism?," Working Papers 2022:11, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    9. José Garcia Montalvo & Marta Reynal-Querol, 2020. "Colonization, early settlers and development: The case of Latin America," Economics Working Papers 1729, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    10. Zou, Na & Storz, Cornelia, 2023. "Why do some entrepreneurs thrive? A network content perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David Urbano & Sebastian Aparicio & Victor Querol, 2016. "Social progress orientation and innovative entrepreneurship: an international analysis," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 26(5), pages 1033-1066, December.
    2. Ratan J. S. Dheer, 2017. "Cross-national differences in entrepreneurial activity: role of culture and institutional factors," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 813-842, April.
    3. Rakesh Sambharya & Martina Musteen, 2014. "Institutional environment and entrepreneurship: An empirical study across countries," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 314-330, December.
    4. K. Parboteeah & Sascha Walter & Jörn Block, 2015. "When Does Christian Religion Matter for Entrepreneurial Activity? The Contingent Effect of a Country’s Investments into Knowledge," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 447-465, August.
    5. María-José Pinillos & Luisa Reyes, 2011. "Relationship between individualist–collectivist culture and entrepreneurial activity: evidence from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 23-37, July.
    6. Zoltan Acs & Emma Lappi, 2021. "Entrepreneurship, culture, and the epigenetic revolution: a research note," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1287-1307, April.
    7. Assmann, Daisy & Ehrl, Philipp, 2021. "Individualistic culture and entrepreneurial opportunities," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 1248-1268.
    8. Anastasiia Laskovaia & Galina Shirokova & Michael H. Morris, 2017. "National culture, effectuation, and new venture performance: global evidence from student entrepreneurs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(3), pages 687-709, October.
    9. Kim Hoe Looi & Jane E. Klobas, 2020. "Malaysian Regulative Institutional Context Moderating Entrepreneurs’ Export Intention," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 29(2), pages 395-427, September.
    10. Erkko Autio & Saurav Pathak & Karl Wennberg, 2013. "Consequences of cultural practices for entrepreneurial behaviors," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 44(4), pages 334-362, May.
    11. Chong Kyoon Lee & Griffin W. Cottle & Sharon A. Simmons & Johan Wiklund, 2021. "Fear not, want not: Untangling the effects of social cost of failure on high-growth entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 531-553, June.
    12. Bogdan Ioane MARCULESCU & Laura BRANCU & Diana Claudia SALA, 2021. "Economic Materialism And Entrepreneurial Intention In Romanian Students," Management and Marketing Journal, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 0(1), pages 46-70, May.
    13. José Fernández-Serrano & Vanessa Berbegal & Francisco Velasco & Alfonso Expósito, 2018. "Efficient entrepreneurial culture: a cross-country analysis of developed countries," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 105-127, March.
    14. Iacopetta, Maurizio, 2021. "Class differences and the Commercial Revolution: An equilibrium selection story," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    15. Pekka Stenholm & Zoltán J. Ács & Robert Wuebker, 2015. "Exploring country-level institutional arrangements on the rate and type of entrepreneurial activity," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 20, pages 387-404, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    16. Michael Wyrwich, 2020. "The value orientation of entrepreneurs in challenging institutional contexts: Insights from a unique historical episode," Jena Economics Research Papers 2020-001, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    17. John B. Cullen & Jean L. Johnson & K. Praveen Parboteeah, 2014. "National Rates of Opportunity Entrepreneurship Activity: Insights from Institutional Anomie Theory," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(4), pages 775-806, July.
    18. Danish Ahmed SIDDIQUI & Qazi Masood AHMED, 2018. "Institutionalized social technologies index: A global perspective," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(4(617), W), pages 67-96, Winter.
    19. Tang, Jintong & Yang, Jun & Ye, Wenping & Khan, Shaji A., 2021. "Now is the time: The effects of linguistic time reference and national time orientation on innovative new ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
    20. Stephan F. Gohmann & Bradley K. Hobbs & Myra J. McCrickard, 2016. "Productive versus unproductive entrepreneurship," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(2), pages 145-160, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:36:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s10490-018-9573-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.