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What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur? Evidence from Brazil

Author

Listed:
  • Simeon Djankov

    (the World Bank)

  • Yingyi Qian

    (UC Berkeley and CERP)

  • Gerard Roland

    (UC Berkeley and CEPR)

  • Ekaterina Zhuravskaya

    (New Economic School/CEFIR and CEPR)

Abstract

We report the results of a new survey on entrepreneurship in Brazil. In September 2006, we interviewed 400 entrepreneurs and 550 non-entrepreneurs of the same age, gender, education and location in 7 Brazilian cities. The data are used to test three competing hypotheses on entrepreneurship: the role of economic and legal institutions (security of property rights; access to credit); the role of sociological characteristics (family background, social networks); and the role of individual features (attitude towards risk, I.Q., self-confidence) in becoming an entrepreneur. In line with our previous research in China and Russia, we find that sociological characteristics have the strongest influence on becoming an entrepreneur. In contrast, success as an entrepreneur is primarily determined by the individual’s smartness and higher education in the family. Entrepreneurs are not more self-confident than non-entrepreneurs; and overconfidence is bad for business success.

Suggested Citation

  • Simeon Djankov & Yingyi Qian & Gerard Roland & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2007. "What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur? Evidence from Brazil," Working Papers w0104, Center for Economic and Financial Research (CEFIR).
    • Handle: RePEc:cfr:cefirw:w0104
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    Cited by:

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    2. K. K. Tripathy & Manisha Paliwal & Nishita Nistala, 2021. "Good Governance Practices and Competitiveness in Cooperatives: An Analytical Study of Kerala Primary Agricultural Credit Societies," International Journal of Global Business and Competitiveness, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 153-161, December.
    3. Brixiova, Zuzana & Li, Wenli & Yousef, Tarik, 2009. "Skill shortages and labor market outcomes in Central Europe," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 45-59, March.
    4. Yang, Xiaolan & Hong, Xiaoyue & Li, Wenchao, 2023. "“Only children” and entrepreneurship in China: Spillover effects and mechanisms," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    5. Lawrence Musiitwa Kyazze & Isaac Nabeta Nkote & Juliet Wakaisuka-Isingoma, 2017. "Cooperative governance and social performance of cooperative societies," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1284391-128, January.
    6. Francesco Quatraro & Marco Vivarelli, 2015. "Drivers of Entrepreneurship and Post-entry Performance of Newborn Firms in Developing Countries," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 277-305.
    7. Fiala, Nathan, 2014. "Skills in the Marketplace: Market Equilibrium, Personality and Ability in a Field-Based Experiment," Working Papers 30, University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
    8. Syed Zaheer Abbas Kazmi & Samiuddin Khan & Andras Nabradi, 2017. "What Differentiates The Entrepreneurs From Non-Entrepreneurs On Nature And Nurture?," APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, AGRIMBA, vol. 11(3-4), December.
    9. Nathan Fiala, 2013. "Skills in the Marketplace: Individual Characteristics and Bargaining Ability in a Field-Based Experiment," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1326, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    10. Martin Koudstaal & Randolph Sloof & Mirjam van Praag, 2016. "Risk, Uncertainty, and Entrepreneurship: Evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(10), pages 2897-2915, October.
    11. Fiala, Nathan, 2015. "Skills in the marketplace: Market efficiency, social orientation, and ability in a field-based experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 174-188.
    12. Marco Vivarelli, 2013. "Is entrepreneurship necessarily good? Microeconomic evidence from developed and developing countries," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 22(6), pages 1453-1495, December.
    13. Vivarelli, Marco, 2012. "Drivers of entrepreneurship and post-entry performance : microeconomic evidence from advanced and developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6245, The World Bank.
    14. Quatraro, Francesco & Vivarelli, Marco, 2013. "Entrepreneurship In A Developing Country Context," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 201314, University of Turin.
    15. Ali Sher & Saman Mazhar & Azhar Abbas & Muhammad Amjed Iqbal & Xiangmei Li, 2019. "Linking Entrepreneurial Skills and Opportunity Recognition with Improved Food Distribution in the Context of the CPEC: A Case of Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-22, March.
    16. Hakan J. Holm & Sonja Opper & Victor Nee, 2013. "Entrepreneurs Under Uncertainty: An Economic Experiment in China," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(7), pages 1671-1687, July.
    17. Robert W. Fairlie & Alicia M. Robb, 2008. "Race and Entrepreneurial Success: Black-, Asian-, and White-Owned Businesses in the United States," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 026206281x, December.
    18. Lee, Yong Suk & Eesley, Chuck, 2018. "The persistence of entrepreneurship and innovative immigrants," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6), pages 1032-1044.
    19. Barinova, Vera (Баринова, Вера) & Zemtsov, Stepan (Земцов, Степан) & Tsareva, Yulia (Царева, Юлия), 2018. "Review of Empirical Studies of Factors of Entrepreneurial Activity [Обзор Эмпирических Исследований Факторов Предпринимательской Активности]," Working Papers 031830, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    20. Elhem Ben Fatma & Ezzeddine Ben Mohamed & Léo-Paul Dana & Sami Boudabbous, 2021. "Does entrepreneurs’ psychology affect their business venture success? Empirical findings from North Africa," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 921-962, June.
    21. Holm, Håkan J. & Opper, Sonja & Nee, Victor, 2012. "Entrepreneurs under Uncertainty: An Economic Experiment," Working Papers 2012:4, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    22. Francesco Quatraro & Marco Vivarelli, 2013. "Entry and Post-Entry Dynamics in Developing Countries," GREDEG Working Papers 2013-20, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.

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