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Post-Materialism: A Cultural Factor Influencing Total Entrepreneurial Activ-ity Across Nations

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  • Lorraine Uhlaner
  • Roy Thurik

Abstract

The study of predictors of entrepreneurial activity at the country level has been dominated by economic influences. However, the relative stability of differences in entrepreneurial activity across countries suggests that other forces such as institutional and/or cultural factors are at play. The objective of this paper is to explore more specifically how post-materialism may help to explain differences in total entrepreneurial activity across countries. Total entrepreneurial activity is defined as the share of adults in the total population of 18 to 64 years old who are either actively involved in starting a new business or in managing a business less than 42 months old. The measure for post-materialism is based upon Inglehart's four-item post-materialism index. Because of the known interactions between economic, cultural, and social factors found in previous research, a set of economic, demographic and social factors is included to investigate the independent role post-materialism plays in prediction of entrepreneurial activity levels. In particular, per capita income is used to control for economic effects. Education rates at both secondary and tertiary levels are used as a demographic variables. Finally, life satisfaction is included to control for social effects. Data from 28 countries, world-wide, are used to test the hypotheses, based on intersecting data available from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, World Values Survey and other published sources. Findings confirm the significance of post-materialism in predicting total entrepreneurial activity even when controlling for these other factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorraine Uhlaner & Roy Thurik, 2004. "Post-Materialism: A Cultural Factor Influencing Total Entrepreneurial Activ-ity Across Nations," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2004-07, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
  • Handle: RePEc:esi:egpdis:2004-07
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    Cited by:

    1. Isabel Grilo & Roy Thurik, 2008. "Determinants of entrepreneurial engagement levels in Europe and the US," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(6), pages 1113-1145, December.
    2. Diana M. Hechavarría & Siri A. Terjesen & Amy E. Ingram & Maija Renko & Rachida Justo & Amanda Elam, 2017. "Taking care of business: the impact of culture and gender on entrepreneurs’ blended value creation goals," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 225-257, January.
    3. Grilo, I. & Thurik, A.R., 2004. "Determinants Of Entrepreneurship In Europe," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2004-106-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    4. Bruno Dyck & Savanna Vagianos, 2023. "An Exploratory Study of Stewardship and Universal Family Firms: the Importance of Universal Care and Benefaction," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 29-48, April.
    5. R. Sandra Schillo & Ajax Persaud & Meng Jin, 2016. "Entrepreneurial readiness in the context of national systems of entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 619-637, April.
    6. Nazim Habibov & Elvin Afandi & Alex Cheung, 2017. "What is the effect of university education on chances to be self-employed in transitional countries?: Instrumental variable analysis of cross-sectional sample of 29 nations," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 487-500, June.
    7. Aidis, Ruta & Estrin, Saul & Mickiewicz, Tomasz, 2008. "Institutions and entrepreneurship development in Russia: A comparative perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 656-672, November.
    8. Roy Thurik & Isabel Grilo, 2005. "Latent and actual entrepreneurship in Europe and the US: some recent developments," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2005-24, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    9. Sander Wennekers & Roy Thurik & André van Stel & Niels Noorderhaven, 2003. "Uncertainty Avoidance and the Rate of Business Ownership across 22 OECD Countries, 1976-2000," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 03-089/3, Tinbergen Institute, revised 01 Sep 2004.
    10. David B. Audretsch & Heike M. Grimm & Stephan Schuetze, 2009. "Local Strategies within a European Policy Framework," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 463-486, March.
    11. Petrik Runst, 2013. "Post-Socialist Culture and Entrepreneurship," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(3), pages 593-626, July.
    12. Aidis, Ruta & Estrin, Saul, 2006. "Institutions, Networks and Entrepreneurship Development in Russia: An Exploration," IZA Discussion Papers 2161, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Jonathan Levie & Erkko Autio, 2008. "A theoretical grounding and test of the GEM model," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 235-263, October.
    14. Sahin, Mediha & Nijkamp, Peter & Baycan-Levent, Tuzin, 2006. "Migrant Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of Cultural Diversity," Serie Research Memoranda 0016, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    15. Dilek Cetindamar & Vishal K. Gupta & Esra E. Karadeniz & Nilufer Egrican, 2012. "What the numbers tell: The impact of human, family and financial capital on women and men's entry into entrepreneurship in Turkey," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1-2), pages 29-51, January.
    16. Freddie Festo Mawanga, 2017. "Comparison Of Female And Male Youth Characteristics Prior To Entrepreneurial Development: Evidence From Uganda," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(01), pages 1-15, March.
    17. Isabel Grilo & Roy Thurik, 2005. "Entrepreneurial engagement levels in the European Union," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2005-29, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    18. Ali Dehghanpour Farashah, 2015. "The effects of demographic, cognitive and institutional factors on development of entrepreneurial intention: Toward a socio-cognitive model of entrepreneurial career," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 452-476, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    comparative analysis of economies; cultural economics; entrepreneurship; self-employment; macro-economic analyses of economic development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P52 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - Comparative Studies of Particular Economies
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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