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Entrepreneurial engagement levels in the European Union

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  • Isabel Grilo
  • Roy Thurik

Abstract

A multinomial logit model and survey data from the 25 EU member states and the US are used to establish the effect of demographic and other variables on various entrepreneurial engagement levels. These engagement levels range from "never thought about starting a business" to "thinking about it", "taking steps for starting up", "having a young business", "having an older business" and "no longer being an entrepreneur". Data of the 2004 Entrepreneurship Flash Eurobarometer survey containing over 13,500 ob-servations is used. Other than demographic variables such as gender, age, education level and whether par-ents are self-employed, the set of explanatory variables used includes country specific effects, measures of risk tolerance, internal and external locus of control and four perceptions of 'obstacles'. The 'obstacle' vari-ables include the perception by respondents of administrative complexities, of availability of financial sup-port, of accessibility of information for start-up and whether the current economic climate is favorable. Among the four perception variables only administrative complexities displays an unambiguous obstacle profile in that its presence has a significant negative impact on higher entrepreneurial engagement levels. Country effects suggest a clear underperformance of Europe relative to the US in less mature entrepreneu-rial phases.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:esi:egpdis:2005-29
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    Cited by:

    1. Andreas Freytag & Roy Thurik, 2010. "Entrepreneurship and its Determinants in a Cross-Country Setting," Springer Books, in: Andreas Freytag & Roy Thurik (ed.), Entrepreneurship and Culture, chapter 0, pages 157-170, Springer.
    2. Thurik, A. Roy & Carree, Martin A. & van Stel, André & Audretsch, David B., 2008. "Does self-employment reduce unemployment?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 673-686, November.
    3. Brigitte Hoogendoorn & Peter Zwan & Roy Thurik, 2019. "Sustainable Entrepreneurship: The Role of Perceived Barriers and Risk," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(4), pages 1133-1154, July.
    4. Ingrid Verheul & André Van Stel & Roy Thurik, 2006. "Explaining female and male entrepreneurship at the country level," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 151-183, March.
    5. Thompson Piers & Jones-Evans Dylan & Kwong Caleb, 2012. "Entrepreneurship in Deprived Urban Communities: The Case of Wales," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 2(1), pages 1-33, January.
    6. Lorraine Uhlaner & Roy Thurik, 2010. "Postmaterialism Influencing Total Entrepreneurial Activity Across Nations," Springer Books, in: Andreas Freytag & Roy Thurik (ed.), Entrepreneurship and Culture, chapter 0, pages 301-328, Springer.
    7. Georgeta Florina Bat (Iorga), 2018. "Introductory Elements On Entrepreneurship," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(2), pages 13-20, December.
    8. Elvin Afandi & Majid Kermani & Fuad Mammadov, 2017. "Social capital and entrepreneurial process," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 685-716, September.
    9. Afra Hameli & Ilias Kampouris & Amal Kamal Machaal & Charilaos Mertzanis, 2021. "Financial Development, Institutions, Gender and Entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates," Asian Journal of Empirical Research, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 11(2), pages 11-22, February.
    10. Andre van Stel & David Storey & Roy Thurik, 2006. "The effect of business regulations on nascent and actual entrepreneurship," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2006-04, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    11. Hongjoo Hahm & Tientip Subhanij & Rui Almeida, 2021. "Finteching remittances in paradise: A path to sustainable development," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 8(3), pages 435-453, September.
    12. José Ernesto Amorós & Pekka Stenholm, 2013. "The Influence of the Quality of Government Institutions on Entrepreneurial Motivation: Exploring the Variance across Countries," Working Papers 1401, Departament Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, revised Dec 2013.
    13. Jose Ernesto Amoros, 2009. "Entrepreneurship and Quality of Institutions: A Developing-Country Approach," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2009-07, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    14. Fang, Hanqing & Chrisman, James J. & Memili, Esra & Wang, Minglin, 2020. "Foreign venture presence and domestic entrepreneurship: A macro level study," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    15. Hoogendoorn, B. & van der Zwan, P.W. & Thurik, A.R., 2011. "Social Entrepreneurship and Performance: The Role of Perceived Barriers and Risk," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2011-016-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.
    16. Bögenhold, Dieter & Fachinger, Uwe, 2009. "Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Spatial Disparities: Divisions and Changes of Self-employment and Firms," MPRA Paper 19245, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Khanh Hung DOAN, 2021. "The Relationship Between Entrepreneurship And National Competitiveness," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 30(2), pages 65-76, December.
    18. Jolanda Hessels & Isabel Grilo & Roy Thurik & Peter Zwan, 2011. "Entrepreneurial exit and entrepreneurial engagement," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 447-471, August.
    19. Samuel Godadaw Ayinaddis, 2023. "Socio-economic factors affecting women’s entrepreneurial performance in MSEs in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-21, December.
    20. Verheul, Ingrid & Thurik, Roy & Grilo, Isabel & van der Zwan, Peter, 2012. "Explaining preferences and actual involvement in self-employment: Gender and the entrepreneurial personality," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 325-341.
    21. María-Isabel Luis-Rico & María-Camino Escolar-Llamazares & Tamara de la Torre-Cruz & Álvaro Herrero & Alfredo Jiménez & Pablo Arranz Val & Carmen Palmero-Cámara & Alfredo Jiménez-Eguizábal, 2020. "The Association of Parental Interest in Entrepreneurship with the Entrepreneurial Interest of Spanish Youth," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-16, July.
    22. JIMOH, Tajudeen Adisa & ADEBAYO, Adewale Bashir, 2021. "Motivation for Entrepreneurial Engagement among Youths in Ogun State: Push and Pull Factors Analysis," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(12), pages 534-540, December.
    23. Bögenhold, Dieter & Fachinger, Uwe, 2010. "How Diverse is Entrepreneurship? Observations on the social heterogeneity of self-employment in Germany," MPRA Paper 23271, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    24. Arndt Werner & Johanna Gast & Sascha Kraus, 2014. "The effect of working time preferences and fair wage perceptions on entrepreneurial intentions among employees," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 137-160, June.
    25. D.B. Audretsch & M.A. Carree & A.R. Thurik, 2001. "Does Entrepreneurship reduce Unemployment?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 01-074/3, Tinbergen Institute, revised 24 Oct 2008.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    determinants of entrepreneurship; nascent entrepreneurship; multinomial logit; barriers to entry; Europe;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • H10 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - General
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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