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Opportunity and/or necessity entrepreneurship? The impact of the socio-economic characteristics of entrepreneurs

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Listed author(s):
  • Giacomin, Olivier
  • Janssen, Frank
  • Guyot, Jean-luc
  • Lohest, Olivier

Abstract

Few studies have tried to identify the impact of the socio-economic characteristics of entrepreneurs on their opportunity-necessity positioning. Based on a sample of 538 entrepreneurs, we point out that individuals who get involved in an entrepreneurial process, have encountered a situation of necessity and/or opportunity and that the latter can take various forms. We point out the impact of the socio-economic characteristics of entrepreneurs on the alignment of their project with a necessity or opportunity entrepreneurial dynamics. The existence of sub-profiles of entrepreneurs within the necessity-opportunity typology is also highlighted. We point out, for instance, that not all jobseekers are necessity entrepreneurs and that new venture creation based on family pressure may convey both a necessity and opportunity dimension. Finally, our survey reveals a new kind of entrepreneurship: the hobby entrepreneurship.

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File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/29506/2/MPRA_paper_29506.pdf
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Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 29506.

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Date of creation: 01 Jan 2011
Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:29506
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Keywords: Necessity - Opportunity - motivations;

Find related papers by JEL classification:

  • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior
  • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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Cited by:

  1. Halil Dincer Kaya, 2017. "The Characteristics Of Small Firms That Serve As Owners’ Primary Employment," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1, pages 5-13, February.
  2. Peter Zwan & Roy Thurik & Ingrid Verheul & Jolanda Hessels, 2016. "Factors influencing the entrepreneurial engagement of opportunity and necessity entrepreneurs," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 6(3), pages 273-295, December.
  3. Juergen Bruenjes & Javier Revilla Diez, 2012. "Opportunity entrepreneurs - potential drivers of non-farm growth in rural Vietnam?," Working Papers on Innovation and Space 2012-01, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
  4. Backman, Mikaela & Karlsson, Charlie, 2013. "Exploration of Wisdom Ages: Firm survival," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 339, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
  5. Ugo Rizzo, 2015. "Why do scientists create academic spin-offs? The influence of the context," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 198-226, April.
  6. Hannu Tervo, 2014. "Who turns to entrepreneurship later in life? - Push and pull in Finnish rural and urban areas," ERSA conference papers ersa14p236, European Regional Science Association.

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