Postmaterialism Influencing Total Entrepreneurial Activity across Nations

Lorraine Uhlaner and Roy Thurik

ERIM Report Series Research in Management from 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

Abstract: The relative stability of differences in entrepreneurial activity across countries suggests that other than economic factors are at play. The objective of this paper is to explore how postmaterialism may explain these differences. A distinction is made between nascent entrepreneurship, new business formation and a combination of the two, referred to as total entrepreneurial activity, as defined within the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). The model is also tested for the rate of established businesses. The measure for postmaterialism is based upon Inglehart’s four-item postmaterialism index. A set of economic, demographic and social factors is included to investigate the independent role postmaterialism plays in predicting 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 demographic variables. Finally, life satisfaction is included to control for social effects. Data from 27 countries (GEM, World Values Survey and other sources) are used to test the hypotheses. Findings confirm the significance of postmaterialism in predicting total entrepreneurial activity and more particularly, new business formation rates.

Keywords: Comparative Analysis of Economies; Cultural Economics; Entrepreneurship; Macro-economic Analyses of Economic Development; Self-employment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L26 M M13 O32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006-11-28
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Related works:
Chapter: Postmaterialism Influencing Total Entrepreneurial Activity Across Nations (2010)
Journal Article: Postmaterialism influencing total entrepreneurial activity across nations (2007)
Working Paper: Post-Materialism Influencing Total Entrepreneurial Activity Across Nations (2005)
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