Features of Successful Entrepreneurs in Estonia

Tiit Elenurm () and Ruth Alas ()
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Tiit Elenurm: Estonian Business School
Ruth Alas: Estonian Business School

No 169, Working Papers from School of Economics and Business Administration, Tallinn University of Technology

Abstract: This paper is based on the E-World research programme focusing on international perspectives of entrepreneurship. In the first stage of this international research project, each country had to conduct focus groups in order to develop a preliminary list of traits and behavioural patterns of successful entrepreneurs. Focus groups combined with individual assessments were used for this task. The following features of successful entrepreneurs in Estonia in 2007 were pointed out most often by all categories of respondents: courage to take risks, openness to new information, flexibility, creativity and determination. Networking and acquiring capital, but also selecting the right team and following agreements were described as ways to success. The focus groups stressed some success factors that were seen as being more important for entrepreneurs operating in Estonia in 2007 than in the 1990s: broad world view, wide social network, innovativeness and creativity and lobbying within EU-related structures.

Keywords: entrepreneur; personality traits; image of entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial features; focus groups; business environment; networking; entrepreneurship training (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L26 M53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ent and nep-hrm
Date: 2008
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Published in Working Papers in Economics.School of Economics and Business Administration,Tallinn University of Technology (TUTWPE), Pages 21-30

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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ttu:wpaper:169

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