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Efficient entrepreneurial culture: a cross-country analysis of developed countries

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Abstract

Entrepreneurship, together with national cultural values, may improve a country’s GDP levels. Under this hypothesis, the aim of this paper is to analyse the relationships between the levels of entrepreneurship, cultural values, and of GDP per capita in a sample of 27 developed countries, by identifying an efficient combination of culture and entrepreneurship variables, under the concept of efficient entrepreneurial culture, that maximises GDP per capita. Through the application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology, nine countries have been identified as having an efficient entrepreneurial culture. The implications derived for policy-makers are substantial, since a better understanding of cultural effects on entrepreneurship can lead to improvements in the design of governmental programmes that foster cultural values related to high-quality entrepreneurship.

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Notes

  1. In 2011, the correlation coefficient between TEA and GDP per capita was −0.54.

  2. These values were only available from 2005.

  3. This dataset is available on http://geobase.huji.ac.il:8080/catalog/?dataset=0789. Further description of the Schwartz value theory and the SVS instrument is available through the iMO-International website: http://www.imo-international.de/index_englisch.htm?/englisch/html/svs_info_en.htm.

  4. Available at http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/cepa/

  5. Singapore has an above-average opportunity/necessity ratio.

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Acknowledgements

This article is part of the Project entitled “Cultural Values and Socioeconomic elements as determinants of the entrepreneurial intention. (2009-2011)”, funded by the Regional Government of Andalusia (Department of Innovation, Science and Enterprise - Reference Number: P08-SEJ-03542). Project VIE web page: http://institucional.us.es/vie.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences, University of Seville, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 1, 41018, Seville, Spain

    José Fernández-Serrano & Francisco Velasco

  2. Marketing and Commerce Area, EUSA University Center, Plácido Fernández Viagas Street 4, 41013, Seville, Spain

    Vanessa Berbegal

  3. Department of Economics analysis, Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences, University of Seville, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 1, 41018, Seville, Spain

    Alfonso Expósito

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  1. José Fernández-Serrano
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  2. Vanessa Berbegal
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  4. Alfonso Expósito
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Correspondence to José Fernández-Serrano.

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Table 6 Estimated projections for remaining southern European countries
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Fernández-Serrano, J., Berbegal, V., Velasco, F. et al. Efficient entrepreneurial culture: a cross-country analysis of developed countries. Int Entrep Manag J 14, 105–127 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-017-0440-0

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