Explaining Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation: Conceptualization of a Cross-Cultural Research Framework

Abstract

The entrepreneur can be viewed as the source that implements his entrepreneurial capabilities to recognise, pursue and successfully exploit viable business opportunities. However, it is at the beginning of the entrepreneurial process that the pre-nascent entrepreneur is confronted with various influences from his environment. Moreover, there is knowledge lacking as to what affects entrepreneurs in different environments or countries and to what degrees. This paper aims at conceptualising a research framework based on the Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) construct and transferring this construct to the individual level. Through this, insights into the influencing factors of entrepreneurial individuals operating in different countries become possible. The factors in the environment of a pre-nascent entrepreneur to be discussed are culture, politics/law, macro-economic and micro-economic influences.