The mixed findings on entrepreneurship and culture are understandable. One important knowledge I gained from doing my research is that as a social science researcher, we are faced with the challenge of making sense of seemingly conflicting information. This is because as a researcher you can only report on the data and the findings are often subject to human feelings or knowledge. So I may feel differently about an issue based on the amount of knowledge I have about it but if you present the same issues to me a few months down the line, I may have a different view and consequently, a different response which will in turn impact the findings.  Therefore there will always be mixed findings.

When it comes to entrepreneurship, there are two main constructs involved: individual cultural orientations and national culture. Both of them impact entrepreneurship. You need to explore both angles. While it may be safe to say entrepreneurs have certain common values regardless of their geographic location, certain behaviours are delineated by culture. Therefore you may find that entrepreneurs within a particular society have more commonalities than with other entrepreneurs from other geographic locations.  

You might find the work Hofstede very useful (particular the cultural dimensions). Although it is more national culture oriented, you may be able to draw parallel to the culture you are researching. I could also send you my thesis if you send me your email address. I did a whole chapter on culture drawing from the works of various researchers.

I hope you find this information useful.          

It is sort of an issue of ambiguous temporal precedence.  Does possession of certain values cause someone to become an entrepreneur, or does the act of startup create the values in a person?

I am writing a paper on this now, but it seems surprising that it has not yet been addressed.

Good point Brock. There are some papers on entrepreneurship among Lebanese managers which were motivated by the popular saying that "Lebanese are born entrepreneurs!". Well observed by experience, however, research is ongoing to define attributes.

I recommend a business case- Haier (http://www.haier.net/en/about_haier/). it is a manufacturer, but also aims to transform itself to a platform incubating entrepreneurs, Maybe it is closely related to your research.

I agreed with the statement. In some cases culture do influence someone to become an entrepreneur or a businessperson. For instance,  for Muslims there are encourage to get involve in business activities ( or being an entrepreneur/businessperson). The same goes for the Chinese in Malaysia.

Brock,

Lee, S. M. and Peterson, S.J. (2000) Culture, entrepreneurial orientation, and global competitiveness. Journal of World Business. Vol. 35 (4) pp 401-416 will be of interest:

Based on Lumpkin and Dess’s conceptualization of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), this paper presents a cultural model of entrepreneurship. We propose that a society’s propensity to generate autonomous, risk-taking, innovative, competitively aggressive and proactive entrepreneurs and firms will depend on its cultural foundation. The role of economic, political/legal, and social factors as moderators of the relationship between culture and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) are also considered. Overall, it is proposed that only those countries with specific cultural tendencies will engender a strong EO, hence experiencing more entrepreneurship and global competitiveness. Specific country examples are discussed.

Hope it proves helpful.

My focus is Creativity but I teach classes in business schools and programs and have worked with entrepreneurs. My view (bias) is that entrepreneurship depends on creative talent, which is very relevant because there IS a body of research on how cultural values are related to (and necessary for) creativity. If E depends on C, and C depends on cultural values.... In some of my work I assess values, though the measure I use is not focused on cultural values, and boy there are good correlations between values and creativity. People do not invest in creativity (its potential nor its expression) unless they see the value of it and unless there is a "market" out there (which = cultural values). This is an important area for research, no doubt. 

Thank  you all very much. Excellent points.

Cultural value could be as a foundation of business people /entrepreneur in developing their business in term of innovation and creativity as an engine of entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs are driven by desires to attain business success through establishment of enterprises of innovative products / services. In the process of doing so, they tend to create distinct entrepreneurial culture of motivation, creativity, risk taking and commitment built on the strength of ethics and desire to serve the society by fulfilling needs. Cultural values are the foundations of entrepreneurship for building sustainable businesses.

I think your reference goes back to 1992. There are many research have been done in area of relation between culture and entrepreneurship. In some society It affects the behavior of Entrepreneurs, but in others is not the case. I think for first time Entrepreneurs the impact of culture is likely higher than the other groups.

I am working on entrepreneurial learning and from the limited data I have collected I think its like recursive relationship. In some micro cultures and entrepreneurial communities in Pakistan, they consider independence as major value and most of the individuals coming from that culture tend to do business than doing jobs even if very good job offers are made to them. Conversely ,there are cases where after becoming a successful entrepreneur, the individual try to liberate himself from the collectivist cultural values of our country. So two way relationship is quite possible. You may like to use Anthony Gidden's Theory of Structuration for analysis of this dynamic relationship.

Good idea! However "recurrent" might be more realistically

Dear Brock

In the following two papers is shown the results of a learning methodology of service to society and to other entrepreneurs to foster entrepreneurship among university students.

Best Regards

Culture includes traits, personality, belief systems, which overlaps with entrepreneurship intention, leadership.

The mixed findings on entrepreneurship and culture are understandable. One important knowledge I gained from doing my research is that as a social science researcher, we are faced with the challenge of making sense of seemingly conflicting information. This is because as a researcher you can only report on the data and the findings are often subject to human feelings or knowledge. So I may feel differently about an issue based on the amount of knowledge I have about it but if you present the same issues to me a few months down the line, I may have a different view and consequently, a different response which will in turn impact the findings.  Therefore there will always be mixed findings.

When it comes to entrepreneurship, there are two main constructs involved: individual cultural orientations and national culture. Both of them impact entrepreneurship. You need to explore both angles. While it may be safe to say entrepreneurs have certain common values regardless of their geographic location, certain behaviours are delineated by culture. Therefore you may find that entrepreneurs within a particular society have more commonalities than with other entrepreneurs from other geographic locations.  

You might find the work Hofstede very useful (particular the cultural dimensions). Although it is more national culture oriented, you may be able to draw parallel to the culture you are researching. I could also send you my thesis if you send me your email address. I did a whole chapter on culture drawing from the works of various researchers.

I hope you find this information useful.          

You may also find it interesting to explore the differences between "managerial" vs. "entrepreneurial" behavior in the phenomenon of corporate entrepreneurship.

While some managers in a given organizational culture are good at maintaining operations and processes or in improving them, yet others are good at creating new business opportunities, and new ventures, within the same organization.

Dear Brock,

You could find useful the following reference:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268672027_Entrepreneurship_and_Culture

See in particular the section about Post-materialism and entrepreneurship. Inglehart's reference suggests intergenerational replacement rather than change in individuals' values during their own lifespan.

Hope it helps!

Best,

Marcus

Chapter Entrepreneurship and Culture

You may find my study in the following link in similar direction although its not exactly about the cultural background rather it throws light in the areas of efficacy and gender. Please let me know if you able give my study a new direction.

Article Interrelationship between Self-efficacy, Gender and the Entr...

We made a paper which discusses this question. Take a look.

Tenhunen, L. J.; Niittymäki, S. Developing Corporate Entrepreneurial Cultures: Inspirations from the Confucian Gentleman. In G.P.Prastacos et al (eds.). Leadership through the Classics. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2012.