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A master's thesis from Aalborg University

The motivation of entrepreneurs to start a business: A case of Denmark and Bulgaria

Authors

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Term

4. term

Publication year

2015

Submitted on

Abstract

This qualitative thesis examines what influences people’s motivation to become entrepreneurs in Denmark and Bulgaria. Using a literature-based coding framework that distinguishes personal (traits, values) and situational (opportunities, constraints) drivers, the authors conducted 32 interviews with entrepreneurs (16 per country) to identify cross-country similarities and differences. The analysis led to revising the initial model by removing needs and consequences blocks. Entrepreneurial traits did not differ in their influence on motivation across countries, while value-related differences were confined to teamwork and social recognition, likely reflecting historical and cultural contexts. In contrast, situational factors varied markedly between Denmark and Bulgaria: beyond a few shared opportunities and constraints, many were country-specific, and some—such as regulation—were viewed as an opportunity in one setting and a constraint in the other. Differences in access to networks and capital, financial security, regulation, labor availability, market size, capacity for change, and competitive intensity help explain variations in motivation to found new ventures. The study proposes an integrated framework that entrepreneurs can use when planning in developed versus developing contexts and calls for quantitative research to test and generalize these findings.

Denne kvalitative afhandling undersøger, hvad der påvirker motivationen til at blive iværksætter i Danmark og Bulgarien. Med udgangspunkt i et litteraturbaseret kodningsframework, der skelner mellem personlige (træk, værdier) og situationsbestemte (muligheder, begrænsninger) drivkræfter, gennemførte forfatterne 32 interviews med iværksættere (16 pr. land) for at identificere ligheder og forskelle på tværs af lande. Analysen førte til en revision af den oprindelige model ved at udelukke blokke om behov og konsekvenser. Iværksættertræk havde ikke forskellig indflydelse på motivationen mellem landene, mens værdirelaterede forskelle primært vedrørte teamwork og social anerkendelse, sandsynligvis præget af historiske og kulturelle forhold. Til gengæld varierede de situationsbestemte faktorer markant mellem Danmark og Bulgarien: Ud over enkelte fælles muligheder og begrænsninger var mange landespecifikke, og nogle—som regulering—blev set som en mulighed i det ene land og en begrænsning i det andet. Forskelle i adgang til netværk og kapital, økonomisk tryghed, regulering, arbejdskrafttilgængelighed, markedsstørrelse, forandringskapacitet og konkurrenceintensitet bidrager til at forklare variationer i motivationen for at starte virksomhed. Studiet foreslår en integreret ramme, som iværksættere kan anvende i planlægningen i udviklede lande versus udviklingslande, og opfordrer til kvantitative studier, der kan teste og generalisere disse fund.

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