International Differences in Entrepreneurship

Often considered one of the major forces behind economic growth and development, the entrepreneurial firm can accelerate the speed of innovation and dissemination of new technologies, thus increasing a country's competitive edge in the global market. As a result, cultivating a strong culture of entrepreneurial thinking has become a primary goal throughout the world.Surprisingly, there has been little systematic research or comparative analysis to show how the growth of entrepreneurship differs among countries in various stages of development.International Differences in Entrepreneurshipfills this void by explaining how a country's institutional differences, cultural considerations, and personal characteristics can affect the role that entrepreneurs play in its economy. Developing an understanding of the origins of entrepreneurs as well as the choices they make and the complexity of their activities across countries and industries are of central importance to this volume. In addition, contributors consider how environmental factors of individual economies, such as market regulation, government subsidies for banks, and support for entrepreneurial culture affect the industry and the impact that entrepreneurs have on growth in developing nations.

Josh Lerner is the Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking at Harvard Business School and Codirector of the Innovation Policy and the Economy and Entrepreneurship Working Groups at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Antoinette Schoar is the Michael Koerner `49 Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance at MIT Sloan School of Management and codirector of the Entrepreneurship Working Group at the National Bureau of Economic Research.