The Role of Culture in Entrepreneurial Alertness in Iran Based on GEM Data
Subject Areas : Technology Development Infrastructures and Supporting organizationsEhsan Mehraban 1 * , Sabina Nobary 2
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Keywords: Culture, GEM, Hofstede Model, Entrepreneurial Alertness, Iran,
Abstract :
Investigating this question that why entrepreneurial indexes in Iran have got no desirable place in relation to other similar countries and also pondering culture as a very important parameter in the formation of entrepreneurs behavior has resulted in this new question that how culture could affect the entrepreneurship in that country. Entrepreneurial Alertness as a critical index in the entrepreneurship means that discovering new opportunities is also discussed as the chosen parameter of entrepreneurship and its relation to culture is analyzed. To study Iranian culture we use credible Hofstede method which enables us to compare cultures of many countries by its four dimensions: power distance, masculinity, individuality and uncertainty avoidance; we also use GEM reports that are related to the entrepreneurship condition in Iran in contrast to other world countries. By investigating the culture based on Hofstede Model of different countries in addition to entrepreneurship alertness and comparison with Iran indexes reported, we may conclude that cultural changes happened on the basis of dimensions of Hofstede as described before against the entrepreneurship indexes such as perceived opportunities in the years of study taken in Iran, i.e. these dimensions have been changed in a way that is not pro to entrepreneurial alertness increase, So that loss of risk taking and also increase of power distance as two dimensions of Hofstede model may decrease the entrepreneurship alertness which results in a total mitigation of entrepreneurship growth.