Emine Esra Karadeniz

This paper seeks to study factors influencing the early stages of entrepreneurship within the context of coronavirus pandemic, specifically within an emerging country. We utilize from a unique dataset collected by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor which is the sole global research repository compiling data on entrepreneurial activities and individual entrepreneurial attributes across 50 countries worldwide. In particular, this study focuses on the GEM survey data pertaining to Turkey during the period coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2021. The analysis is done by binary logistic regression with dependent variable being total entrepreneurship activity. Findings indicate that opportunity-driven respondents, with high-status aspirations, possessing necessary skills and acknowledging the challenges of their entrepreneurial environment, are the ones who show a higher probability of engaging in entrepreneurial activities. While these variables have been scrutinized in existing literature, our contribution lies in examining their effects within an emerging market, a relatively understudied context, particularly in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Results suggest that the individuals reporting a substantial increase in income during the pandemic, and perceiving a harder business environment to start a new venture show elevated probabilities of becoming an entrepreneur. These two are the pandemic-related variables demonstrating statistical significance, which highlights the fact that this period created its entrepreneurs, who exploit high resilience and dynamic capacity to adapt to crisis times. They experienced a significant increase in their income, capitalized on their comparative advantage in entrepreneurial skills within an environment where starting a business is not easy and took advantage of the opportunities seeking for high status using their adaptive capacity. These findings are consistent with Theories of Resilience and Dynamic Capabilities. Finally, younger respondents are more inclined to engage in entrepreneurial activity, which is consistent with the existing literature. In light of these findings, policymakers are encouraged to invest in educational programs for potential entrepreneurs to enhance their self-efficacy, given that the necessary skills for business initiation emerge as a pivotal factor for engaging in entrepreneurial activities. Moreover, creating platforms for successful entrepreneurs to share their experiences could amplify the perceived prestige associated with entrepreneurship, which may attract potential entrepreneurs.

A business may adopt a strategy for sustainability and may implement its strategy in its practice. Our question is, how are strategy and practice coupled and shaped by entrepreneurs and businesses embedded in national eco-systems in the Middle East and North Africa and around the world? Businesses were randomly sampled and surveyed in 2021, and national conditions were assessed by experts in ten countries in the Middle East and North Africa and in Spain and other countries around the world, as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Strategy and practice are found to have a loose coupling but are tighter in the Middle East and North Africa than in Spain. Strategy is promoted by support from businesses and governments, but support depends on national wealth. Strategy and practice by entrepreneurs and businesses are promoted by the entrepreneurs’ human and social capital and the value of making a difference in the world and continuing a family tradition. Findings contribute to understanding business engagement with sustainability, specifically in the Middle East and North Africa, as compared to Spain and in a global perspective.

Entrepreneurs located in the diaspora, compared to entrepreneurs located domestically, are well-known to export much, especially through transnational networking. This understanding has a gap: How is embeddedness of diasporic entrepreneurs in their origins shaping their transnational networking and trade? Globally representative samples of diasporic and domestic entrepreneurs have been surveyed, enabling comparisons of diasporas originating from the world’s five regions: Central & South America, Sub-Sahara Africa, Middle East & North Africa, Asia, and the region of countries dominated by European culture. Entrepreneurs originating from European culture countries have larger transnational networks and more exports than entrepreneurs originating from any other region, particularly Sub-Sahara Africa. But diasporans from the other regions, especially Sub-Sahara Africa, have much larger transnational networks than their domestic peers. Transnational networking benefits exporting, in every location and every origin. Indeed, diasporans export more than domestics, by a direct effect and by additional indirect effects mediated through transnational networks, that differ across diasporas. By pioneering global comparisons of the diasporas from around the world, the study contributes to theorising by accounting for networking and trade, demonstrating that additional effects of being diasporan upon exporting are channelled through transnational networking, but differently across the heterogeneous diasporas.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has a desire to include more people in entrepreneurship, especially women, youth, and unemployed. The question here is, how are gender, age, and occupation affecting entry, including entry pulled by opportunity and pushed by necessity? The study analyses a large representative sample of adults around MENA, surveyed by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Analyses show in detail how occupations depend on gender and age, and show the potential for turning intention into upstarts, especially in disadvantaged segments. Policies for entrepreneurship in MENA may utilise some of the findings. Notably, the study shows that inclusion of women, youth, and unemployed may be potentially be considerably enhanced through policies. These disadvantaged segments frequently intend to become entrepreneurs, but they tend not to enact their vocational intents.