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Introduction
Entrepreneurship
- Meaning
- Definition and
- Characteristics ENTREPRENDRE
Entrepreneurship
The word “entrepreneur” is derived from the French verb “entrepreneur”, which
means ‘to undertake’. This refers to those who “undertake” the risk of new
enterprises. An enterprise is created by an entrepreneur. The process of creation
is called “entrepreneurship”.
Meaning
Entrepreneurship is a process of actions of an entrepreneur who is a person always
in search of something new and exploits such ideas into gainful opportunities by
accepting the risk and uncertainty with the enterprise. It is the process of starting
a business, a startup company or other organization. The entrepreneur develops
a business plan, acquires the human and other required resources, and is fully
responsible for its success or failure. Entrepreneurship operates within
an entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Definitions
According to A.H.Cole
Entrepreneurship is the purposeful activity of an individual or a group of
associated individual, undertaken to initiate, maintain or aggrandize profit
by production or distribution of economic goods and services.
According to J.A. Timmons
Entrepreneurship is the ability to create and build something from
practically nothing.
According to Musselman and Jackson
“Entrepreneurship is the investing and risking of time, money and effort to
start a business and make it successful.

Characteristics of Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is characterized by the following features:
1. Economic and dynamic activity
Entrepreneurship is an economic activity because it involves the creation and
operation of an enterprise with a view to creating value or wealth by ensuring
optimum utilization of scarce resources. Since this value creation activity is
performed continuously in the midst of uncertain business environment,
therefore, entrepreneurship is regarded as a dynamic force.
2. Related to innovation

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Entrepreneurship involves a continuous search for new ideas. Entrepreneurship

compels an individual to continuously evaluate the existing modes of business
operations so that more efficient and effective systems can be evolved and
adopted. In other words, entrepreneurship is a continuous effort for synergy
(optimization of performance) in organizations.
3. Profit potential
“Profit potential is the likely level of return or compensation to the entrepreneur
for taking on the risk of developing an idea into an actual business venture.”
Without profit potential, the efforts of entrepreneurs would remain only an
abstract and a theoretical leisure activity.
4. Risk bearing
The essence of entrepreneurship is the ‘willingness to assume risk’ arising out of
the creation and implementation of new ideas. New ideas are always tentative and
their results may not be instantaneous and positive. An entrepreneur has to have
patience to see his efforts bear fruit. In the intervening period (time gap between
the conception and implementation of an idea and its results), an entrepreneur has
to assume risk. If an entrepreneur does not have the willingness to assume risk,
entrepreneurship would never succeed.
5. Skillful management
Entrepreneurship involves skillful management. The basic managerial skill is the
most important characteristic feature of entrepreneurship. For effective
management of an enterprise, the role of an entrepreneur is to initiate and
supervise design of organization improvement projects in relation to upcoming
opportunities is very much important.
6. Accepting challenges
Entrepreneurship means accepting challenges amidst risk and uncertainty. While
accepting entrepreneurship as a career the entrepreneur accepts the challenges of
all odds and puts his efforts to convert the odds into viable business opportunities
by pooling together the resources of building and running the enterprise.
7. Goal-oriented Activity
The entrepreneur who creates and operates enterprises seeks to earn profits
through satisfaction of needs of consumers; hence, entrepreneurship is a goal-
oriented activity. Entrepreneurship emphasizes results, achievements and targets
achieved. It is work done not imaginary plans or paper decisions. Hence
entrepreneurship is a goal-oriented activity.
8. Value Creation
Next, we find that the process of creating value is a characteristic in describing
entrepreneurship. Through entrepreneurship, new products, services,
transactions, approaches, resources, technologies, and markets are created that
contribute some value to a community or marketplace. We can also see value

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created when, through entrepreneurship; resources are transformed into outputs

such as products or services. During this transformation process, value is created
because the entrepreneur is fashioning something worthwhile and useful. Drucker
says, “Until entrepreneurial act, every plant is a seed and every mineral just
another rock.
9. Dynamic Process
Entrepreneurship is a dynamic function. Entrepreneur thrives on changes in the
environment, which bring useful opportunities for business. An entrepreneur
deals proactively with changing markets and environment. He looks at the
changes as the source of market advantages, not as a problem. Uncertainties are
market opportunities for him. He capitalizes on fleeting market anomalies.
10. Uniqueness
Other characteristic found in entrepreneurship is that of uniqueness.
Entrepreneurship involves new combinations and new approaches with which
entrepreneurs are willing to experiment. Through Entrepreneurship unique
products are created and unique approaches are tried. Entrepreneurship isn’t
merely imitating what others have done. It’s doing something new, something
untested and untried – something unique.
11. Interest and Vision
The first factor for entrepreneurial success is interest. Since entrepreneurship pays
off according to performance rather than time spent on a particular effort, an
entrepreneur must work in an area that interests her. Otherwise, she will not be
able to maintain a high level of work ethic, and she will most likely fail. This
interest must also translate into a vision for the company’s growth. Even if the
day-to-day activities of a business are interesting to an entrepreneur, this is not
enough for success unless she can turn this interest into a vision of growth and
expansion. This vision must be strong enough that she can communicate it to
investors and employees.
12. Risk and Rewards
Entrepreneurship requires risk. The measurement of this risk equates to the
amount of time and money you invest into your business. However, this risk also
tends to relate directly to the rewards involved. An entrepreneur who invests in a
franchise pays for someone else’s business plan and receives a respectable
income, while an entrepreneur who undertakes ground breaking innovations risks
everything on an assumption that something revolutionary will work in the
market. If such a revolutionary is wrong, she can lose everything. However, if
she is right, she can suddenly become extremely wealthy.

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Difference between Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur

Entrepreneur Entrepreneur INTRAPRENEUR

An entrepreneur is independent in his An entrepreneur is dependent on the

operations entrepreneur i.e. the owner.
An entrepreneur himself raises funds The Entrepreneur does not raise funds.
required for the enterprise.
Entrepreneur bears the risk involved in the An entrepreneur does not fully bear the risk
business. involved in the enterprise.
An entrepreneur operates from outside. On the contrary, an entrepreneur operates
from within the organization itself.
An entrepreneur begins his business with a An entrepreneur sets up his enterprise after
newly set up enterprise. working someone else’s organization.
As an entrepreneur establishes new An entrepreneur establishes his business
business, so he does not possess any after gathering experiences through
experience over the business. working in the other organization.
Entrepreneurs may find it difficult to get Entrepreneurs have their resources readily
resources available to them.

Entrepreneurs are found anywhere their Entrepreneurs work within the confines of
vision takes them. an organization.

Entrepreneurs know the business on a Entrepreneurs are highly skilled and

macro scale. specialized.

Difference between an Entrepreneur and a Manager

Basis of Difference Entrepreneur Manager

1. Motive The main motive of an But, the main motive of a
entrepreneur is to start a manager is to render his services in
venture by setting up an an enterprise already set up by
enterprise. someone else i.e., entrepreneur.
2. Status An entrepreneur is the A manager is the servant in the
owner of the enterprise. enterprise owned by the
entrepreneur.

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3. Risk Bearing An entrepreneur being the A manager as a servant does not
owner of the enterprise bear any risk involved in the
assumes all risks and enterprise.
uncertainty involved in run-
ning the enterprise.
4. Rewards The reward an entrepreneur
gets for bearing risks
involved in the enterprise is
profit which is highly
uncertain.
5. Innovation Entrepreneur himself
thinks over what and how
to produce goods to meet
the changing demands of
the customers. Hence, he
acts as an innovator also
called a ‘change agent’
6. Qualifications An entrepreneur needs to
possess qualities and
qualifications like high
achievement motive, origi-
nality in thinking, foresight,
risk -bearing ability and so
on.
7. Focus An entrepreneur is
someone who is concerned
primarily with the
necessary components to
start up a business
8. Growth An entrepreneur begins
with the idea of the
business from its inception
and its potential for growth
in the long run. An analysis
of the market and available
resources in relation to the
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A manager gets salary as reward for
the services rendered by him in the
enterprise. Salary of a manager is
certain and fixed.
A manager simply executes the
plans prepared by the entrepreneur.
Thus, a manager simply translates
the entrepreneur’s ideas into
practice
On the contrary, a manager needs to
possess distinct qualifications in
terms of sound knowledge in
management theory and practice.
A manager is typically concerned
with sustainability, and has to focus
on what can be done within the
framework of what he has been
given to work with in an existing
enterprise.
A business manager is focused on
engendering growth based on
available resources. A manager
must get employees to perform at
optimal levels, and must make use
of non-human resources to create
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original idea plays a additional growth beyond basic

primary role in his business sustainability
decisions.
9.Objective Entrepreneur’s objective is Manager’s objective is to supervise
to innovate and create and and create routines. He implements
he acts as a change agent. the Entrepreneur’s plans and ideas.

Entrepreneur Vs. Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur is a person.
Entrepreneur is an organizer.
Entrepreneur is an innovator.
Entrepreneur is a risk bearer.
Entrepreneur is a motivator.
Entrepreneur is a creator.
Entrepreneur is a visualizer.
Entrepreneur is a leader.
Entrepreneur is an imitator.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is a process.
Entrepreneurship is an organization.
Entrepreneurship is an innovation.
Entrepreneurship is risk bearing.
Entrepreneurship is motivation.
Entrepreneurship is a creation.
Entrepreneurship is a vision.
Entrepreneurship is leadership.
Entrepreneurship is an imitation.

Importance of Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship offers the following benefits:
1. Development of managerial capabilities
The biggest significance of entrepreneurship lies in the fact that it helps in
identifying and developing managerial capabilities of entrepreneurs. An
entrepreneur studies a problem, identifies its alternatives, compares the
alternatives in terms of cost and benefits implications, and finally chooses the
best alternative. This exercise helps in sharpening the decision-making skills of
an entrepreneur. Besides, these managerial capabilities are used by entrepreneurs
in creating new technologies and products in place of older technologies and
products resulting in higher performance.
2. Creation of organizations
Entrepreneurship results into creation of organizations when entrepreneurs
assemble and coordinate physical, human and financial resources and direct them
towards achievement of objectives through managerial skills.

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3. Improving standards of living

By creating productive organizations, entrepreneurship helps in making a wide
variety of goods and services available to the society, which results into higher
standards of living for the people. Possession of luxury cars, computers, mobile
phones, rapid growth of shopping malls, etc. are pointers to the rising living
standards of people, and all this is due to the efforts of entrepreneurs.
4. Means of economic development
Entrepreneurship involves creation and use of innovative ideas, maximization of
output from given resources, development of managerial skills, etc., and all these
factors are so essential for the economic development of a country.
5. Job Creation
We know that job creation is vital to the overall long-term economic health of
communities, regions, ad nations. Entrepreneurial ventures play very important
role in it. Small business creates more jobs than large business do. During
economic recession, when large companies are on their way to retrenchment of
their work force, individuals whose jobs are eliminated find employment with
small business. The creation of jobs by small businesses is expected to continue
into the future as new firms start small and grow.
6. Innovation
Innovating is a process of creating, changing, experimenting, transforming and
revolutionizing. Innovation is one of the key distinguishing characteristics of
entrepreneurial activity. The passionate drive and intense hunger of entrepreneurs
to forge new directions products and processes and to take risks set in motion a
series of decisions that lead to the innovations that are important for economic
vitality. Without these new ideas, economic, technological, and social progress
would be slow indeed. The “creative destruction” process of innovating leads to
technological changes and employment growth. Entrepreneurial firms act as these
“agents of change” by providing an essential source of new and unique ideas that
might otherwise go.
7. Other Contribution
• Entrepreneurship in small businesses helps in distribution of products of
large business. They, thus, support the large business houses.
• It offers business avenues to women and minorities. Women and minorities
are allowed the benefit of financial independence and a chance to exhibit
the ability to manage business enterprises.
• Dispersal of economic activities to different sectors of economy and
identifying new avenues of growth.
• Improvement of the standard of living of different weaker sections in the
society.
• Bring socio political change in the society.

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• Develop technological know-how.

• Improve culture of business and expand commercial activities.
• Entrepreneurship acts as a change agent to meet the requirements of the
changing markets and customer preferences.
• Develop a culture of achievement orientation.
• It helps in bringing about change and development of the civilization
through change in trade, comment be and industrialization.
• It arouses the need for achievement in individuals, which brings about a
change in the economic scenario through economic development and
growth.
• It results in exploitation of economy’s resources, such as labour, capital
and technology to the fullest extent.
Factors affecting Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a complex phenomenon influenced by the interplay of a wide

variety of factors. The entrepreneurial activity at any time is dependent upon a
complex and varying combination of economic, social, political, psychological
and other factors. These factors may have been both positive and negative
effluences on the emergence of entrepreneurship. Positive influences constitute
facilitative and conductive conclusive for the emergence of entrepreneurship
whereas negative influences create inhibiting milieu to the emergence of
entrepreneurship. Following factors contribute to the success of entrepreneurship:

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1. Personality Factors
Personality traits such as inner desire for control of their activities, tolerance for
risk, high level of tolerance to function in adverse situations and background
experiences such as the family environment, level of education, age and work
history tolerance for ambiguity are important personal characteristics that affect
entrepreneurship. Individuals who are desirous of working independently; willing
to work for long hours and assume risk; are self-confident and hard-working are
likely to be more successful as entrepreneurs than those who do not possess these
qualities
Personal factors, becoming core competencies of entrepreneurs, include:
(a) Initiative (does things before being asked for)
(b) Proactive (identification and utilization of opportunities)
(c) Perseverance (working against all odds to overcome obstacles and never
complacent with success)
(d) Problem-solver (conceives new ideas and achieves innovative solutions)
(e) Persuasion (to customers and financiers for patronization of his business and
develops & maintains relationships)
(f) Self-confidence (takes and sticks to his decisions)
(g) Self-critical (learning from his mistakes and experiences of others)
(h) A Planner (collects information, prepares a plan, and monitors performance)
(i) Risk-taker (the basic quality).
2. Environmental factors
These factors relate to the conditions in which an entrepreneur has to work. If the
environment that a individual is working in is unsatisfactory, that is, not
conducive to his growth needs, it is likely that the individual will quit his job and
start his own business as an entrepreneur. Unsatisfied personal needs for growth
and achievement in employment conditions results in successful
entrepreneurship.
3. Political
Some researchers felt that the growth of entrepreneurship cannot be explained
fully unless the political set-up of a country is taken into consideration. Political
stability in a country is absolutely essential for smooth economic activity.
Frequent political protests, strikes, etc. hinder economic activity and
entrepreneurship. Unfair trade practices, irrational monetary and fiscal policies,
etc. are a roadblock to the growth of entrepreneurship
4. Socio-Economic Factors
The entrepreneurial activity at any time and place is governed by varying
combination of socio-economic factors. The empirical studies have identified the
following socioeconomic factors:
• Cast/religion
• Family background
• Level of Education
• Level of perception

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• Legitimacy of Entrepreneurship
• Migratory character
• Social Mobility
• Social Security
• Investment capacity
• Ambition/motivation

Factors impacting emergence of Entrepreneurship

Various researchers world over have identified the factors that contribute to the
development of entrepreneurship. Economists agree that the lack of entrepreneurs
is not caused by economic conditions alone. It is also due to the whole set of
socio-cultural and institutional environment prevailing in the less developed
countries. Various environmental factors influencing the entrepreneurship are as
follows:
I. Economic Factors
Economic environment exercises the most direct and immediate influence on
entrepreneurship. The economic factors that affect the growth of entrepreneurship
are the following:
1.Capital
Capital is one of the most important perquisites to establish an enterprise.
Availability of capital facilitates is required to purchase the land, machine and
raw material for producing goods. Capital is therefore, regarded as lubricant to
the process of production. Our accumulated experience suggests that with an
increase in capital investment, capital-output ratio also tends to increase. This
results in increase in profit, which ultimately goes to capital formation. This
suggests that as capital supply increases, entrepreneurship also increases.
2. Labor
The quality rather quantity of labor is another factor, which influences the
emergence of entrepreneurship. Most less developed countries are labor rich
nations owing to a dense and even increasing population. But entrepreneurship is
encouraged if there is a mobile and flexible labor force. And, the potential
advantages of low-cost labor are regulated by the deleterious effects of labour
immobility. The considerations of economic and emotional security inhibit labor
mobility. Entrepreneurs, therefore, often find difficulty to secure sufficient labor.
They are forced to make elaborate and costly, arrangements to recruit the
necessary labor. It can be dealt by utilizing labor-intensive methods like Japan.
In contrast, the disadvantage of high-cost labor can be modified by introduction
of labor-saving innovations as was done in US.
3. Raw Materials

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The availability of raw materials is very important for establishing any industrial
activity. In the absence of raw materials, neither any enterprise can be established
nor can an entrepreneur be emerged.
4. Market
The fact remains that the potential of the market constitutes the major determinant
of probable rewards from entrepreneurial function. The size and composition of
market both influence entrepreneurship in their own ways. Practically, monopoly
in a particular product in a market becomes more influential for entrepreneurship
than a competitive market. However, the disadvantage of a competitive market
can be cancelled to some extent by improvement in transportation system
facilitating the movement of raw material and finished goods, and increasing the
demand for producer goods. Whether or not the market is expanding and the rate
at which it is expanding are the most significant characteristics of the market for
entrepreneurial emergence.
5. Infrastructure
Expansion of entrepreneurship depends upon properly developed communication
and transportation facilities. It not only helps to enlarge the market, but expand
the horizons of business too. Take for instance, the establishment of post and
telegraph system and construction of roads and highways in India. It helped
considerable entrepreneurial activities, which took place in the 1850s. Apart from
the above factors, institutions like trade/ business associations, business schools,
libraries, etc. also make valuable contribution towards promoting and sustaining
entrepreneurship’ in the economy. You can gather all the information you want
from these bodies. They also act as a forum for communication and joint action.
In the fast-changing world of business, entrepreneurs have to move-collectively
in order to be more effective and more efficient. They need to constantly check
and influence the Government’s thinking and decision-making.
II. Social Factors
Social factors can go a long way in encouraging entrepreneurship. In fact it was
the highly helpful society that made the industrial revolution a glorious success
in Europe. The main components of social environment are as follows:
1. Caste Factor
There are certain cultural practices and values in every society which influence
the actions of individuals. These practices and value have evolved over hundreds
of years. For instance, consider the caste system (the varna system) among the
Hindus in India. It has divided the population on the basis of caste into four
divisions. The Brahmana (priest), the Kshatriya (warrior), the Vaishya (trade) and
the Shudra (artisan): It has also defined limits to the social mobility of individuals.
By social mobility we mean the freedom to move from one caste to another. The
caste system does not permit an individual who is born a Shudra to move to a

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higher caste. Thus, commercial activities were the monopoly of the Vaishyas.
Members of the three others Hindu Varnas did not become interested in trade and
commerce, even when India had extensive commercial inter-relations with many
foreign countries. Dominance of certain ethnical groups in entrepreneurship is a
global phenomenon. The protestant ethics in the west, the Samurai in Japan, the
trading classes in US and the family business concerns of France have
distinguished themselves as entrepreneurs.
2. Family background
This factor includes size of family, type of family and economic status of family.
Zamindar family helped to gain access to political power and exhibit higher level
of entrepreneurship. Background of a family in manufacturing provided a source
of industrial entrepreneurship. Occupational and social status of the family
influenced mobility. There are certain circumstances where very few people
would have to be venturesome. For example, in a society where the joint family
system is in vogue, those members of joint family who gain wealth by their hard
work denied the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor because they have
to share their wealth with the other members of the family.
3. Education
Education enables one to understand the outside world and equips him with the
basic knowledge and skills to deal with day-to-day problems. In any society, the
system of education has a significant role to play in inculcating entrepreneurial
values.
In India, the system of education prior to the 20th century was based on religion.
In this rigid system, critical and questioning attitudes towards society were
discouraged. The caste system and the resultant occupational structure were
reinforced by such education. It promoted the idea that business is not a
respectable occupation. Later, when the British came to our country, they
introduced an education system, just to produce clerks and accountants for the
East India Company, the base of such a system, as you can well see, is very anti-
entrepreneurial. The unfortunate result of it is that young men and women in our
country have developed a taste only for service. Their talents and capabilities
have not been made much use of. Rather it has been wasted in performing routine
conventional jobs. Our educational methods have not changed much even today.
The emphasis is till on preparing students for standard jobs, rather than marking
them capable enough to stand on their feet.
4. Attitude of the Society
A related aspect to these is the attitude of the society towards entrepreneurship.
Certain societies encourage innovations and novelties, and thus approve
entrepreneurs’ actions and rewards like profits. Certain others do not tolerate
changes and in such circumstances, entrepreneurship cannot take root and grow.

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Similarly, some societies have an inherent dislike for any money-making activity.
It is said, that in Russia, in the nineteenth century, the upper classes did not like
entrepreneurs. For them, cultivating the land meant a good life. They believed
that land belongs to God and the produce of the land was nothing but god’s
blessing.
5. Cultural Value
Motives impel men to action. Entrepreneurial growth requires proper motives like
profit-making, acquisition of prestige and attainment of social status. Ambitious
and talented men would take risks and innovate if these motives are strong. The
strength of these motives depends upon the culture of the society. If the culture is
economically or monetarily oriented, entrepreneurship would be applauded and
praised; wealth accumulation as a way of life would be appreciated. In the less
developed countries, people are not economically motivated. Monetary
incentives have relatively less attraction. People have ample opportunities of
attaining social distinction by non-economic pursuits. Men with organizational
abilities are, therefore, not c dragged into business. They use their talents for non-
economic ends. The absence of proper economic motives is a general
characteristic of agrarian societies in which people do not attach great value to
business talents, industrial leadership etc.
III. Psychological Factors
Many entrepreneurial theorists have propounded theories of entrepreneurship that
concentrate especially upon psychological factors. These are as follows:
1. Need Achievement
The most important psychological theories of entrepreneurship were put forward
in the early1960s by David McClelland. According to McClelland ‘need
achievement’ is social motive to excel that tends to characterize successful
entrepreneurs, especially when reinforced by cultural factors. He found that
certain kinds of people, especially those who became entrepreneurs, had this
characteristic. Moreover, some societies tend to reproduce a larger percentage of
people with high ‘need achievement’ than other societies. McClelland attributed
this to sociological factors. Differences among societies and individuals
accounted for ‘need achievement’ being greater in some societies and less in
certain others. Analyzing this phenomenon, Paul Wilken has said,
“entrepreneurship becomes the link between need achievement and economic
growth”, the latter being a specifically social factor.
The theory states that people with high need-achievement are distinctive in
several ways. They like to take risks and these risks stimulate them to greater
effort. The theory identifies the factors that produce such people. Initially
McClelland attributed the role of parents, especially the mother, in mustering her
son or daughter to be masterful and self-reliant. Later he put less emphasis on the

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parent-child relationship and gave more importance to social and cultural factors.
He concluded that the ‘need achievement’ is conditioned more by social and
cultural reinforcement rather than by parental influence and such related factors.
2. Withdrawal of Status Respect
There are several other researchers who have tried to understand the
psychological roots of entrepreneurship. One such individual is Everett Hagen
who stresses the-psychological consequences of social change. Hagen says, at
some point many social groups experience a radical loss of status. Hagen
attributed the withdrawal of status respect of a group to the genesis of
entrepreneurship. Giving a brief sketch of history of Japan, he concludes that it
developed sooner than any non-western society except Russia due to two
historical differences. First, Japan had been free from colonial disruption and
secondly, the repeated long continued withdrawal of expected status from
important groups in its society led them to the technological progress through
entrepreneurial roles.
Hag believes that the initial condition leading to eventual entrepreneurial
behavior is the loss of status by a group. He postulates that four types of events
can produce status withdrawal:
(a) The group may be displaced by force;
(b) It may have its valued symbols denigrated;
(c) It may drift into a situation of status inconsistency; and
(d) It may not be accepted the expected status on migration in a new society.
He further postulates that withdrawal of status respect would give rise to four
possible reactions and create four difference personality types:
(a) Retreatist: He who continues to work in a society but remains different to his
work and position;
(b) Ritualist: He who adopts a kind of defensive behavior and acts in the way
accepted and approved in his society but no hopes of improving his position;
(c) Reformist: He is a person who foments a rebellion and attempts to establish a
new society; and
(d)Innovator: He is a creative individual and is likely to be an entrepreneur.
Hagen maintains that once status withdrawal has occurred, the sequence of
change in personality formation is set in motion. He refers that status withdrawal
takes a long period of time – as much as five or more generations – to result in
the emergence of entrepreneurship.
3. Motives
Other psychological theories of entrepreneurship stress the motives or goals of
the entrepreneur. Cole is of the opinion that besides wealth, entrepreneurs seek
power, prestige, security and service to society. Stepanek points particularly to

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non-monetary aspects such as independence, persons’ self-esteem, power and

regard of the society.
On the same subject, Evans distinguishes motive by three kinds of entrepreneurs:
(a) Managing entrepreneurs whose chief motive is security.
(b) Innovating entrepreneurs, who are interested only in excitement.
(c) Controlling entrepreneurs, who above all other motives- want power and
authority.
Finally, Rostov has examined intergradation changes in the families of
entrepreneurs. He believes that the first generation seeks wealth, the second
prestige and the third art and beauty.
4. Others
Thomas Begley and David P. Boyd studied in detail the psychological roots of
entrepreneurship in the mid-1980s. They came to the conclusion that
entrepreneurial attitudes based on psychological considerations have five
dimensions:
• First came ‘need-achievement’ as described by McClelland. In all studies
of successful entrepreneurs, a high achievement-orientation is invariably
present.
• The second dimension that Begley and Boyd call ‘locus of control’ This
means that the entrepreneur follows the idea that he can control his own
life and is not influenced by factors like luck, fate and so on. Need-
achievement logically implies that people can control their own lives and
are not influenced by external forces.
• The third dimension is the willingness to take risks. These two researchers
have come to the conclusion that entrepreneurs who take moderate risks
earn higher returns on their assets than those who take no risks at all or
who take extravagant risks.
• Tolerance is the next dimension of this study. Very few decisions are made
with complete information. So, all business executives must, have a certain
amount of tolerance for ambiguity.
• Finally, here is what psychologists call ‘Type A’ behavior. This is nothing
but “a chronic, incessant struggle to achieve more and more in less and less
of time” Entrepreneurs are characterized by the presence of ‘Type A’
behavior in all their endeavors.
IV. Political Factors
An entrepreneur, however creative he/she may be, cannot function without the
supportive actions of the Government. It is for the government/society to ensure
the availability of required resources for the entrepreneurs and also the
accessibility to them. This is because the successful entrepreneur contributes to
the wellbeing of the society. Policies relating to various-economic aspects like

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prices, availability of capital, labor and other inputs, demand structure, taxation,
income distribution, etc. affect growth of entrepreneurship to a large extent.
Promotive government activities such as incentives and subsidies contribute
substantially to entrepreneurial performance. At the same time, Government
policies like licenses, regulations, favoritism, government monopolies, etc. are
undesirable for the growth of business enterprises. Above all, a government that
is politically stable and united can affect entrepreneurial activities in a significant
manner. Is there a business entrepreneur in your neighborhoods? Try to gather
information on his/her views on various government policies, for example, on
taxation, finance, labor etc. Also ask him/her about the opportunities and growth
prospects of a business unit. Write down your observations.
India, all the above-mentioned environmental forces have turned in favor of
enterprising men and women. There is a visible change for the better in the highly
inactive entrepreneurial field in the country. The tight grip of religious and
traditional, ideas and practices have begun to loosen. It is encouraging the ‘non-
commercial’ classes to consider economic opportunities more sympathetically.
As a result, occupational division based on caste system has undergone
tremendous traditional activities, social approval etc. have become less important.
More important now, are the economic factors such as access to capital and
possession of entrepreneurial attitudes and business I knowledge.
Development of infrastructure changes in government policies in favor of
business and industry and of course, rise in demand for products manufactured
are some of the other factors that have led the Indian entrepreneurs to look for
new business opportunities.

ENTREP:INTRODUCTION EG