DP5707 Entrepreneurship: First Results from Russia

Author(s): Simeon Djankov , Edward Miguel , Yingyi Qian , Gérard Roland , Ekaterina Zhuravskaya

Publication Date: June 2006

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Programme Areas: Institutions and Economic Performance

Link to this Page: www.cepr.org/pubs/dps/DP5707.asp

Studies of the determinants of entrepreneurship have emphasized three distinct perspectives: market institutions, social networks and personal characteristics. Using data from a pilot survey with over 2,000 interviews in 7 cities across Russia, we find evidence for a particularly strong effect of social networks: individuals whose relatives and childhood friends are entrepreneurs are more than twice as likely to be entrepreneurs. Mothers’ characteristics play a significant role in determining future entrepreneurs.