The Role of Personal and Family Background in Making Entrepreneurs in a Post-Socialist Environment

New SSE Riga/BICEPS research paper by V. Dombrovsky (BICEPS, SSE Riga) and F. Welter (University of Siegen, RWI-Essen, SSE Riga).

Abstract. This paper sets out to investigate entrepreneurs in Latvia, which is one of the most advanced transition countries, having joined the European Union in 2004. Empirically, the paper draws on results from a representative survey of the Latvian population, based on the method of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, and complemented with additional questions related to the background and experiences of Latvian entrepreneurs. Results suggest that there are significant differences between personal characteristics and family background of entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs in Latvia. The biggest effects on entering entrepreneurship come from having parent entrepreneurs, sibling entrepreneurs, and having higher education.