Are Entrepreneurial Cognitions Universal? Assessing Entrepreneurial Cognitions across Cultures

TLDR

The study investigates whether entrepreneurs possess distinct cognitions, whether these cognitions are universal, and how they vary across national cultures. The authors conducted an exploratory survey of 990 participants across eleven countries to address these questions. Results show that professional entrepreneurial cognitions differ from those of non‑entrepreneurs, support a universal entrepreneurial culture, and reveal country‑specific variations in cognition constructs and archetype patterns, reinforcing the cognitive explanation of entrepreneurship.

Abstract

In this study we examine three research questions concerned with entrepreneurial cognition and culture: (1) Do entrepreneurs have cognitions distinct from those of other business people? (2) To what extent are entrepreneurial cognitions universal? and (3) To what extent do entrepreneurial cognitions differ by national culture? These questions were investigated in an exploratory study using data collected from 990 respondents in eleven countries. We find, in answer to question one, that individuals who possess “professional entrepreneurial cognitions” do indeed have cognitions that are distinct from business non-entrepreneurs. In answer to question two, we report further confirmation of a universal culture of entrepreneurship. And in answer to question three, we find (a) observed differences on eight of the ten proposed cognition constructs, and (b) that the pattern of country representation within an empirically developed set of entrepreneurial archetypes does indeed differ among countries. Our results suggest increasing credibility for the cognitive explanation of entrepreneurial phenomena in the cross-cultural setting.