Cross-cultural differences in entrepreneurial tendencies: An exploratory view in Turkey and Canada

Abstract

Even though entrepreneurship is not new, its popularity is still growing rapidly as a result of a wide range of factors. Removal of the trade barriers, global economic recessions, advancements in information and telecommunication technologies, corporate restructurings, downsizing, mergers and acquisitions are among the major factors that led the topic to keep its critical importance. As a result of the above mentioned conditions, entrepreneurship is increasingly catching the attention of the academia as well as the governments, policy makers, NGOs and other profit or non-profit institutions. Whilst many governments are working on new policies to support entrepreneurship, higher education institutions (HEI) are constantly launching new and innovative programs, courses and seminars on entrepreneurship. All these efforts have one common ultimate goal which is fostering and encouraging entrepreneurial activities and innovation. The aim of this study is to assess and compare the entrepreneurial tendencies of Turkish and Canadian students enrolled in Business Administration programs at undergraduate level. A sample of 429 third and fourth year students from Turkey and Canada were chosen for the study. 217 students out of 429 were Canadians and the remaining 212 were Turkish students.