IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/jdexxx/v14y2009i01ns1084946709001144.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluating The Motives Of Informal Entrepreneurs: Some Lessons From Ukraine

Author

Listed:
  • COLIN C. WILLIAMS

    (School of Management, University of Sheffield, 9 Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 4DT, United Kingdom)

  • JOHN ROUND

    (School of Geographical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom)

  • PETER RODGERS

    (Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom)

Abstract

To understand entrepreneurs' motivations, it has become increasingly common to distinguish between those driven by necessity (or pushed) and those driven by opportunity (or pulled) into entrepreneurship. Until now, entrepreneurs operating wholly or partially in the informal economy have been widely assumed to be necessity-driven, pushed into this enterprise as a survival strategy in the absence of alternatives. To evaluate whether this is indeed the case, this paper reports one of the first surveys of informal entrepreneurs' motives. Reporting face-to-face interviews conducted in Ukraine during 2005–06 with 298 informal entrepreneurs, the finding is although most identified themselves as necessity entrepreneurs when initially asked whether they were either pushed or pulled, subsequent questions reveal in the vast majority of cases, there were not only both push and pull factors driving their original decision to start-up informal enterprises, but also a clear shift among these entrepreneurs as their business became established away from necessity-oriented motivations and toward more opportunity-oriented motivations. The outcome is a call for a transcendence of a static either/or approach and the adoption of a dynamic both/and approach that recognizes the coexistence of necessity- and opportunity-drivers as well as the fluidity of entrepreneurs' motivations.

Suggested Citation

  • Colin C. Williams & John Round & Peter Rodgers, 2009. "Evaluating The Motives Of Informal Entrepreneurs: Some Lessons From Ukraine," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 14(01), pages 59-71.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:jdexxx:v:14:y:2009:i:01:n:s1084946709001144
    DOI: 10.1142/S1084946709001144
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S1084946709001144
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1142/S1084946709001144?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Colin C. Williams, 2006. "The Hidden Enterprise Culture," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3948.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Colin C. Williams & Abbi M. Kedir, 2017. "Starting-up unregistered and firm performance in Turkey," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 797-817, September.
    2. Colin C. Williams, 2023. "A Modern Guide to the Informal Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 18668.
    3. Nadia Abdelhamid Abdelmegeed Abdelwahed & Abdulrahman Alshaikhmubarak, 2023. "Developing Female Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions through an Entrepreneurial Mindset and Motives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, April.
    4. Emiel L. Eijdenberg & Kathrin Borner, 2017. "The Performance Of Subsistence Entrepreneurs In Tanzania’S Informal Economy," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(01), pages 1-22, March.
    5. Usman Ladan & Colin C. Williams, 2019. "Evaluating Theorizations Of Informal Sector Entrepreneurship: Some Lessons From Zamfara, Nigeria," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 24(04), pages 1-18, December.
    6. Colin C. Williams, 2014. "Confronting the Shadow Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15370.
    7. Pham, Tho & Talavera, Oleksandr & Zhang, Mao, 2018. "Self-employment, financial development, and well-being: Evidence from China, Russia, and Ukraine," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 754-769.
    8. Colin C. Williams & Brunilda Kosta, 2019. "Evaluating Institutional Theories Of Informal Sector Entrepreneurship: Some Lessons From Albania," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 24(02), pages 1-17, June.
    9. Shakra, R., 2018. "Aspirations and Farmers Investment Choices - An Investigation of Aspirations Failure in South Africa," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277177, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. Colin C. Williams & Youssef Youssef, 2014. "Is Informal Sector Entrepreneurship Necessity- or Opportunity-driven? Some Lessons from Urban Brazil," Business and Management Research, Business and Management Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 3(1), pages 41-53, March.
    11. Amir Emami & Shayegheh Ashourizadeh & Shima Sheikhi & Gadaf Rexhepi, 2022. "Entrepreneurial propensity for market analysis in the time of COVID-19: benefits from individual entrepreneurial orientation and opportunity confidence," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(8), pages 2413-2439, November.
    12. Eunice Maria M. N. Dos Santos & João J. Ferreira, 2017. "Analyzing Informal Entrepreneurship: A Bibliometric Survey," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(04), pages 1-20, December.
    13. Eijaz Ahmed Khan, 2018. "The Voice Of Informal Entrepreneurs: Resources And Capabilities Perspective," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(03), pages 1-19, September.
    14. Jing Song & Lulu Li, 2023. "Empowered in Business or Penalised in Marriage: Experiences of Single Female Entrepreneurs in China," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(1), pages 3-19, February.
    15. Colin C. Williams & Youssef Youssef, 2015. "Theorising Entrepreneurship in the Informal Sector in Urban Brazil: A Product of Exit or Exclusion?," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 24(2), pages 148-168, September.
    16. Kovarova Kateřina & Simsova Jana, 2019. "Factors Affecting Entry into Entrepreneurship for University Students," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 398-416.
    17. Syed Awais Ahmad Tipu, 2012. "What have we learned? Themes from the literature on necessity driven entrepreneurship," World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 8(1), pages 70-91.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Williams Colin, 2009. "Evaluating the Extent and Nature of ‘Envelope Wages’ in the European Union: A Geographical Analysis," European Spatial Research and Policy, Sciendo, vol. 16(1), pages 115-129, June.
    2. Colin C. Williams & Brunilda Kosta, 2019. "Evaluating Institutional Theories Of Informal Sector Entrepreneurship: Some Lessons From Albania," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 24(02), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Darbi, William Phanuel Kofi & Knott, Paul, 2016. "Strategising practices in an informal economy setting: A case of strategic networking," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 400-413.
    4. Colin C. Williams & Sara Nadin & Peter Rodgers & John Round & Jan Windebank, 2011. "Mapping the Social Organization of Labour in Moscow: Beyond the Formal/informal Labour Dualism," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 16(1), pages 43-53, February.
    5. Colin C. Williams & Sara Nadin, 2010. "The Commonality And Character Of Off-The-Books Entrepreneurship: A Comparison Of Deprived And Affluent Urban Neighborhoods," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(03), pages 345-358.
    6. Fadil Sahiti, 2021. "Institutions and entrepreneurial activity: a comparative analysis of Kosovo and other economies," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(1), pages 98-119, February.
    7. Kameliia Petrova, 2016. "Entrepreneurship And The Informal Economy: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(02), pages 1-21, June.
    8. Colin C. Williams, 2006. "Harnessing the Hidden Enterprise Culture: the Street UK Community Development Finance Initiative," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 21(1), pages 13-24, February.
    9. Colin C. Williams & Sara J. Nadin, 2013. "Beyond the entrepreneur as a heroic figurehead of capitalism: re-representing the lived practices of entrepreneurs," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(7-8), pages 552-568, September.
    10. Rajeev K. Goel & James W. Saunoris & Friedrich Schneider, 2019. "Growth In The Shadows: Effect Of The Shadow Economy On U.S. Economic Growth Over More Than A Century," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(1), pages 50-67, January.
    11. Paraskevi Koufopoulou & Colin C. Williams & Athanassios Vozikis & Kyriakos Souliotis, 2019. "Shadow Economy: Definitions, terms & theoretical considerations," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 9(5), pages 1-3.
    12. Colin C. Williams & Sara Nadin, 2012. "Tackling Undeclared Work in the European Union," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 13(02), pages 20-25, July.
    13. Erkko Autio & Kun Fu, 2015. "Economic and political institutions and entry into formal and informal entrepreneurship," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 67-94, March.
    14. Ian Clark & Trevor Colling, 2018. "Work in Britain's Informal Economy: Learning from Road†Side Hand Car Washes," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(2), pages 320-341, June.
    15. Marijana Baric & Colin C. Williams, 2013. "Tackling the Undeclared Economy in Croatia," South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, vol. 11(1), pages 7-36.
    16. Kwame Adom & Colin C. Williams, 2012. "Evaluating The Motives Of Informal Entrepreneurs In Koforidua, Ghana," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 17(01), pages 1-17.
    17. Colin C. Williams & Jan Windebank, 2011. "Regional Variations in the Nature of the Shadow Economy: Evidence from a Survey of 27 European Union Member States," Chapters, in: Friedrich Schneider (ed.), Handbook on the Shadow Economy, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Koen Salemink, 2016. "Unlocking hidden community assets: Marginal specialization and community resilience of Gypsy-Travelers in the Netherlands," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 31(5), pages 637-649, August.
    19. Colin C. Williams & Slavko Bezeredi, 2018. "Evaluating The Impact Of Informal Sector Competition On Firm Performance: Some Lessons From South-East Europe," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(04), pages 1-14, December.
    20. Colin C. Williams, 2011. "Entrepreneurship, the informal economy and rural communities," Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 5(2), pages 145-157, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wsi:jdexxx:v:14:y:2009:i:01:n:s1084946709001144. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.worldscinet.com/jde/jde.shtml .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.