Entrepreneurship and paths to business ownership

Abstract

Alternative paths to ownership are examined, including starting, purchasing or inheriting a firm, as well as being promoted or brought in by existing owners. It is hypothesized that these involve different ‘degrees of entrepreneurship’, which will be reflected in the profiles of owner-managers who have followed each path. Data on 1756 owner-managers are used to test hypotheses relating path to ownership to: the entrepreneurs' background characteristics; motivations and attitudes; and previous careers, incubator organizations and processes of starting.