THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT AND PREDISPOSITION TOWARDS ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Objectives. Rural entrepreneurship is a process of perpetual reinvention due to the physical, social, economic characteristics of the countryside. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence that the micro-social environment – emphasis on values, attitudes, and trust relations – has on the tendency towards entrepreneurship in the rural environment of Galati. Material and methods. The main method of research was the focus-group style of interview, centring of discussion themes such as: entrepreneurial resources, the micro-social environment, and the cultural-normative conditions associated with entrepreneurial predisposition. Results. Entrepreneurial tendencies vastly depend on the presence of the entrepreneurial model in the social relations of the individual, or the lack thereof. Based on the analysis of the interviews it revealed that the presence of an entrepreneur among parents, friends, or relatives determines the decision of an individual to become an entrepreneur. The answers offered in relation to the availability of forming associations with a view to starting up a business point to a socially tense climate, predominated by distrust and discouragement. The cultural-normative conditions of the entrepreneurship potential are only partially present in the Galați county countryside. Conclusions. The study showed that the personal network of potential entrepreneurs is wider than those of individuals which are not inclined towards entrepreneurship. Reaching a decision regarding starting up a business does not entirely depend on the resources of a household, the access to the necessary funds, or the general economic climate, but also on personal, or family entrepreneurial experience, the availability to associate, and the level of trust.

Keywords

• social resources
• entrepreneurial model
• cultural conditions
• trust relations