A fuzzy methodology for local entrepreneurial culture evaluation: evidence from post-soviet Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

This paper assesses the local entrepreneurial culture based on the perceptions of local residents, by focusing on four distinct dimensions of the local entrepreneurial culture: ‘diversity and change climate’, ‘business promotion climate’, ‘business discouragement climate’, and ‘focus on local’. A comprehensive survey was used to assess the local entrepreneurial culture in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The items included in the survey were categorised as positive or negative statements that describe the respondent’s county. This paper provides a framework that consists of a two-level model to construct a quantitative measure of local entrepreneurial culture. Essentially, a fuzzy artificial decision is based on data collected by conducting the survey with entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs. At the top level, a fuzzy multicriteria decision-making model was used to measure the local entrepreneurial culture. This model assesses the entrepreneurial culture in the community development practices of managers, contributes to future entrepreneurial research, identifies practices for entrepreneurial culture, and assesses the role of local cultural characteristics in entrepreneurship. This study includes a novel methodology, compared with those described in the literature, as it includes a conceptual model based on the perceptions of local residents. The results of this study showed that Bishkek’s entrepreneurial culture is below the middle level.