Born to enterprise? entrepreneurial intent among icelanders

Abstract

In recent years, researchers and political figures have increasingly focused on entrepreneurship, emphasizing its role on economic and social growth and development, as well they have discussed how entrepreneurs can improve economies and people’s lives by creating jobs, developing new solutions to problems, and creating technology that improves efficiency (NaudÕ, World Dev 39(1):33–44, 2011, Entrepreneurship and economic development. In: Currie-Alder B, Kanbur R, Malone DM, Medhor R (eds) International development ideas, experiences and prospects. Oxford University Press, 2014; êcs et al. Small Bus Econ 31(3):219–234, 2008, Global entrepreneurship index (GEDI). The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute, Washington D.C., 2018; êcs and Szerb, Found TrendsÛ Entrep 5 (5):341–435, 2009; Van Praag and Versloot, Small Bus Econ 29(4):351–382, 2007; Audretsch et al., Entrepreneurship and economic growth. Oxford University Press, New York, 2006; Van Stel et al., Small Bus Econ 24(3):311–321, 2005; Parker, The economics of self-employment and entrepreneurship. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004; Carree and Thurik, The impact of entrepreneurship on economic growth. In: Handbook of entrepreneurship research. Springer, 2003; Storey, Understanding the small firm sector. Routledge, London, 1994; Leibenstein, Am Econ Rev 58(2):72–83, 1968). In light of this discourse, this chapter covers the case of Iceland that is a matter of great relevance to the cultural characteristics as well as the economic turmoil that took place in the late 2008.