This study examines Turkey’s endeavours to become a more entrepreneurial country especially since it became a candidate country to the EU. The case of the EU, in particular the policies and programmes regarding entrepreneurship at the union level, sets a great example for Turkey. The study shows how Turkish entrepreneurship policies get inspired and also encouraged by the EU and provides a comparison of entrepreneurial activity and culture between Turkey and the EU. Finally, the thesis concludes with Turkey’s entrepreneurial progress and the areas that still need further improvement.
Chapters of this thesis are designed to answer some particular question. The first chapter aims to present the definition and the importance of entrepreneurship. In addition, the cultural effects of entrepreneurship are explained with reference to
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Also, implications of these dimensions are used to compare the European culture to the Turkish culture in the first chapter. Moreover, as the support mechanisms of entrepreneurship are highly focused in the following two chapters since they show how Turkey and the EU handle entrepreneurship. The second chapter explains the support mechanisms of the EU and the third chapter explains that of Turkey. The fourth chapter provides a thorough comparison of entrepreneurial activity in the EU and Turkey by referring to facts and figures. Research methodology is mostly based on literature review. The EC documents are vastly used and examined in a way to provide up-to-date information about entrepreneurship. Since studying such a novel concept is a rather recent endeavour, online resources constitute a big part of reference for this thesis.
Table of Contents
1.INTRODUCTION
2.ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN GENERAL
2.1. What is Entrepreneurship?
2.2.What is the Importance of Entrepreneurship?
2.3.What Are the Cultural Factors that Affect Entrepreneurship?
3.HOW DOES THE EU SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
3.1.Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan
3.2.Small Business Act
3.3.Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
3.4.Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs
3.5.Entrepreneurship Education
3.6.Your Europe Business Portal
3.7.Enterprise Europe Network
3.8.SME Internationalisation Portal
3.9.Business Angels
3.10.Access to Finance Portal
3.11.European Structural & Investment Funds
3.12.Horizon 2020
4.HOW DOES TURKEY SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
4.1.The 10th Development Plan of Turkey
4.2.The Turkish Council of Entrepreneurship
4.3 Entrepreneurship Education
4.4. Entrepreneurship Training Programmes of KOSGEB
4.5.TÜBİTAK’ s Role in Entrepreneurship
4.6.Access to Finance
4.7.R&D and Innovation Support
4.8.Incubators and Accelerators
4.9. Entrepreneurship Networks
4.10.International Entrepreneurship Centre
4.11.Reward Mechanism
4.12. Turkey’ s Place in the EU’ s Entrepreneurship Policy and Programmes
5.AN OVERVIEW OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE EU AND TURKEY
5.1.Situation of SMEs
5.2.Entrepreneurship
5.3. Female Entrepreneurship
6.CONCLUSION
Research Objective and Core Themes
This master thesis aims to analyze the landscape of entrepreneurship within the European Union and Turkey. The research evaluates how Turkey utilizes the EU's entrepreneurial framework and experiences to enhance its own entrepreneurial ecosystem, specifically focusing on policies, support mechanisms, and cultural factors that drive economic growth and job creation.
- Comparative analysis of EU and Turkish entrepreneurship policies and support programs.
- The impact of cultural dimensions, based on Hofstede's framework, on entrepreneurial tendencies.
- Evaluation of SME performance and contributions to the economy in both regions.
- Assessment of institutional support mechanisms such as R&D, innovation support, and finance access.
- Identification of gaps in Turkish policy, including areas like female and immigrant entrepreneurship.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.What is Entrepreneurship?
In recent years, especially with the advancement of mobile technologies ‘entrepreneurship’ has become a buzzword. The word ‘entrepreneur’ is vastly being used to describe a mobile application developer. Although this is true, the concept of entrepreneurship dates back to the very early stages of the human life since it means starting up a business by taking the necessary financial risks for the hope of gaining profit. However, in today’s understanding and common usage of the term ‘entrepreneurship’ make an emphasis on the innovation and novelty aspect of the business ideas. So it is not a coincidence that Silicon Valley start-ups are the first thing to come to the mind when we think of entrepreneurship.
This study will take the term ‘entrepreneurship’ more generally as the main source of start-up businesses and less emphasis on technological innovation will be given in contrast to the limited definition of the term. Silicon Valley start-ups will not be mentioned again since the main focus is entrepreneurship in the EU and Turkey. At this point it would beneficial to see how the EU and Turkey define entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs. European Commission defines entrepreneurship as follows:
“Entrepreneurship is an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation, risk taking, ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives”.
According to this definition, the ideas mentioned are business ideas and they should be turned into start-up businesses. European Commission stresses on the importance of creativity and innovation but they remain vague in the definition. Innovation is of course encouraged but the involvement of technology does not always stand as a possibility. So the definition of innovation is extended to novelty of business ideas and non-technological innovation.
Summary of Chapters
1.INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of the study's aim to compare entrepreneurial activity between the EU and Turkey and outlines the research methodology.
2.ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN GENERAL: Defines entrepreneurship and explores its socio-economic importance and the impact of cultural factors on entrepreneurial success.
3.HOW DOES THE EU SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURSHIP?: Details the various policies and programs implemented by the EU, such as the Small Business Act and COSME, to foster a supportive environment for entrepreneurs.
4.HOW DOES TURKEY SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURSHIP?: Examines Turkey’s domestic strategies and the role of institutions like KOSGEB and TÜBİTAK in promoting local entrepreneurship and alignment with EU standards.
5.AN OVERVIEW OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE EU AND TURKEY: Presents a comparative analysis of SME statistics, early-stage entrepreneurial performance, and the status of female entrepreneurs in both regions.
6.CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, highlighting Turkey's progress in adopting EU practices while identifying remaining gaps in policy and quality.
Keywords
Entrepreneurship, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, SMEs, European Union, Turkey, Economic Development, Innovation, Business Angels, KOSGEB, TÜBİTAK, Startup, Entrepreneurial Policy, Cultural Dimensions, Female Entrepreneurship, Financial Access
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work examines the state of entrepreneurship in both the EU and Turkey, analyzing how Turkey leverages EU experiences to improve its own entrepreneurial ecosystem and boost its economic competitiveness.
What are the central themes discussed in the study?
Key themes include policy frameworks for SMEs, cultural influences on entrepreneurial mindset, institutional support programs, and a quantitative comparison of entrepreneurial activity in Turkey versus the EU.
What is the main research question?
The study seeks to understand how Turkey can benefit from the EU’s entrepreneurial experience to improve its domestic entrepreneurial environment and become a more competitive, innovative country.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The research relies primarily on a literature review, analyzing official European Commission documents and Turkish policy papers to synthesize up-to-date information on the topic.
What does the main body cover?
The body chapters detail the specific support mechanisms used by both the EU and Turkey, perform a statistical overview of SMEs, and provide a critical evaluation of factors like finance, R&D, and education support.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Important keywords include Entrepreneurship, SMEs, EU-Turkey Relations, Innovation Policy, and Economic Growth.
How does cultural background impact entrepreneurship according to the author?
Using Hofstede's dimensions, the author argues that cultural factors like power distance and uncertainty avoidance in Turkey present challenges compared to the EU, which often has a more favorable environment for innovation.
What are the critical gaps identified in Turkish entrepreneurship policy?
The author notes that while quantity is high, the quality of startups remains a challenge. Additionally, there is a lack of specific policy focus regarding immigrant entrepreneurship and a need to further bridge the gender gap in female entrepreneurship.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Ugur Ugurlu (Autor:in), 2016, Entrepreneurship in the EU and Turkey. Turkey’s Pathway to Becoming a More Entrepreneurial Country After Considering the Case of the EU, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/946582
