The macro-level determinants of user entrepreneurship in healthcare: an explorative cross-country analysis

Abstract

Purpose

This article analyses the new venture creation by patient innovators in 40 countries examining the effects of the four macro-level factors on entrepreneurship, adding a fifth sector-specific (healthcare) factor.

Design/methodology/approach

By applying the statistical tool of principal component analysis, we find a clustering behavior of health user entrepreneurs across countries, indicating that common macro-level conditions affect this phenomenon in a nonlinear way.

Findings

Healthy user innovators are more likely to become entrepreneurs in those countries where creativity, economic opportunities and business environment are increasing from the lower level until a certain threshold. After that level, user entrepreneurship seems to be not relevant.

Originality/value

We contribute to the extant literature about macro-level determinants of entrepreneurship by exploring how much such conditions impact on the decision to create new firm by user innovators.

Citation

Schiavone, F., Rivieccio, G., Paolone, F. and Rocca, A. (2021), "The macro-level determinants of user entrepreneurship in healthcare: an explorative cross-country analysis", Management Decision, Vol. 59 No. 5, pp. 1158-1178. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-10-2019-1427