Different motive, different process?

This thesis contributes to the field of social entrepreneurship by investigating to what extent socially motivated entrepreneurs are hampered in their advancement in the entrepreneurial engagement process. Furthermore, this thesis investigates to what extent perceived external factors are hindering factors in the advancement of socially motivated entrepreneurs. Data from the Flash Eurobarometer Survey 2009 (No. 283) on Entrepreneurship are used, which covers 26,168 individuals in 36 countries. A series of ordered logit regressions is performed. The results first show that perceived administrative complexities have a negative relationship with the advancement in entrepreneurial process for all individuals. Secondly, the results indicate that socially motivated entrepreneurs are less likely to advance in the entrepreneurial process than less socially motivated entrepreneurs. Finally, the results suggest a stronger negative influence of perceived lack of sufficient information about running a business on this advancement for the more socially motivated individuals. Although there are limitations to this research, a first indication is given for the possibility that socially motivated entrepreneurs have stronger perceptions of external factors, and that this can be a hinder in their entrepreneurial advancement. In the end this thesis creates room for further investigation on this topic using more extensive data.