A Case Study of cultural entrepreneurs based in Barcelona

This thesis aimed to study the motivations of cultural entrepreneurs based in Barcelona. In order to explore this, cultural entrepreneurs were first classified into opportunity and necessity entrepreneurs according to their start-up motivation. The next step was to analyse how certain intrinsic and extrinsic factors influenced differently opportunity and necessity entrepreneurial intentions. The analyzed factors included passion, income, independence, risk of failure, skills and the environmental conditions in Barcelona. A mixed research based in quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews was conducted. This investigation has provided several insights: firstly, a new perspective to study cultural entrepreneurs needs to be implemented in replace to the opportunity-necessity classification which does not work with cultural entrepreneurs. Secondly, intrinsic and extrinsic factors have not been proved to influence strongly different opportunity and necessity entrepreneurs. They do exist slight differences but in general, it has been tested that any factor has the power to hinder their entrepreneurial intentions in a significantly high degree whereas some sources of intrinsic motivation like passion play a very positive role in their intentions. This is in coherence with the first conclusion, which proves the need for a new perspective with its focus on the cultural entrepreneur’s start-up motivation, depending on if they are purely intrinsic or extrinsic or their level of passion. This classification will provide a better understanding of the cultural entrepreneur’s motivations and intentions. Finally, the investigation has also provided clues about the negative environmental conditions in Barcelona towards cultural entrepreneurship, which is incoherent with the creative and cultural nature of the city. Further solutions need to be implemented in order to improve the cultural entrepreneur’s situation in Barcelona and therefore, positively their intentions