Entrepreneurial Environment: Characteristics, 8 Importance

What is Entrepreneurial Environment?

The entrepreneurship environment refers to various facets within which enterprises- big, medium, small, and others operate. Any enterprise is therefore influenced by the environment and surroundings.

An entrepreneurial environment ecosystem might be viewed as a complex adaptive system that can be compared to a natural ecosystem, like a forest. This complexity theory perspective can be better understood as the nature of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The entrepreneurial environment is the aggregation of all those external conditions and effects, that affect the life of living beings and the development of entrepreneurship.


Definition of Entrepreneurial Environment

These are the simple definitions of entrepreneurial environment:

Entrepreneurial environment can be defined as a place where there is a strong emphasis on identifying and pursuing opportunities, along with a willingness to take calculated risks to create value.

Howard Stevenson

Entrepreneurial environment as a set of conditions that include access to resources, networks, and cultural support for entrepreneurial activities. He emphasized the social and contextual aspects of entrepreneurship.

William B. Gartner

An entrepreneurial environment as the institutional framework and policy environment that influences the level of entrepreneurial activity in a particular area. This includes factors like government policies, access to financing, and the legal system.

David Audretsch

Characteristics of Entrepreneurial Environment

So There are many characteristics of entrepreneurial environment. These environments can broadly be classified as important components, which include:

  1. Political Environment
  2. Economical Environment
  3. Social Environment
  4. Legal Environment
  5. Technology Environment
  6. Cultural Environment
Characteristics of Entrepreneurial Environment
Characteristics of Entrepreneurial Environment

Political Environment

The political environment constitutes all the factors related to government affairs such as the type of government in power, the attitude of the government towards different groups of societies, policy changes implemented by different governments, etc.

The political environment has an immediate and great impact on business transactions so businessmen must scan this environment very carefully.

Economical Environment

The economic environment factors have an immediate and direct impact on the businessman so businessmen must scan the economic environment and take timely actions to deal with these environments.

The economic environment may put constraints and may offer opportunities to the businessman. After the new economic policy of 1991, lots of opportunities were offered to businessmen.

Social Environment

The Social Environment consists of the customs and traditions of the society in which business exists. It includes the standard of living, taste, preferences, and education level of the people living in the society where business exists.

Legal Environment

The legal environment constitutes the laws and various legislations passed in the parliament. The businessman cannot overlook the legislation because he has to perform his business transactions within the framework of the legal environment.

Technology Environment

Technological environment refers to changes taking place in the method of production, and the use of new equipment and machinery to improve, the quality of products. The businessman must closely monitor the technological changes taking place in his industry because he will have to implement these changes to remain in the competitive market.

Cultural Environment

The cultural environment consists of the influence of religious, family, educational, and social systems in the marketing system. Marketers who intend to market their products overseas may be very sensitive to foreign cultures.

Read Also  Importance of Communication in Business

While the differences between our cultural background in the United States and those of foreign nations may seem small, marketers who ignore these differences risk failure in implementing marketing programs. Failure to consider cultural differences is one of the primary reasons for marketing failures overseas.


Importance of Entrepreneurial Environment

These are the significance or importance of entrepreneurial environment:

  1. Identify Opportunities
  2. Identify Threats
  3. Tapping Useful Resources
  4. Giving Direction for Growth
  5. Continuous Learning
  6. Increased Productivity
  7. Coping with Rapid Changes
  8. Improved Performance

Identify Opportunities

The entrepreneurial environment enables the firm to identify opportunities and get the first-mover advantage. Analysis of business environment helps to identify opportunities i.e., positive external changes to be exploited instead of losing them to competitors.

Identify Threats

It helps the firms to identify threats and early warns to take corrective measures against those threats that hinder business performance and take appropriate preventive measures on time.

Tapping Useful Resources

Any business enterprise depends on the environment as a source of input like raw materials, labor, etc., and as an outlet for outlet i.e., goods or services, taxes, etc. Analysis of the business environment helps to get resources that it needs to convert into outputs that an environment desires.

Giving Direction for Growth

When a business interacts with its environment, it becomes easier to identify areas for growth and expansion of its activities. A firm can get answers to similar questions by tapping into its business environment.

It gives a correct assessment of how to plan and strategize a business activity so as to achieve goals or objectives.

Continuous Learning

Since the environment is dynamic in nature, it constantly keeps changing. This keeps continuous learning & updating knowledge and skills. This helps an individual to prepare for predicted and unpredicted changes in the realm of business.

Increased Productivity

A better understanding of the environment results in increased productivity, as all the resources can be arranged and used properly. Environmental factors help in the proper utilization of resources as a result there is minimum wastage and increased productivity.

Coping with Rapid Changes

It helps management to become more sensitive to ever changing needs of the customers. As a result, of environmental awareness, they are able to respond to such changes effectively. It helps in assisting in planning and policy formulation.

Environmental scanning provides the basis for deciding the future course of action (planning) and guidelines for decision-making (policy).

Improved Performance

The continuous monitoring of the environment and adoption of suitable business practices not only improve their present performance but also continue to succeed in the market for the period.


FAQs Section about Entrepreneurial Environment

What is the definition of entrepreneurial environment?

An entrepreneurial environment is a set of conditions that include access to resources, networks, and cultural support for entrepreneurial activities. He emphasized the social and contextual aspects of entrepreneurship. William B. Gartner

What are the characteristics of entrepreneurial environment?

The following are the characteristics of entrepreneurial environment:
1. Political Environment
2. Economical Environment
3. Social Environment
4. Legal Environment
5. Technology Environment
6. Cultural Environment.

What is the importance of entrepreneurial environment?