Entrepreneurial Aspirations

Key Variables


  • TEAYYHJG: High job-expectation: expects at least 20 jobs (zero otherwise, also for individuals not in TEA)
  • TEAHJG_R: High job-expectation (relative): expects at least 20 jobs (zero for other early-stage entrepreneurs, missing for individuals not in TEA)
  • TEAYYJG5: Job-expectation: expects at least 5 jobs (zero otherwise, also for individuals not in TEA)
  • TEAJOB5Y: Job expectation: number of jobs expected by the early stage entrepreneur. Maximum set at 2000 (to minimize influence of outlier when estimating country-level results)
  • TEAYYNTC: Innovation: uses latest technology
  • TEACUST: Innovation: how many (potential) customers consider product new/unfamiliar
  • TEACOMP: How many businesses offer the same product
  • TEAYYNPM: Innovation: new product & new market (based on TEACUST and TEACOMP, see codebook)
  • TEAEXP5C: Export intensity: five categories (based on percentage of foreign customers)
  • TEAYYINT: Export intensity: at least 25% of the customers are from other countries

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to particular types of entrepreneurship that have to do with aspiration levels of the individuals involved. While the degree of involvement in entrepreneurial activity in general is essential information, many academics and policy makers are interested in particular types of entrepreneurial activity. The following (ambitious) types of entrepreneurship are generally discerned using GEM data:

  • Entrepreneurship with high growth expectations
  • Entrepreneurship with (self-reported) innovative characteristics
  • Entrepreneurship with (self-reported) international orientation

The main survey questions are as follows:


Growth Expectations

  • How many people will be working for this business, not counting the owners but including all exclusive subcontractors, when it is five years old? By exclusive subcontractors, we mean only people or firms working ONLY for this business, and not working for others as well.  {SUYR5JOB}


Innovative Orientation

  • Will all, some, or none of your potential customers consider this product or service new and unfamiliar? {SUNEWCST}
  • Right now, are there many, few, or no other businesses offering the same products or services to your potential customers? {SUCOMPET}
  • Have the technologies or procedures required for this product or service been available for less than a year, or between one to five years, or longer than five years?  {SUNEWTEC}


International Orientation

  • What proportion of your customers will normally live outside your country?  Is it more than 90%, more than 75%, more than 50%, more than 25%, more than 10%, or 10% or less? {SUEXPORT}


Note: These questions are asked in the start-up (SU) section. Similar questions apply for the owner-managers (OM) section; however, the wording is slightly different in order to appreciate the difference between businesses in formation and businesses that are operational and exhibit cash flows.

Based on these questions, different definitions can be operationalized. Over the years, GEM has focused on job expectations by selecting those individuals involved in early-stage entrepreneurial activity that expect to create at least 20 jobs in the next five years.

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