Entrepreneurial Motives and Perceived Problems: An Empirical Study of Entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan

This study aims to measure the motives of entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan. We developed and administrated the Entrepreneurial Motive Questionnaire (EMQ) to 211 entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan. The desire to gain wealth (Financial motive) was not consistently greater than the need for recognition. The Financial motive was; however, greater than the need to preserve family businesses and traditions. Financial motives were not associated with perceived economic conditions, governance, or marketing opportunities. On the other hand, the recognition motive was consistently related to perceived favorable government policies and marketing opportunities. The freedom motive was significantly related to economic conditions, governance, and marketing opportunities. Lastly, the family tradition motive was significantly associated with economic conditions and governance, but only moderately related to marketing opportunity. We discuss the implications of these findings.