The Social Determinants of Entrepreneurial Activity in Rural Transylvania

The paper offers a multi-perspective analysis of the entrepreneurial activity in rural Transylvania. Aggregated statistical data is used in order to create the “enterprise map” of the region and a cluster of top villages are identified based on their entrepreneurial density. I attempt to explain the identified regional differences using economic, geographic and socio-demographic factors. The modest explanatory power of the regression models and the significant disparity of entrepreneurial activity led us to the conclusion that in Transylvania the locality plays a major role in creating the social conditions for entrepreneurial development. For future research, I propose the elaboration of case studies on either village or micro-regional level, putting the emphasis on the analysis of the local social resources: configuration of social relations, models of economic cooperation, and local entrepreneurial culture