Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness through the lens of the Institutional Analysis: The Case of Cyprus

Abstract

This thesis focuses on three key questions and three assumptions, which tackle entrepreneurship and competitiveness through the pillars of young entrepreneurship and innovation in SMEs, always under the lens of the institutional approach. More specifically, the research questions of this study are the following: How do institutions and, in general, institutional processes, affect entrepreneurship on the SME level and, hence, competitiveness on the country level, how can the analysis of young entrepreneurship promote our understanding of the overall web of entrepreneurship from an institutional point of view and to what degree do SMEs respond to innovative applications and activities. Moreover, the study takes on the following three research assumptions: The quality of institutions affects the development of entrepreneurship and, hence, a country’s competitive position, Small and medium-sized enterprises are affected by the quality of institutions and Institutional inefficiency leads to innovation fatigue. The methodology is based on specific data collection techniques that will answer the questions and assumptions of this study by using both qualitative and quantitative approaches.