Encouranging and supporting entrepreneurial orientation in rural Areas. Evidence from Romania.

The aim of this paper is to explore how one can promote entrepreneurial orientation in rural areas. This study attempts to identify and analyze the favouring and the inhibiting factors for the development of rural entrepreneurship. To do so, we conducted an exploratory research in some rural areas in Romania. The primary contribution of this study is that families and friends in rural areas have an important role in entrepreneurial orientation. In terms of concluding observations related to our findings, we find that education, training, rural infrastructures and financial assistance are the key drivers of entrepreneurial orientation in rural regions. Another contribution from this study is that the average age of farmers is increasing and it does not appear to regenerate. The paper concludes with a discussion of the main findings and proposes some recommendations for future research on businesses in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]