Open AccessStart-up Success in a Small Island State: A Study among Entrepreneurs in Malta
Author(s) -
Leonie Baldacchino,
Vincent Cassar,
A. A. Caruana
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
island studies journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.2
H-Index - 21
ISSN - 1715-2593
DOI - 10.24043/isj.216
Subject(s) - maltese , entrepreneurship , creativity , context (archaeology) , small business , start up , success factors , critical success factor , small island , marketing , business , affect (linguistics) , sample (material) , geography , business administration , economic geography , political science , psychology , finance , philosophy , linguistics , chemistry , archaeology , communication , chromatography , law
This study focuses on entrepreneurs in the small island state of Malta and investigates whether starting up and running an enterprise is facilitated or hindered by being in a small island environment. Specifically it asks (1) whether being on a small island, on the periphery of a major market, facilitates or hinders entrepreneurship and start-up success; (2) whether Malta’s cultural context and enterprise environment affect entrepreneurship and start-up success; (3) what the key success factors among Maltese start-ups are; and (4) how creativity and innovation are reflected in Maltese start-ups. Qualitative research among 13 start-ups is supported by telephone-based research among a sample of 90 respondents. Findings contribute to the pool of business expertise and context-specific information from small island states that is often missing from the international literature.