Individual Entrepreneurial Behavior in Croatian IT Firms: The Contribution of Strategic Thinking Skills

Abstract

This article addresses the contribution of strategic thinking skills in explaining individual entrepreneurial behavior in Croatian IT firms. Strategic thinking skills were assessed according to entrepreneurs’ use of systems thinking, reflecting, and reframing. Individual entrepreneurial behavior was measured by their inclination towards risk-taking, innovativeness, and proactiveness. Our study of 136 IT entrepreneurs in Croatia confirmed that entrepreneurs with a more developed use of strategic thinking skills exhibit stronger entrepreneurial behaviors. In fact, proactiveness as an element of IEB had a strong relation to all components of strategic thinking skills. Systems thinking as an element of strategic thinking skills showed to be a predictor of all individual entrepreneurial behavior elements.

Keywords: entrepreneurs, individual entrepreneurial behavior, strategic thinking skills, strategic entrepreneurship, proactiveness, systems thinking, Croatia, IT

JEL Classification: M30