The relationship between an entrepreneur's culture and the entrepreneurial behaviour of the firm

Purpose - This paper seeks to evaluate the relationship between Turkish entrepreneurs' cultural attributes and the entrepreneurial behaviour of their firms. Design/methodology/approach - The paper reports and analyses the findings of 227 face-to-face structured interviews with Turkish entrepreneurs. Findings - This study illustrates that there is a strong relationship between the religion of an entrepreneur and the firm's recruitment, market segmentation and advice-seeking practices. The English fluency of the entrepreneurs also influences their choice of using formal channels for advice. Research limitations/implications - Data collection was limited to London, and non-Turkish entrepreneurs were excluded. Therefore, care should be taken in making generalisations from the sample. Practical implications - This paper identifies those cultural attributes of the ethnic entrepreneurs that need to be aligned with the wider economic environment of the host country. Originality/value - This study focuses on the most critical player in an ethnic firm - the owner. It evaluates the linkage between the cultural attributes of the owner and the entrepreneurial behaviour of the firm.