ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY IN AMERICAN INDIAN NATIONS: EXTENDING THE GEM METHODOLOGY
Drawing on institutional theory and using a methodology adapted from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), early stage entrepreneurial activities are examined within American Indian nations. Examining a context within a larger institutional context, comparisons are made between three American Indian nations and the United States. Patterns are identified regarding total entrepreneurial activity (TEA), nascent entrepreneurship, business discontinuation and new and established business rates. Additional analyses are conducted of individual-level variables within American Indian nations including location, self-efficacy and other variables in relation to nascent entrepreneurship and business ownership. Implications are drawn for tribal entrepreneurship development and further extension of the GEM methodology.