EDP Notes

Entrepreneurial development is very slow in under developed and developing countries.
This is due to the presence of several factors. Gunnar Myrdal pointed out that Asian societies lack
entrepreneurship not because they lack money or raw material but because of their attitudes. These
barriers to entrepreneurship are classified into three as follows:
A. ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIERS
Following are the important environmental barriers to entrepreneurship:
1) Non-Availability of Raw Material: - Non-availability of raw materials especially during peak
season is one of the obstacles inhibiting entrepreneurship. This leads to competition for raw
material.
2) Lack of Skilled Labour: - This is the most important resource in any organization.
Unfortunately, desired manpower may not be available in an organization. This is either due to the
lack of skilled labour or due to lack of committed or loyal employees in the organization.
3) Lack of Good Machinery: - Good machines are required for the production of goods, because
of rapid technological developments, machines become obsolete very soon. Small entrepreneurs
find it difficult to get large amount of cash for installing modern machinery.
4) Lack of Infrastructure: - Lack of infrastructure facilities is a major barrier to the growth of
entrepreneurship particularly in under developed and developing economies. The infrastructural
facilities include land and building, adequate and cheap power, proper transportation, water and
drainage facilities etc.
5) Lack of Fund: - There are various methods by which an entrepreneur arranges for funds, e.g.,
own savings, borrowings from friends and relatives, banks and other financial institutions. Many
people do not enter into entrepreneurial activities because of lack of funds.
6) Other Environmental Barriers: - Lack of business education, Lack of motivation from
government, corruption in administration, high cost of production etc. are the other environmental
barriers that inhibit the growth of entrepreneurship in underdeveloped countries.
B PERSONAL BARRIERS
Personal barrier are those barriers that are caused by emotional blocks of an individual. Some
of the personal barriers may be outlined as below:
1) Unwillingness to Invest Money: - Even though people have money, still they do not
come in entrepreneurship. They are not willing to take the risk of investing money in business.
2) Lack of Confidence: - Many people thing that they lack what it takes to become an
entrepreneur. They feel that they could not master all the skills. Thus most people are reluctant to
become entrepreneurs.
3) Lack of Motivation: - When an individual starts a new venture, he is filled with
enthusiasm and drive to achieve success. But when he faces the challenges of real business or bears
loss, or his ideas don’t work, he loses interest or motivation.

4) Lack of Patience: - The desire to achieve success in the first attempt or to become rich
very soon is the prime motivating factor of modern youth. When such dreams do not come true ,
they lose interest. This gradually drives to fail in business.
5) Inability to Dream: - Entrepreneurs, who are short on vision or become satisfied with
what they achieve, sometimes lose interest in further expansion/growth of business.
C SOCIAL BARRIERS
The social attitude inhibits many people even from thinking of starting a business. The
important social barriers are as follows.
1) Low Status: - The society things that entrepreneurs are the people who exploit the
society. Thus the attitude of the society towards entrepreneurs is not positive.
2) Custom and Tradition of People: - Most people want a real job. Even parents who are
entrepreneurs wouldn’t like their children to be entrepreneurs. Thus lack of support from society
and family hinder the growth of entrepreneurs.