Entrepreneurial Spirit Reigns Supreme in America

Ned Smith

Date: 12 October 2010 Time: 08:05 AM ET

The entrepreneurial spirit has always been a proud American trait. Now, it seems, there’s research to back up the notion that starting one’s own business is as American as apple pie. A new study finds that Americans are far more likely than Europeans or Chinese to possess an entrepreneurial spirit.

Americans, the study found, are more likely than others to see themselves as risk takers. They are also more competitive or feel more confident they can tackle difficult tasks, the study, conducted by Gallup Flash Eurobarometer, showed.

More than 80 percent of the Americans surveyed said they are generally willing to take risks, compared with 65 percent of respondents in China and the European Union as a whole. Respondents from Romania, Cyprus and Ireland were also somewhat confident in their entrepreneurial skills, with 73 percent in each country saying they are generally risk takers. Lithuanians (46 percent) and Hungarians (43 percent) were least likely to see themselves this way.

Americans also see themselves as being more competitive. More than 77 percent say they like situations where they compete with others. But respondents in China, Ireland, Malta and Luxembourg also give themselves high marks for being competitive, with about 70 percent saying they like to compete. Czechs and Hungarians are the least competitive, with fewer than 40 percent of respondents in those countries saying they enjoyed competition.

Confidence isn’t in short supply in the United States, either, with 96 percent of American respondents saying they are confident they can accomplish difficult tasks. China wasn’t far behind, with 91 percent describing themselves as being confident they can accomplish difficult tasks. Europeans were the least confident, with only 81 percent describing themselves that way.

This article was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience.