An extensive literature that links national culture to other aspects of entrepreneurial behavior such as innovativeness (beyond the scope of the present study) also exists. For instance, Scott (1992) showed that the national cultural values of 19 individualism and power distance explained national differences in rates of inventiveness; uncertainty avoidance was linked to innovation championship (Scott, 1994); and that even after controlling for economic factors such as per capita income and industrial structure, the cultural values of power distance, individualism and uncertainty avoidance explained variation in national rates of innovativeness (Scott, 1994).
Research has also indicates that national culture influences research and development activity, another aspect of entrepreneurial behavior that is beyond the scope of the study. Thus, Maggio and Powel (1983) found that research and development productivity was higher in countries that were low in power distance and high in masculinity. Further, national culture has also been linked to corporate entrepreneurship (again, beyond the scope of the study). (Bruce: 2007:19) Morris, Avila and Allen (1994) reported that corporate entrepreneurship is highest in moderately individualistic culture, while Venkataraman, Scott, Di Maggio and Powel (1983) elaborated that the cultural values of uncertainty avoidance and power distance explain the different approaches to the corporate venturing process in different countries. A census of the population in Britain has been taken every 10 years since 1801 (with the exception of 1941, when Britain was at war). The next census will be in 2011. In 2001, the population of the United Kingdom was recorded at just under 59 million people. (Budge: McKay: 2004:12)
Great Britain is heavily populated compared with many other countries. Britain is a relatively densely populated country: it is more than twice as densely populated as France (106 people per sq.km), nine times as densely populated as the USA (27 people per sq.km) and 100 times as densely populated as Australia (2 people per sq.km).
Britain ranks 18th in the world in terms of population size. (Cook: 2006:12) The population is very unequally distributed over the four parts of the UK: England more or less constantly makes up 84% of the total population, Wales around 5%, Scotland roughly 8.5 %, and Northern Ireland (since 1921) less than 3%.
Administrative Division
Population(mid 2004)
Population(mid 2005)
Population(mid 2006)
Population(mid 2007)
England
50,093,800
50,431,700
50,762,900
51.1 million
Northern Ireland
1,710,300
1,724,400
1,741,600
1.8 million
Scotland
5,078,400
5,094,800
5,116,900
5.1 million
Wales
2,952,500
2,958,600
2,965,900
3.0 million
United Kingdom
59,834.900
60,209.500
60,587,600
60,975,000
Source: Office for National Statistics; National Assembly for Wales; General Register Office for Scotland; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (updated Jan 2008)
The population of the United Kingdom was estimated to be 60,975,000 in mid-2007, up by 388,000 (0.6 per cent) on the previous year and nearly two million more than in mid-2001. (Cox: 2004:10)
Administrative Division
Area Size(sq km)
Population density 2008(people per sq km)
England
130,281
383
Northern Ireland
13,576
125
Scotland
77,925
65
Wales
20,732
142
United Kingdom
242,514
246
From the table above you can see that England has the highest population density and Scotland ...