Multicriteria evaluation of national entrepreneurship in newly EU countries

When evaluating entrepreneurship at the national level, the influence of small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) on the state economic development is analyzed. Also, the impact of significant factors (goods and services competitiveness, innovations, diversification, clusterization, creating social value, etc.) on SMEs working effectiveness (respectively improving the entrepreneurial efficiency) is investigated. When focused on the national economic competitiveness as a general criterion, the principles and models for consolidated quantitative estimation of national entrepreneurship development level are applicable for newly admitted EU countries (on account of some of their specific factors). The results of assessing the entrepreneurship level in 2009-2010 and the nearest future are presented in this study using Lithuania's data as a typical case. The multicriteria estimation process includes the identification and expert examination, in addition to quantifiable assessment of essential primary indicators. Moreover, the pillar indexes underlying them and entrepreneurship development index using the significance parameters of primary indicators are determined by the authors. The relative impact of the different primary and partial criteria is taken into account by calculation of the integrated criterionlevel index, which allows us to evaluate more adequate differences in newly EU countries. To improve the (World Economic Forum) WEF methodology, the authors are using various, not predetermined, weights of primary indicators, also indexes of performance and propose a more adequate differentiation of significances for the pillars. The complex evaluation of the primary indicators influencing business may be used for the strategic solutions reasoning. -- competitive advantage ; entrepreneurship level ; primary indicators ; competitive pillars ; quantitative assessment ; multicriteria methods