PurposeThis study aims to examine the conditions under which government social assistance translates into new venture creation (NVC) among recipients and how poverty levels and education influence this relationship.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from 8,808 individuals included in the 2010 Social Protection Evaluation Survey conducted by the Dominican Republic Government, the findings reveal mixed effects of social assistance, education and poverty on entrepreneurial activity. While social assistance alone had no direct impact, poverty and education levels played crucial roles in determining whether individuals in the poorest socioeconomic groups who received assistance engaged in NVC.FindingsThe results contribute to both academic research and public policy by providing insights into the entrepreneurial behavior of social assistance beneficiaries. The study highlights the significance of resource availability in shaping entrepreneurial preferences in the Dominican Republic, a country where 34% of the population - approximately three million people - live in poverty. However, the analysis is constrained to 2010 due to data limitations. Expanding the timeframe and incorporating policy changes through panel data models would offer a more comprehensive understanding of the long-term impact of resource availability.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on the Dominican Republic, where 34% of the population lived in poverty, and its data is limited to 2010. It suggests that future research should consider more periods of time and policy changes to understand how individuals' preferences change based on resource availability. The study also acknowledges that different cultures and political systems may affect the relationship between social protection and NVC attitudes, suggesting the need for comparative analysis.Practical implicationsThe poverty and education results are particularly interesting. Higher levels of poverty do result in more NVC, but only when social programs are provided. This is important information for policymakers interested in improving the lot of the very poor; but it should move us to slow down and try to understand the implications. This result is really puzzling, given previous results regarding the relationship between levels of poverty and NVC, and warrants further examination by researchers.Social implicationsPoverty is a social and political issue, and it is crucial for researchers and practitioners to address it and foster entrepreneurship. Government social assistance programs are essential for helping the poor move out of poverty, but NVC can help them become self-sufficient and reduce inequalities. Social programs targeting basic needs and education can promote entrepreneurship at the bottom of the pyramid. Governments must develop strategies to maximize the impact of these programs on impoverished people. Higher poverty levels result in more NVC, but further research is needed to understand the implications.Originality/valueIn developing countries with high poverty rates, such as the Dominican Republic, this relationship is particularly relevant. Government programs designed to alleviate poverty not only improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable populations but may also serve as catalysts for entrepreneurial activity. These findings suggest that policymakers should prioritize targeted social assistance programs in high-poverty regions to foster NVC as a pathway to economic growth. ObjetivoEste estudio examina las condiciones bajo las cuales la asistencia social gubernamental se traduce en la creaci & oacute;n de nuevos emprendimientos entre los beneficiarios y c & oacute;mo los niveles de pobreza y educaci & oacute;n influyen en esta relaci & oacute;n.Dise & ntilde;o/metodolog & iacute;a/enfoque/metodolog & iacute;aUtilizando datos de 8,808 individuos incluidos en la Encuesta de Evaluaci & oacute;n de Protecci & oacute;n Social 2010 realizada por el gobierno de la Rep & uacute;blica Dominicana, nuestros hallazgos revelan efectos mixtos de la asistencia social, la educaci & oacute;n y la pobreza en la actividad emprendedora. Aunque la asistencia social por s & iacute; sola no tuvo un impacto directo, los niveles de pobreza y educaci & oacute;n desempe & ntilde;aron roles cruciales en determinar si las personas de los grupos socioecon & oacute;micos m & aacute;s pobres que recibieron asistencia se involucraron en la creaci & oacute;n de nuevos emprendimientos.ResultadosNuestros resultados contribuyen tanto a la investigaci & oacute;n acad & eacute;mica como a la pol & iacute;tica p & uacute;blica al proporcionar informaci & oacute;n sobre el comportamiento emprendedor de los beneficiarios de asistencia social. El estudio destaca la importancia de la disponibilidad de recursos en la formaci & oacute;n de preferencias emprendedoras en la Rep & uacute;blica Dominicana, un pa & iacute;s donde el 34% de la poblaci & oacute;n-aproximadamente tres millones de personas-vive en la pobreza. Sin embargo, el an & aacute;lisis est & aacute; limitado a 2010 debido a las restricciones de datos. Ampliar el per & iacute;odo de tiempo e incorporar cambios en las pol & iacute;ticas a trav & eacute;s de modelos de datos de panel ofrecer & iacute;a una comprensi & oacute;n m & aacute;s completa del impacto a largo plazo de la disponibilidad de recursos.Originalidad/valorEn los pa & iacute;ses en desarrollo con altas tasas de pobreza, como la Rep & uacute;blica Dominicana, esta relaci & oacute;n es particularmente relevante. Los programas gubernamentales dise & ntilde;ados para aliviar la pobreza no solo mejoran las condiciones de vida de las poblaciones m & aacute;s vulnerables, sino que tambi & eacute;n pueden servir como catalizadores para la actividad emprendedora. Estos hallazgos sugieren que los responsables de pol & iacute;ticas deber & iacute;an priorizar programas de asistencia social dirigidos en regiones de alta pobreza para fomentar la creaci & oacute;n de nuevas empresas como un camino hacia el crecimiento econ & oacute;mico. FinalidadeEste estudo examina as condi & ccedil;& otilde;es sob as quais a assist & ecirc;ncia social do governo se traduz na cria & ccedil;& atilde;o de novos empreendimentos entre os benefici & aacute;rios e como os n & iacute;veis de pobreza e educa & ccedil;& atilde;o influenciam essa rela & ccedil;& atilde;o.Design/metodologia/abordagemUsando dados de 8.808 indiv & iacute;duos inclu & iacute;dos na Pesquisa de Avalia & ccedil;& atilde;o da Prote & ccedil;& atilde;o Social de 2010, conduzida pelo governo da Rep & uacute;blica Dominicana, nossas descobertas revelam efeitos mistos da assist & ecirc;ncia social, educa & ccedil;& atilde;o e pobreza na atividade empreendedora. Embora a assist & ecirc;ncia social por si s & oacute; n & atilde;o tenha tido impacto direto, os n & iacute;veis de pobreza e educa & ccedil;& atilde;o desempenharam pap & eacute;is cruciais na determina & ccedil;& atilde;o de se os indiv & iacute;duos dos grupos socioecon & ocirc;micos mais pobres que receberam assist & ecirc;ncia se envolveram na cria & ccedil;& atilde;o de novos empreendimentos.ResultadosNossos resultados contribuem tanto para a pesquisa acad & ecirc;mica quanto para a pol & iacute;tica p & uacute;blica, fornecendo insights sobre o comportamento empreendedor dos benefici & aacute;rios de assist & ecirc;ncia social. O estudo destaca a import & acirc;ncia da disponibilidade de recursos na forma & ccedil;& atilde;o das prefer & ecirc;ncias empreendedoras na Rep & uacute;blica Dominicana, um pa & iacute;s onde 34% da popula & ccedil;& atilde;o-aproximadamente tr & ecirc;s milh & otilde;es de pessoas-vive na pobreza. No entanto, a an & aacute;lise & eacute; restrita a 2010 devido a limita & ccedil;& otilde;es de dados. Expandir o per & iacute;odo de an & aacute;lise e incorporar mudan & ccedil;as nas pol & iacute;ticas atrav & eacute;s de modelos de dados em painel ofereceria uma compreens & atilde;o mais abrangente do impacto a longo prazo da disponibilidade de recursos.OriginalidadeEm pa & iacute;ses em desenvolvimento com altas taxas de pobreza, como a Rep & uacute;blica Dominicana, essa rela & ccedil;& atilde;o & eacute; particularmente relevante. Programas governamentais destinados a aliviar a pobreza n & atilde;o s & oacute; melhoram as condi & ccedil;& otilde;es de vida das popula & ccedil;& otilde;es mais vulner & aacute;veis, mas tamb & eacute;m podem servir como catalisadores para a atividade empreendedora. Esses achados sugerem que os formuladores de pol & iacute;ticas devem priorizar programas de assist & ecirc;ncia social direcionados em regi & otilde;es de alta pobreza para fomentar a cria & ccedil;& atilde;o de novos empreendimentos como um caminho para o crescimento econ & ocirc;mico.
