Journal of Business and Economics, ISSN 2155-7950, USA September 2015, Volume 6, No. 9, pp. 1570-1584 DOI: 10.15341/jbe(2155-7950)/09.06.2015/003  Academic Star Publishing Company, 2015 http://www.academicstar.us 1570 Perceptions of Entrepreneurial Success Factors: A Cross-cultural Comparison of 27 Countries Ruth Alas 1 , Tiit Elenurm 1 , Elizabeth J. Rozell 2 , Wesley A. Scroggins 2 (1. Estonian Business School, Tallinn 10114, Estonia; 2. Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, USA) Abstract: This study examines how perceptions of entrepreneurial attributes differ across countries. Results from 27 countries all over the world indicate more similarities in features inhibiting to a person being a successful entrepreneur between countries than in characteristics contributing to a person being a successful entrepreneur. In countries with population less than 20 million, people see successful entrepreneurs more as innovative opportunity seeker and turn less attention to their behaviour than people in bigger countries. From cultural dimensions future orientation practices had higher predicting power. In Latin-American countries team building, open mind and innovativeness are considered to be important success factors. Key words: entrepreneurship perception; attribution cross-cultural management JEL codes: M130, M160 1. Introduction In recent decades there has been a marked increase in the interest in entrepreneurship as change facilitator both in advanced and emerging market economies (Bosma et al., 2007). Imperative to the success of entrepreneurs are those characteristics and traits linked to entrepreneurial behaviour. While such characteristics have been identified (Rauch & Frese, 2007), the question remains as to how these characteristics may differ across countries due to such characteristics as the population, economic development, economic freedom and cultural dimensions. This study examines how perceptions of entrepreneurial attributes differ across 27 countries all over the world. The paper reflects results of the second stage of the broader international research program “Entrepreneurship Work in Organizations Requiring Leadership Development” (E-WORLD). At the first stage, focus groups were used to explore characteristics of successful entrepreneurs in each of the countries in the current study. Results of focus groups were the bases for developing methodology for the survey that was accomplished at the second stage of the research project. The paper starts with theoretical background for this study, followed by results of empirical survey in 27 countries. Wesley A. Scroggins, Ph.D., Professor of Management, Department of Management, Missouri State University; research areas/interests: international human resource management, person-job & person-organization fit. E-mail: wesscroggins@missouristate.edu.