A New Approach to Entrepreneurship Measurement of Agricultural Business Entities: A Case of Lithuania

Abstract

This article suggests a new concept of entrepreneurship based on a modern approach about competition between agribusiness entities and according to the area of their commercial activity. The importance of entrepreneurship measurement is grounded and the correctness of the methodology is proven. Creating a model that covers all aspects of entrepreneurship measurement was determined as the aim of this article. This article presents a real, innovative methodology for measuring entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector based on the modification of TOPSIS method. The method chosen was recognized as the most appropriate for determining the level of entrepreneurship, which is expressed by quantitative parameters. Using the modification of multicriteria TOPSIS method for measuring entrepreneurship in agricultural entities, 12 specific criteria were selected. The model has been tested in the livestock farms of Lithuania to include entrepreneurship as a criterion in assessing the potential of these farms and their readiness to apply sustainable and environmentally friendly activities to organic farming. The applicability of the model has been directly confirmed. The use of the model makes it possible to rank agricultural businesses in a given region according to their degree of entrepreneurship.