From Subsistence to Opportunity: Empowering Senior Experience as a Driver of Entrepreneurship in Ecuador

Abstract Book of the 12th International Conference on Business, Management and Economics

Year: 2026

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From Subsistence to Opportunity: Empowering Senior Experience as a Driver of Entrepreneurship in Ecuador

Dr. Tania Rojas, Angela del Cisne Salazar Romero, Maria Paula Espinosa Velez, Aminael Sanchez-Rodriguez

ABSTRACT:

This study examines how age, accumulated experience, and opportunity perception shape entrepreneurial intention in Ecuador, a context dominated by necessity entrepreneurship. Senior entrepreneurship has emerged as an increasingly important field of study, yet evidence from Latin America and emerging economies remains limited, and the mechanisms through which experience can offset age-related declines in entrepreneurial motivation remain unclear. Using a nationally representative sample of 133,196 adults from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Adult Population Survey (GEM APS) 2023, we apply weighted descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, binary logistic regression, robust Poisson models, and ROC curve evaluation to model the determinants of entrepreneurial intention. Results show that entrepreneurial intention decreases with age; however, perceived capabilities and opportunity recognition significantly mitigate this decline. Fear of failure acts as an important inhibitor, while gender and education level show moderate associations with entrepreneurial intention. The final logistic regression model demonstrates strong predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.76), and robustness checks using bootstrapping and Poisson regression confirm the stability of the findings. Although grounded in Ecuadorian data, the study contributes to broader debates on senior entrepreneurship, aging, and public policy in emerging economies by demonstrating how accumulated experience can offset age-related declines. The findings highlight the need for tailored policies aimed at strengthening senior entrepreneurship through mentorship networks, risk mitigation instruments, and support structures that facilitate the transition from subsistence to opportunity-driven entrepreneurial models.

Keywords: Senior Entrepreneurship; Necessity Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurial Intention; GEM; Ecuador