Features of successful entrepreneurs in Estonia and changing organisational development challenges

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reveal the implications of changing success factors of entrepreneurs for the role of organisational development (OD) programmes in facilitating organisational learning and change in Estonian enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – This explorative research is conducted as part of the Entrepreneurship Work in Organizations Requiring Leadership Development research programme focusing on international perspectives of entrepreneurship. Participants of Estonian focus groups at first filled individual work sheets by answering questions about traits of successful entrepreneurs in Estonia. Second, participants compared successful entrepreneurs in Estonia in the 1990s and in 2007 in focus groups of four to five members and presented their common position, but also differences are revealed in group discussions. Findings – Courage to risk, openness to new information, flexibility, creativity and determination were the features of successful entrepreneurs in Estonia most often pointed out by all categories of respondents. Focus groups stressed that some success factors of an entrepreneur operating in Estonia in 2007 were more important than in the 1990s: broad world view, wide social network, innovativeness and creativity, lobbying in European Union (EU)‐related structures. Research limitations/implications – The research uses focus groups that highlight perceptions of changing success factors of entrepreneurs but does not involve a representative sample of Estonian entrepreneurs. Research results can be used as an input for entrepreneurship training and OD programmes. Originality/value – The results of the research explain why organisation development tools in the present environment of organisational changes in a new EU member state have to stress creativity and support inter‐organisational networking. In the 1990s “selling” the vision of an entrepreneur that was driven by best practices from advanced market economies was often the main focus of OD programmes.