Entrepreneurs' exit strategies and their determinants: the role of perceived exit challenges

Purpose The study aims to investigate whether the perceived problems in exiting a business—as well as the scope of and access to external support—may impact an entrepreneur's decision regarding the exit strategy, that is, the choice between the stewardship and harvest exit strategy. Design/methodology/approach The authors have collected data from 302 entrepreneurs using a novel survey instrument and subjected the sample to structural equation modeling (SEM) and ordered logit regressions. Findings The results reveal that potential difficulties in implementing an exit strategy, the scope of external support anticipated by the exiting entrepreneur and access to such support influence the potential choice of an exit strategy. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the stewardship exit strategy is preferred over the harvest exit strategy by entrepreneurs who face potential difficulties in obtaining external support or foresee problems related to a potential exit strategy. Originality/value This study provides new insights into an entrepreneur's exit phenomenon by adding new elements, such as perceived problems involved in exiting a business as well as the scope of and access to external support, to the list of factors that may affect the choice of an exit strategy.