Factors affecting small dental business in rural Germany: Evidence from Hessen

Abstract

Objectives: To determine how social factors influence career decisions of dental service providers, particularly focusing on examining the impact of dentists’ origins. Methods: Online survey of Hessian panel dentists, with pairwise comparisons to a set of factors impacting their decision-making process. An Analytic Hierarchy Process examined the weighting of influencing drivers in career choice. Results: Dentists from rural backgrounds were more likely to establish practices in rural areas than those from urban origins. Origin correlated with entrepreneurial intentions and a strong association of rural origin. Dentists who grew up in rural areas were 4.19 times more likely to start a business. Conclusion: These findings may support efficient resource allocation and support for rural dental businesses.

Keywords

employment dentistry analytic hierarchy process career choice rural regions start-up firms

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