Table of Contents 1 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 4 2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. 5 3 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 6 3.1 Growth around the Globe and in the Baltic States ............................................................................. 6 3.2 Activities of Swedish Businesses in the Baltic States ........................................................................ 7 3.3 Research Problem and Questions Statement ..................................................................................... 9 3.4 Research Purpose and Delimitations .............................................................................................. 11 4 The Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................... 13 4.1 Research Stages ............................................................................................................................. 13 4.2 The External Environment ............................................................................................................. 15 4.3 Entry and Matching Strategy .......................................................................................................... 17 5 Methodology ......................................................................................................................................... 20 5.1 Research strategy ........................................................................................................................... 20 5.2 Research design and approach ........................................................................................................ 21 5.3 Scientific Approach ....................................................................................................................... 22 5.4 Data collection ............................................................................................................................... 22 5.5 Quality of Research ....................................................................................................................... 24 5.5.1 The Validity Concept ............................................................................................................. 24 5.5.2 Reliability .............................................................................................................................. 26 5.6 Possible Types of Errors ................................................................................................................ 26 5.7 Research Model ............................................................................................................................. 27 6 Country’s Empirical Data - Latvia ......................................................................................................... 30 6.1 Country Overview ......................................................................................................................... 30 6.1.1 Geography and Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 30 6.1.2 People .................................................................................................................................... 30 6.1.3 History ................................................................................................................................... 30 6.2 Societal Fields ............................................................................................................................... 31 6.2.1 Country Culture and Business Culture .................................................................................... 31 6.2.2 Political System ..................................................................................................................... 35 6.2.3 Legal System ......................................................................................................................... 36 6.2.4 Education System ................................................................................................................... 37 6.3 Organizational Fields ..................................................................................................................... 40 6.3.1 Labor Market ......................................................................................................................... 40 6.3.2 Financial System .................................................................................................................... 43 6.3.3 Government ........................................................................................................................... 44 6.3.4 R&D Institutions .................................................................................................................... 46 7 Country’s Empirical Data - Lithuania .................................................................................................... 49 7.1 Country Overview ......................................................................................................................... 49 7.1.1 Geography and Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 49 7.1.2 People .................................................................................................................................... 49 7.1.3 History ................................................................................................................................... 49 7.2 Societal Fields ............................................................................................................................... 50 7.2.1 Country Culture and Business Culture .................................................................................... 50 7.2.2 Political System ..................................................................................................................... 54 7.2.3 Legal System ......................................................................................................................... 54 7.2.4 Education System ................................................................................................................... 56 7.3 Organizational Fields ..................................................................................................................... 58 7.3.1 Labor Market ......................................................................................................................... 58 7.3.2 Financial system ..................................................................................................................... 62 7.3.3 Government ........................................................................................................................... 62 8 Country’s Empirical Data - Estonia ....................................................................................................... 66 8.1 Country Overview ......................................................................................................................... 66 8.1.1 Geography and Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 66 8.1.2 People .................................................................................................................................... 66 8.1.3 History ................................................................................................................................... 66 8.2 Societal Fields ............................................................................................................................... 67 8.2.1 Country Culture and Business Culture .................................................................................... 67 8.2.2 Political System ..................................................................................................................... 70 8.2.3 Legal System ......................................................................................................................... 70 8.2.4 Education system ................................................................................................................... 71 8.3 Organizational Fields ..................................................................................................................... 73 8.3.1 Labor market .......................................................................................................................... 73 8.3.2 Financial system ..................................................................................................................... 75 1 8.3.3 Government ........................................................................................................................... 76 9 “Doing Business Attractiveness” – Analysis, Forecasts and Implications ............................................... 81 9.1 Societal Fields ............................................................................................................................... 81 9.1.1 Country Culture and Business culture ....................................................................................