ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF SELF-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines the influence of the institutional environment on the development of leadership qualities of self-employed individuals and their role in ensuring the effective functioning of small businesses. It is determined that self-employed persons operate under specific entrepreneurial conditions characterized by the combination of managerial subject and object functions within one person, limited resources and time, and a high dependence on customers and business partners. These features require the formation of a specific set of leadership qualities that enable adaptation to institutional and economic challenges. The study analyzes the entrepreneurial framework conditions in Ukraine using the indicators of the Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions (EFC) developed within the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). The results show that factors stimulating entrepreneurial leadership include a relatively high level of entrepreneurial education, positive cultural and social norms regarding entrepreneurship, and the availability of financial support for business development. At the same time, limiting factors include imperfections in state policies supporting entrepreneurship, bureaucratic procedures, and the insufficient development of commercial, legal, and physical infrastructure for business activity. Based on the analysis of the dynamics of individual entrepreneurs in Ukraine during 2014–2024, the sectoral structure of their activities, and the dynamics of tax revenues, it is proven that self-employment remains an important mechanism for economic adaptation of the population to crisis conditions and a driver of entrepreneurial activity. It is substantiated that the effective development of leadership qualities of self-employed individuals should focus on a limited set of the most relevant competencies. Prospects for further research are related to identifying promising directions for the development of self-employed business activities in the context of institutional transformation.