Creation, development and_management_of_an_entrepreneurial_culture
1. Creation,
Development and
Management of an
Entrepreneurial
Culture
By Dr. Fábio Queda Bueno da Silva, PhD.
I.T. Center – Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
September 2003
3. SUMMARY
In this work, Dr. Silva’s intention is to demonstrate a worldwide reading of the creation,
development and management of an entrepreneurial culture. In order to do that, the author
first proposes a refined generic world-class conceptual model to be used as a starting point
for the comparison of several experiences in various countries. Second, he chooses some
worldwide samples of programs, projects, and other initiatives that act in a positive manner
to make the construction of an entrepreneurial culture feasible. Entrepreneurial education,
policies, technology production and transfer, business networking, adequate financial
structure to meet the needs of all stages of an enterprise development, and the creation of a
trust environment for the development and management of an entrepreneurial culture are
other topics developed and properly exemplified by the author. This work does not intend to
establish a ready-made solution to the establishment of an entrepreneurial culture, but to
emphasize that the implementation of such policies in other cultural realities has little
chances of success without careful adaptation to local needs.
5. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
1. INTRODUCTION
Entrepreneurial culture is a vast and highly imprecise theme. Discussions on the theme
coupled with the conceptual treatment applied to it are far from consolidating a trend and
even further still from precisely defining the varied concepts involved and the processes
required for the creation, development and management of such a culture in a given
environment. Treatment of the theme must necessarily include considerations on values and
culture in general, since the entrepreneurial culture cannot be analyzed outside its
sociological, economic and, principally, cultural framework. In other words, the
entrepreneurial culture must be viewed as a subculture within a much broader context.
One possible approach to the compilation of correct and relevant information on the theme is
the definition of a flexible and extendable conceptual framework that would allow for a
tightly controlled process of additions, modifications and even elimination of information.
There are two fundamental prerequisites for such a definition. In the first place, there exists
at least a defined intention of fostering an entrepreneurial culture that is linked to the goals
of generating wealth and creating employment and income opportunities, particularly for
youth, ethnic minorities, women and other excluded segments. In the second place, this
intention can be brought to fruition by stimulating and supporting generation of new
enterprises based on local manpower and its capacity to manage such businesses.
Aside from these basic prerequisites, other underlying elements must be used in
constructing the model of support for development of an entrepreneurial culture, including:
• Knowledge Society: the process of transforming the global economic base into an
economy based on knowledge has become increasingly more dynamic. This
transformation is evident in the developed nations where participation of knowledge-
based industries1 in GDP rose from 45% in 1985 to more than 50% in 1999 (OEDC,
1999; OECD, 2000a). The growing intensity of knowledge in production processes and
modern services has altered the variables of competition among companies and
countries in the last two decades.
• Globalization: the toppling of traditional trade and investments barriers that has been
both a cause and consequence of globalization has, on a world scale, accelerated and
disseminated competitive processes based on innovation.
1 In OECD studies, the definition of knowledge-based industries was elaborated in such a way as to include high and medium-high
technology manufacturing industries, as well as the sectors of financial services, insurance and communications.
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6. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
• Innovation as an essential factor for Competitiveness: globalization and the
knowledge-based economy have generated so many structural changes in the
competitive environment that they demand that companies undertake constant and
radical processes of innovation (Mytelka, L. and Farinelli, F., 2000).
Therefore, development of an entrepreneurial culture must be seen in a context in which
entrepreneurs and their enterprises are subject to the competitive pressures of a globalized
economic environment, in which innovation is a factor of central importance to the
success of the process of “generating wealth for the individual and creating well-being for
Society”2
In this context, success requires world class enterprises (Kanter, R.M., 1995) or, in other
words, entrepreneurs and companies that are wealthy in at least three intangible assets:
concepts – mastery of more advanced knowledge and technologies; competence – ability
to transform knowledge into innovative products and services; and connections – access to
resources and markets throughout the world. Aside from this, capital must be viewed as an
additional asset required for world class enterprises, meaning that adequate capital must be
available at all stages of the company’s development, including the stage in which it moves
into the international market. At the same time, innovation is an interactive process of
knowledge flows and learning that requires establishment of relations of trust among the
persons, companies and organizations involved.
In this way, a possible conceptual base for the development of an entrepreneurial culture is
the world class five component model shown in Figure 1. Strategies for supporting
development of an entrepreneurial culture in any environment must be structured and
implemented in such a way as to ensure that the five components will at least be available
to local entrepreneurs and their businesses.
2 Definition of entrepreneurship, according to Raymond Kao in (Kao, R.W.Y., 1997)
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7. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Capital
Trust
Connections Competence
Concepts
Figure 1: Extended World Class Model3
2. MODEL OF SUPPORT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN
ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE
The generic world class model discussed above is an adequate starting point for dealing with
the question of support to the creation and development of an entrepreneurial culture.
However, this model must be made more concrete in order to have some degree of practical
applicability. Figure 2 presents a refinement of the generic model in which other elements
are incorporated: technology transfers and the specific legislative framework required for
development of entrepreneurs and businesses. This model will be discussed in the remainder
of this section.
3 Presented in (da Silva, F.Q.B. et al, 2002)
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8. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Trust: local leaders,
coordination, animation,
promotion of entrepreneurial
culture, certifications etc.
Connections: with the
Knowledge: Technology market. marketing, sales,
Entrepreneurism and Transfer distribution and networking.
technologies for business
Entrepreneur
Specific legislation: & Adequate Capital,
incentives, protection of investment structure
Enterprise and financing for the
intellectual property,
regulations, etc. undertaking
Entrepreneurial Competence: incubation,
management of innovation, quality and
productivity programs, etc.
Infrastructure and Basic Services:
telecommunications, urban space, etc.
Figure 2: A Model for Development of an Entrepreneurial Culture
3. ELEMENTS OF THE SUPPORT MODEL
In light of the model discussed above, this section will describe experiences in various
countries involving the fostering of an entrepreneurial culture. These experiences will be
grouped according to the world class asset on which the specific experience is focused.
Whenever possible, the following information will be presented for each relevant initiative:
3.1. NAME OF THE INITIATIVE OR OTHER RELEVANT IDENTIFICATION
• Type of initiative
• Available services
• Contact for more information
• Organization responsible
• Geographic scope of the initiative
• What the initiative does
• What is the role of ICTs in the initiative
• Link
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9. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Concepts: Entrepreneurism and Technologies for Business
This section presents programs, projects, actions and other initiatives that represent
experiences in fostering entrepreneurism through entrepreneurial education and production
and transfer of technologies with the objective of supporting the birth of new enterprises.
The discussions are structured according to the entrepreneurism development model
presented in Figure 3:
Market Knowledge of Knowledge of
Knowledge Technologies Management
Entrepreneur Educator and
and Vision Vision
Creation of Traditional
Ideas Education
Entrepreneurism and
Technology for
Business
Conception of Entrepreneurial
the Business Education
Entrepreneur Training
Training Trainers
Figure 3: Entrepreneurism Development Model
In the model shown in Figure 3, knowledge regarding the market, technologies and
management is at the heart of entrepreneurial training. Two complementary training
processes are found in the initiatives studied: training of entrepreneurs and training of
trainers. In both processes, the point of departure is always an entrepreneur or educator with
a vision of the future. In training the entrepreneur, the objective is to facilitate the
entrepreneur’s access to the knowledge required to transform ideas into businesses. In both
cases, the primary goal is to develop an entrepreneurial culture based on an education model
that stresses the skills and competences demanded for building entrepreneurial behavior.
Most of the research that serves as a foundation for entrepreneurism follows the Anglo-
American paradigm (Ray, Denis M. 1992): identify an opportunity, elaborate a business plan,
raise seed money and make an IPO (Initial Public Offer). However, this paradigm is not
adequate for all social, economic and cultural contexts. In the initiatives analyzed in this
document, teaching entrepreneurism is designed on the basis of the cultural specificities and
characteristics of the countries in question. As of this study, it becomes clear that there is no
single formula for the theme and that the model to be followed must be constructed with
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10. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
local needs as its starting point.
The first five initiatives analyzed are related to programs that involve construction of an
entrepreneurial culture based on the teaching of entrepreneurism in educational institutions.
The survey deals with experiences in Brazil, Uganda, South Africa and New Zealand,
revealing a broad spectrum of possibilities for teaching of entrepreneurism, listed in
Appendix 1.
The initiative found in Appendix 1.1 is a program put forward by the Development Agency of
Germany (GTZ) and has the primary objective of generating local wealth through
entrepreneurial training. This program can be viewed as a methodology for constructing
programs of entrepreneurial training that can be targeted to the needs of each local context.
The next three initiatives found in Appendix 1.2 are studies of the impact of entrepreneurism
teaching in Australia, Argentina and the United States. Studies such as those presented in
the Appendix cited above are important sources of information on the tendencies of
entrepreneurial education and on what is successful in each context.
Finally, the two cases analyzed in Appendix 1.3 point to new approaches to the vision of the
nature of entrepreneurism and how education can be used as an instrument for
disseminating the entrepreneurial culture.
3.2. MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
This section presents local, national and regional development policies and strategies, as
well as organizations, programs and projects focused on developing entrepreneurial
management competencies that provide support to the creation and development of new
businesses.
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11. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Knowledge of
Technologies
Knowledge of Knowledge of
Market Management
Creation of
Entrepreneur Ideas
Educator and
and Vision
Vision
Conception of
the Business
Programs and Support
Projects Organizations
Business Business
Training Consolidation
Pre-incubation
Development of Entrepreneurial Competence
Figure 4: Entrepreneurial Competence Development Model
In order to develop a successful undertaking, the entrepreneur requires a variety of inputs
that are complementary to the idea of business and his/her vision of the future. These inputs
are principally related to the aspects of business management required for the process of
business training and consolidation. Programs and projects are developed to provide the
entrepreneur with access to these inputs with a minimum of bureaucracy and nonprohibitive
costs (Figure 4). In general, these projects are designed within broader development
programs that, as part of their strategy, provide support to the birth of new undertakings.
Execution of support programs and projects can be achieved directly by national or local
governments or by their respective development agencies. The existence of regional
development agencies that either partially or totally operate the activities of these programs
is quite common. In some cases, it is possible to find third sector organizations to act as
executors or partners in the execution of some activities.
As part of the competencies available to entrepreneurs, there are various support
organizations that aid in business development. For the most part, these organizations are
attached to chambers of commerce, business and industrial associations, and so forth.
Besides this, technological parks, business incubators and pre-incubators are primary
sources of the type of management competence needed for these undertakings. The process
of building an entrepreneurial culture will be all the more consistent when the links among
these development programs and projects and public and private support organizations are
stronger.
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12. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
The first initiative analyzed is a business pre-incubation program carried out in Brazil for the
areas of information and communications technologies. The program called GENESIS, has
established 19 business development centers around the country which have developed over
200 small ICT companies. This program can be found in Appendix 2.
The next three initiatives in Appendix 2.1 present examples of national or regional
development programs in Wales, Canada and Norway, in which there is some component
dedicated to the development of an entrepreneurial culture.
3.3. MARKET CONNECTIONS
This section focuses on experiences that deal with the networking of businesses and
insertion of entrepreneurs into the market. Special attention will be given to programs and
projects that involve insertion of entrepreneurs and businesses into the global market.
Knowledge of
Technologies
Knowledge of Knowledge of
Market Management
Creation of
Entrepreneur Ideas
Educator and
and Vision
Vision
Conception of
the Business
Programs and Support
Projects Organizations
Business Business
Training Consolidation
Pre-incubation
Clients Competitors
Incubation Post-
incubation
Development of Market Connections
Suppliers Partners
Figure 5: Entrepreneurial Connections Development Model
One of the major challenges faced by new entrepreneurs is placing the business on the
market. There are various factors related to the general and business culture of each country
that can favor or, as is most common, hamper the access of new enterprises to the market.
These factors are related to lack of knowledge regarding distribution channels, ignorance of
the chain of suppliers, lack of client trust in unknown enterprises and difficulties in
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13. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
encountering partners with the experience and capacity needed to ensure some competitive
edge to enterprises newly arrived on the market (Figure 5).
Incubation processes play an important role in building relations of new entrepreneurs with
the market. Aside from this, there are experiences throughout the world that are targeted to
building networks of relations among entrepreneurs and among entrepreneurs and such
other actors as investors and partners.
The problem of establishing connections is even more serious in the processes of
internationalization. Aside from the difficulties discussed above, the entrepreneur who
desires or needs to penetrate international markets (for example, for reasons of
competitiveness) comes up against new barriers, including a lack of knowledge on the
cultures of other nations, legislative obstacles and bureaucracies in both his/her country of
origin and destination, trade barriers, and others.
The first study presented in Appendix 3 shows how small and medium companies build
connections with the objective of preparing their move into international markets. The
conceptual foundation of the study considers that internationalization is one of the processes
through which the entrepreneur is able to realize and consolidate his/her values and
entrepreneurial culture through conversations and exchanges of information with actors in
other countries.
One element of essential importance to the construction of connections is access to
information of importance to the development of the undertaking. The initiative discussed in
Appendix 3.1 indicates the various types of services that contribute to the identification,
construction and maintenance of networks of local, national and transnational relations
through Internet access to information.
The two initiatives found in Appendix 3.2 are examples of development programs that
involve activities and projects targeted at aiding the entrepreneur and seeking out new
markets. These programs have been implemented in Slovenia and the northeast of England.
3.4. STRUCTURING CAPITAL ADEQUATE TO ENTREPRENEURS
The world class model presupposes the existence of financial resources in amounts that are
sufficient to meet the needs of all the development stages of the enterprise: start up,
survival, growth, take off and maturity (Churchill and Lewis, 1993). However, the needs for
financial resources not only vary from one development stage to another (da Silva, F.Q.B.,
1998), but also cannot effectively be met by local economic conditions or the structure of the
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14. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
local financial systems.
This section deals with policies, strategies and actions related to the establishment of an
adequate financial structure to meet the needs of all stages of enterprise development,
including the stage of internationalization. This process is viewed as an element of essential
importance to building an entrepreneurial culture.
Knowledge of
Technologies
Knowledge of Knowledge of
Market Management
Creation of
Entrepreneur Ideas
Educator and
and Vision
Vision
Conception of
the Business
Programs and Support
Projects Organizations
Business Business
Training Consolidation
Pre-incubation
Clients Competitors
Incubation P. incubation
Structure of Business Investment and Financing
Suppliers Partners
Banks and Risk Investment
Financial System
Micro credit, Start up Funding,
Seed Money, Risk Capital
Figure 6: Capital Structure Sufficient to Meet the Development Needs of the Enterprise
From the first stages of creation of the idea and conception of the business, the entrepreneur
must have the financial resources required for enterprise development. However, the capital
structure available to the entrepreneur is highly deficient, particularly in developing countries.
When capital does exist, the barriers to its access on the part of inexperienced or low-
income entrepreneurs tend to be impeditive and include demands for real guaranties or
charge interest so high as to make the business unfeasible.
The initiatives analyzed point to an array of solutions for conception of financial and
investment structure that can be used by entrepreneurs at all stages of development. These
initiatives indicate solutions capable of producing even greater impacts when implemented
in a complementary and structured manner and include a variety of mechanisms ranging
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15. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
from community start up funding to seed money investments in companies with high
expectations of profitability. Parallel to this, some organizations offer services designed to
improve the entrepreneur’s capacity to obtain needed financial resources, building a bridge
between the new entrepreneur and local or even foreign investors.
One important cultural element related to capital for entrepreneurs is local investors’
tolerance level to risk. Measures aimed at fostering a culture of venture capital and angel
money are essential to development of an entrepreneurial culture. The first initiative analyzed
is shown in Appendix 4 and has played an important role in many nations around the world
and, primarily, in developing countries.
Appendix 4.1 points to an initiative developed by the federal government of Brazil, which
stands as an example aimed at creating a venture capital culture in close connection to the
development and efficient management of business incubators.
Two initiatives, described in Appendix 4.2, show distinct and, at one and the same time,
somewhat complementary forms of socially oriented financing.
The final initiative analyzed is shown in Appendix 4.3 and is a study that includes
recommendations for development of an entrepreneurial culture in Mexico. Though the
recommendations are generic, the emphasis given to financial mechanisms is better situated
in this section.
3.5. CONSTRUCTION OF RELATIONS OF TRUST FOR DEVELOPMENT OF
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE
This section discusses the role of organizations in building an environment of trust for
development of an entrepreneurial culture. More specifically, initiatives targeted at
formulation of public policies aimed at building an institutional framework for a flourishing
entrepreneurial culture are presented.
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16. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Knowledge of
Technologies
Knowledge of Knowledge of
Market Management
Creation of
Entrepreneur Ideas
Educator and
and Vision
Vision
Conception of
the Business
Programs and Support
Projects Organizations
Business Business
Training Consolidation
Clients Pre-incubation Competitors
Incubation
Suppliers P. incubation Partners
Legislation, Mediation, Arbitration,
Banks and Social Responsibility Risk Investment
Financial System
Unions and Third Sector
Association
Governments
Figure 7: Institutional Elements in Building Trust
In the development of an entrepreneurial culture, trust in the relations among the diverse
actors involved is important for a number of reasons. Trust is required to diminish transaction
costs between individuals and organizations, thereby building a business environment that
tends to be more competitive. Trust is also essential in exchanges of information and
knowledge that are at the core of innovation processes. At the same time, the new
entrepreneur, mainly younger ones, benefit from this environment since they may found
lesser difficulty in connecting to other market elements.
Viewed in this light, trust is an asset that unifies all other world class assets discussed in
previous sections, facilitating exchanges, increasing the speed of interactions and supplying
a fuel that is vital to the development of the entrepreneurial culture.
Social entrepreneurism is an element of importance to building trust-based relations. In much
the same way, actions and initiatives supported by international and multilateral
organizations tend to stress the building of this asset as an important objective. Appendix 5
describes several initiatives around the world that contribute to the development of a climate
of trust for the creation and management of an entrepreneurial culture.
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17. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
4. CONCLUSION
Construction and development of an entrepreneurial culture in any socio-economic-cultural
framework is a systemic and multifaceted process. Innumerable elements exist that are part
of this process and their interrelations are complex and sometimes conflicting. Figure 8,
which was constructed in the course of the previous sections, lists the major actors and
elements that must act in a positive fashion to make construction of an entrepreneurial
culture feasible.
Knowledge of
Knowledge of Technologies
Knowledge of
Market Management
Entrepreneur and
Creation of Educator and Vision
Vision
Ideas
Conception of
Programs and the Business Support
Projects Organizations
Business Business
Training Consolidation
Clients Competitors
Pre-incubation
Suppliers Partners
Incubation
P. incubation
Risk Investments
Banks and
Financial System
Unions and Third Sector
Associations
Governments
Figure 8: Core Elements in the Building of an Entrepreneurial Culture
The entrepreneurial culture occurs at the intersection of the interests of the various actors
involved. Policies, strategies, programs and measures taken to foster development of
entrepreneurism and entrepreneurial culture must be structured in a holistic manner in order
to achieve the positive participation of all the required elements. Even though it was created
in a highly specific reality – North America, the Triple Helix model (Etzkowitz, H. 1994) is a
tool that can be employed to verify the interaction among the various actors in the
development of an entrepreneurial culture (Figure 9). With this model, one can understand
and structure relations among three fundamental sets of actors in the entrepreneurial
process: Productive Sector, Academia and Government.
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18. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Productive
Academia
Sector
Government
Figure 9: Model of Government, Academia and Productive Sector Interaction
Success in the implementation of policies designed to develop an entrepreneurial culture also
depends on a careful analysis of local values and culture. Any program or measure taken to
foster entrepreneurism must be carefully designed in order to take due account of the
peculiarities of the environment in which it will be implemented. Utilization of ready-made
solutions generated by other cultural realities has little chance of success without careful
adaptation to local needs.
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20. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
DA SILVA, F.Q.B. (2002) Fabio Q. B. da Silva et al. Porto Digital: Um Ambiente de
Empreendedorismo, Inovação e Negócios de Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação (in
Portuguese) (Digital Port: an Environment of Information and Communication Technology
Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business). 2002.
KANTER, R. M. (1995). World Class. Simon & Schuster.
KAO, W. Y. Kao (1997). Raymond W. Y. Kao. An Entrepreneurial Approach to Corporate
Management. Simon & Schuster (Asia) Pte Ltd, 1997.
MYTELKA, L. and Farinelli, F. (2000). Local Clusters, Innovation Systems and Sustained
Competitiveness. UNU/INTECH discussion paper #2005. http://www.intech.unu.edu.
OECD 1999. Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard: Benchmarking Knowledge-Based
Economies. Paris, France: OECD.
OECD 2000a. Science, Technology and Industry Outlook. Paris, France: OECD.
RAY, Denis M. (1992). Assessing Entrepreneurship Training as a Strategy of Economic
Development. Asian Entrepreneur, Volume II, number 1.
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21. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
APPENDIX 1
SOFTEX Project/SoftStart
Type of initiative: promotion of entrepreneurship education.
Available services: teacher training course in entrepreneurship; financial support for start-up
entrepreneurship teaching activities.
Contact for more information: SOFTEX Society at http://www.softex.br
Organization in charge: SOFTEX Society.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Brazil.
What the initiative does: The SoftStart Project was conceived in the field of action of the
Brazilian Software for Exports Program (SOFTEX 2000) and was financed by the Brazilian
government, for three years, through the National Council for Scientific and Technological
Development. The project’s objective was to disseminate the entrepreneurship training as a
course of study in Brazilian institutions of technical and higher education in the areas of
computer technology and science. The methodology used was that of the students’
constructing business plans and being evaluated by a jury of professionals active in the
areas of entrepreneurial management, finances and marketing, in addition to their being
experienced entrepreneurs. In order to disseminate the methodology, SoftStart held a course
in the training of trainers, called “Training the Trainers” (TTT). Through this course, the
teachers in the educational institutions were qualified to act as facilitators in the
entrepreneurship course of study. SoftStart qualified over 200 teachers in 150 educational
institutions in the country. Currently, most of those institutions have definitely incorporated
the entrepreneurship course of study in their education curriculum. The project has produced
significant results in developing the entrepreneurship culture in the area of computer
technology and science in Brazil, arousing the interest of thousands of students to structure
and initiate their own businesses. In addition, it has disseminated the business plan
methodology with the objective of giving the entrepreneur an important planning and
management tool for the development of his/her business. The success of the initiative has
inspired the National Confederation of Industry, through the Euvaldo Lodi Institute (IEL), to
carry out a similar project but, this time, not restricted to computer technology and science.
The IEL entrepreneurship program has already disseminated the entrepreneurship course of
study among hundreds of educational institutions in Brazil, in several areas of knowledge,
chiefly in engineering. A description of the project’s methodology can be found in (Chagas,
F.C.D. and Da Silva, F.Q.B. 1997)
What is the role of the ICT in the initiative: the project was conceived to qualify teachers in
the courses of information technology to become facilitators in the entrepreneurship courses
of study for students in vocational schools and higher education courses.
Link: htto://www.softex.br
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22. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Euvaldo Lodi Institute (IEL): Entrepreneurship in Educational Institutions and other
Projects.
Type of initiative: training of entrepreneurs
Available services: training of multipliers in the entrepreneurship courses of study at
vocational schools and higher education institutions.
Contact for more information: fale@iel.cni.org.br
Organization in charge: Euvaldo Lodi Institute (IEL), Brazil’s National Confederation of Industry
(CNI).
Geographic scope of the initiative: Brazil
What the initiative does: The objective of this initiative, implemented by IEL in Brazil, is “to
give incentive to the dissemination of entrepreneurial culture in the country’s higher
education institutions through the establishment of entrepreneurship courses of study in the
regular curricula of the several courses.” The National IEL sponsors courses for the “Training
of Trainers”, which train the university professors to act as facilitators in courses of study on
entrepreneurship teaching. The project “Entrepreneurship University Teaching” sponsors
courses that train university professors who wish to set up and teach entrepreneurship
subjects in their courses. The project has qualified over 600 professors in 126 higher
education institutions in the country. Other projects within the initiative aim at giving
incentive to the development of junior companies, the publication of teaching materials, the
holding of events and the granting of awards to the young entrepreneurs, as a way to
disseminate entrepreneurship culture in the higher education institutions of Brazil.
What is the role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.iel.org.br/home.htm
Entrepreneurship Curriculum at Secondary and Vocational Schools
Type of initiative: entrepreneurs training program
Available services: definition of a curriculum for the training of young entrepreneurs.
Contact for more information: The curriculum has been sent by Mr. Fred Clark,
Communications Manager, Youth Employment Summit, 55 Chapel St, Newton, Ma 02458,
U.S.A. Phone: 1 617 618 2743, Fax: 1 617 969 4902.
Organization in charge: UNIDO
Geographic scope of the initiative: Uganda
What the initiative has done: Up until March, 2003, 8,000 students in 10 secondary schools
and 270 other students per semester in vocational schools have been taking the
entrepreneurship pilot program in Uganda as a mandatory subject in their courses. The
United Nations Organization has developed the curriculum for Industrial Development
(UNIDO) for the Uganda Ministry of Education. Its objective is to have the curriculum
introduced in all public secondary schools by January 2005, increasing the number of
students involved to 400,000. The project’s objective is to develop an entrepreneurial culture
by which the young person can build a positive attitude regarding to business,
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23. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
entrepreneurship and self-employment, and to give him/her the knowledge and skills to
develop his/her own business or a successful business career, be it as a businessperson or
as an employee. In order to reach those objectives of entrepreneurship training, the teachers
are qualified to make use of the general conditions in which the student lives, taking into
account the familiar aspects of the community, the villages, and the cities, besides the
differences in income level, education and employment. Therefore, all the elements of
entrepreneurship present in the curriculum, that involve concepts, skills, values and behavior
should be brought about, integrated with the culture and the natural logic of the student and
not as imported theories from other contexts.
What is the role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
The Foundation for Economic and Business Development (FEBDEV)
Type of initiative: Organization of entrepreneurs’ qualification.
Available services: entrepreneurs training course
Contact for more information:
Organization in charge: FEBDEV
Geographic scope of the initiative: South Africa
What the initiative does: FEBDEV provides training in entrepreneurial skills and opportunities
of network development for individuals, businesses and educational institutions through
workshops and distribution of resources. There are eight ongoing projects. The “Hands-on
Enterprise” program gives support to educational institutions in the development of
structured entrepreneurship projects. Several other programs are designed to disseminate
entrepreneurial competences and skills in educational institutions. Particularly, the program
“Enterprise Education through Action Learning” seeks to qualify trainers, educators and
teachers in entrepreneurial education. According to FEBDEV, over one million people will take
the course and over five thousand teachers and trainers have been qualified.
What is the role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis
Link: http://www.febdev.org.za/home.html
Primary Enterprise and Young Entrepreneurs
Type of initiative: Entrepreneurs training program
Available services: entrepreneurs training courses in primary and secondary schools
Contact for more information: Enterprise North Shore Trust, Unit 3, 100 Bush Road, Albany,
North Shore City, New Zealand, Phone: 64-9 414 1341, Fax: 64-9 414 1340, Email:
team@enterprisens.org.nz.
Organization in charge: Enterprise New Zealand Trust, Enterprise North Shore.
Geographic scope of the initiative: New Zealand
What the initiative does: The initiative involves two educational programs for the
development of entrepreneurial culture, carried out in primary and secondary schools in the
North Shore region, New Zealand. The programs were developed by a non-profit
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24. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
organization, Enterprise New Zealand. The program Primary Enterprise was developed for
primary schools and the Young Entrepreneurs is addressed to secondary schools. The
programs design is inspired in the Global Entrepreneurial Monitor (GEM) results and
recommendations.
What is the role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis
Link: http//www.enterprisens.org.nz/mediareleases/2002/dec_02.htm
APPENDIX 1.1
Competency based Economies through Formation of Enterprise (CEFE)
Type of initiative: qualifying program.
Available services: qualifying methodology; publications; support to long-term projects.
Contact for more information: CEFE International, Wallstrasse 28, 61348 Bad Homburg
v.d.H., Germany. Phone: +49 – 6172 – 21516. Email: info@cefe.net.
Organization in charge: GTZ
Geographic scope of the initiative: global.
What the initiative does: CEFE is a whole set of qualifying tools that use a system oriented
towards action and experimental learning methods with the objective of carrying out and
enhancing business administration and personal competences for a wide variety of
beneficiary groups, mainly in the area of job creation and economic development. CEFE is an
adaptive concept that has been used to promote a great diversity of different social groups,
such as demobilized soldiers in Ethiopia, refugees in Mozambique, women under vocational
orientation in Tunisia, ex-convicts in Chile, micro-entrepreneurs in Brazil, university students
coming back from Vietnam and private enterprise staff in Uzbekistan. The address
http://www.cefe.net/scripts/userl.asp?Sprache=l&DoklD=2864 has a series of publications
on entrepreneurship.
What is the role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis
Link: http://www.cefe.net
APPENDIX 1.2
1. Encouraging an Enterprising Culture in Australia
Type of initiative: training of entrepreneurs.
Available services: study on entrepreneurship teaching actions.
Contact for further information: Professor John Breen.
Organization in charge: small Business Research Unit, Victoria University of Technology.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Australia
What the initiative does: the paper presents the results of a research among Australian
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25. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
secondary school students on their level of understanding about small businesses and
their experiences in that sector. The results are compared with those of similar studies
carried out in the United States and Canada. The results point out to the need for
developing curricula that focus on entrepreneurship and on the promotion of activities
that foster contact between students and entrepreneurs.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/Research/1998/ICSB/b001.htm
2. University Entrepreneurship Education in Argentina: A Decade of Analysis.
Type of initiative: training of entrepreneurs.
Available services: study on entrepreneurship teaching actions and on the factors that
led to their emergence.
Contact for further information: Sergio Postigo, spostigo@udesa.edu.ar and Fernanda
Tamborini, ftamborini@udesa.edu.ar, Vito Dumas 284, (1644) Victoria, Argentina, Phone:
+54 11 4725-7057/Fax: +54 11 4725-7010 http://www.udesa.edu.ar/entrepreneurship.
Organization in charge: University of San Andrés, Argentina.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Argentina.
What the initiative does: this paper studied 70 academic units of the Argentinean
university system. Only those units that had undergraduate or graduate entrepreneurship
education courses or programs were selected. The objective of the study was to analyze
the evolution of entrepreneurship education in Argentina and the reasons that contribute
to the development and consolidation of that phenomenon in the country. The results
show that, just as in other countries, entrepreneurship has a favorable development
environment in Argentinean universities. Around 33% of the public institutions and 25% of
the private ones are involved with some type of entrepreneurship activity. However, this
development concentrates in the most developed regions of the country. The chief
obstacles to the dissemination of the enterprising culture are the strict curricula; the
absence of specific fostering to the entrepreneurial training programs and the lack of
professors specialized in the area. Therefore, there are several aspects to be dealt with in
order to facilitate the development of an enterprising culture: academic legitimacy of the
area, fostering of educational programs, and training of specialists and development of
local case studies.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/Research/2003/ICSB/papers /12.doc
3. Entrepreneurial Education in the United States: an Empirical Review of the Past
Twenty Years.
Type of initiative: training of entrepreneurs.
Available services: study on entrepreneurship teaching actions
Contact for further information: George Solomon.
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26. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Organization in charge: George Washington University, United States of America.
Geographic scope of the initiative: United States.
What the initiative does: the paper presents a study on the results and entrepreneurship
teaching trends in the United States since 1978. In addition, it compares those results
with those of educational institutions in other parts of the world.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/Research/1998/ICSB/i002.htm
APPENDIX 1.3
1. Disclosing New Worlds: Entrepreneurship, Democratic Action, and the Cultivation
of Solidarity.
Type of initiative: book on the subject of entrepreneurship.
Available services: concepts that may be used in structuring entrepreneurship courses.
Authors: Charles Spinosa, Fernando Flores and Hubert L. Dreyfus.
Publishers: The MIT Press.
Geographic scope of the initiative: global.
What the initiative does: a recent, innovative text on entrepreneurship and the
construction of cultural innovation values.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
2. Entrepreneurship: a Philosophy and a Sensible Alternative for the Market Economy
Type of initiative: book on entrepreneurship.
Available services: concepts that may be used in structuring entrepreneurship courses.
Authors: Raymond W. Y. Kao, Kenneth R. Kao and Rowland R; Kao.
Publishers: Imperial College Press, 2002.
Geographic scope of the initiative: global.
What the initiative does: textbook on entrepreneurship that presents a modern view of
the subject and places emphasis on the construction of entrepreneurship values and
culture with a social view and long term support of the environment.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
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27. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
APPENDIX 2
1. SOFTEX/GENESIS Project.
Type of initiative: support to the emergence of new enterprises.
Available services: pre-incubation of new businesses through an infrastructure for
entrepreneurial development; seed-money; entrepreneurial advisory; networking.
Contact for further information: SOFTEX Society – http://www.softex.br
Organization in charge: SOFTEX Society.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Brazil.
What the initiative does: the objective of the GENESIS project is to stimulate the creation
of world-class software businesses and information technology services by young
entrepreneurs in Brazil. In order to reach that objective, 19 centers have been set up and
financed to create enterprises in Brazilian universities. Between 1996 and 1998, GENESIS
invested US$2 million per year in the structuring and operation of new enterprises
creation centers. The funds came from the Federal Government and private partners,
through the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the
SOFTEX Program. During that time, 120 new enterprises were created, with over 300
entrepreneurs involved. These companies’ billing, in 1997, was over US$600,000. Most
of the centers for the creation of new enterprises are still in operation, complementing the
pre-incubation services with entrepreneurship education and business incubation. The
project’s methodology and results have been published in several national and
international papers listed in the bibliographical reference.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: the project was conceived to stimulate the creation of
new businesses, in ICT, at the Brazilian universities and vocational schools.
Link: http://www.genesis.org.br (in Portuguese).
APPENDIX 2.1
1. Promoting an Entrepreneurial Culture: the Challenge of Cultural Change.
Type of initiative: support to the emergence of new enterprises.
Available services:
Contact for further information: EAP Culture Manager, Daniel Jones,
daniel.jones@wda.co.uk
Organization in charge: Welsh Development Agency – WDA.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Wales, United Kingdom.
What the initiative does: the project “Promoting an Entrepreneurial Culture” is an activity
of the Action 1, Plan of Action for the Wales Entrepreneurship. The project objectives are:
to enhance the awareness and positive attitudes regarding to entrepreneurship; to
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28. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
encourage the growth of entrepreneurship through the creation of new businesses and
the growth of existing ones; to encourage entrepreneurship in the public sector and in the
social economy. The project is based on a research used to assess attitudes and
perceptions of entrepreneurship in Wales and their evolution throughout the project. In
addition, given that the greatest challenge of the project is widespread cultural change, a
specific entrepreneurship model was developed to deal with that change, which is used
in the project’s educational and marketing actions. The motivational model developed
emphasizes the opportunities that arise for any individual to become an entrepreneur
throughout his/her life: when he/she changes jobs, moves, during a period of
discontentment with his/her work environment, after being fired or after premature
retirement. The model is based on entrepreneurs’ experiences and allows individuals to
appraise the risks of developing their own businesses in view of other aspects of their
lives.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.wda.co.uk/en/start _your_own_business/entrepreneurial_culture.cfm
2. The Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Development.
Type of initiative: organization to support entrepreneurship.
Available services: analysis of the support initiative impact on the development of an
entrepreneurial culture; information on entrepreneurship support mechanisms;
entrepreneurship support in general.
Contact for further information: P.O. Box 515, 1521 Grafton Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada, and B3J 2R7. Phone: (902) 421-CEED (2333)or 1-800-590-8481, Fax: (902) 482-
0291, Email: info@ceed.ca
Organization in charge: The Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Development,
Nova Scotia, Canada.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Nova Scotia, Canada.
What the initiative does: The Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Development
(CEED) of Canada is an innovation center that aids governments, organizations and
communities in the development of entrepreneurship. The CEED helps build “local
qualification for local solutions”. The center’s mission is to develop entrepreneurship in
individuals through Entrepreneurial Education, Program Development and Research,
Professional Development and Entrepreneurial Culture in the Community. The CEED has
carried out two important researches on the development of the entrepreneurial culture in
Nova Scotia, Canada. The study “Growing an Entrepreneurial Culture”,
(http://www.ceed.info/programs/pdfs/chayter_report.pdf) presents an evaluation report
of entrepreneurial development among the Nova Scotia youth. Its objective was to
assess the impact of the programs to promote entrepreneurship among the young people,
carried out by several government departments and agencies in the region. Particularly,
the study focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of four programs, specifically: (1)
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29. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Entrepreneurship 12, (2) Open for Business (OFB), (3) Youth Entrepreneur Program (YEP),
and (4) African/Nova Scotian/Jamaican Youth Exchange Program (ANS/JYEP). The
second study, “Supporting an Entrepreneurial Culture”
(http://www.ceed.info/programs/pdfs/Final_Report_March_2003.pdf), presents the final
report on a regional consultation of the entrepreneurship support mechanisms in Nova
Scotia, carried out by CEED for the “Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development.”
The objective of the consultation is to evaluate the elements of support to the
entrepreneurial culture in all the sectors of society: public, private, and volunteer. A
framework for the analysis of the nature, scope and amount of support given to
entrepreneurship was developed in the evaluation. The framework allows for detailed
examination of the support available for entrepreneurs and it can be used in other
contexts.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there was no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.ceed.info
3. The Alchemist - Norwegian Government Entrepreneurship Programme
Type of initiative: entrepreneurship development program.
Services available: support to entrepreneurs for the creation of business; financing.
Contact for more information: Innovation Architects, Kenneth Winther, Dicks vei 12, 1366
Lysaker, Norway. Phone: (+47) 900 70 900. Fax: (+47) 67 10 20 01. Email: Kenneth@i-
a.no.
Organization in charge: Innovation Architects & Global Entrepreneurs.
Geographical scope of the initiative: Norway.
What the initiative does: Alchemist is a State Development Fund program of the
Norwegian Government, created to promote and give support to the development of new
businesses and the promotion of entrepreneurship. Norway ‘s Ministry of Business and
Commerce has defined policies for the allocation of funds from the State Development
Fund to promote and give support to entrepreneurs, as a special target group, with the
objective of developing business and commerce and the sustainability of rural dwellings.
The program’s target group are individuals who are considering creating a new business
or who already manage their own enterprises. The program’s objective is to enhance
entrepreneurship motivation, competence and opportunities, contributing to the
emergence of new businesses.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.paginas.net.co/global/images/admin/Brief%20Alchemist.PDF.
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30. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
APPENDIX 3
1. International Enactment of Entrepreneurial Values: Mapping Internationalization
Processes in Small Firms.
Type of initiative: study on the factors of small firm internationalization.
Available services: conclusions on the internationalization and globalization of small and
medium-sized companies, as part of the values and the entrepreneurial culture
construction process.
Contact for further information: Dr. Denise Fletcher and Prof. Shai Vyakarnam, The
Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham, NG1 3BU, United Kingdom,
Email: denise.fletcher@ntu.ac.uk, Phone: +44 115 8418 418.
Organization in charge: The BDO Stoy Hayward Center for Growing Businesses,
Nottingham Business School.
Geographic scope of the initiative: United Kingdom.
What the initiative does: the paper presents 5 case studies on the small businesses’
internalization process. The exploratory study shows that the international transactions
are learning experiences on the conversations and exchanges in different socio-
economic-cultural contexts. From the point of view of the entrepreneur, this learning
refers to intuitive answers to unexpected, emerging situations, to the skills for dealing
with cultural diversity, to the disposition to build and keep relationships between borders
and reaching access to market information outside one’s country. Based on this learning,
the entrepreneur’s vision of internationalization is built, and the external exchange
process is carried out. This paper describes entrepreneurship as a process that is built
interactively by means of conversation and discourse. Something that is constantly
evolving, changing and being reconstructed through the different experiences and
learning opportunities. Therefore, the development of networks, the connection with
other local and international entrepreneurs, is of fundamental importance for the creation
of an entrepreneurial culture and the development of business.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.nbs.ntu.ac.uk/depts/cgb/research/pdf/int_enact.pdf
APPENDIX 3.1
1. Development Gateway
Type of initiative: Web gateway.
Available services: studies, information on financing sources, relationships network
construction.
Contact for further information: 815 Connecticut Av., NW, Suite 620, Washington, DC
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31. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
20006, United States. Phone: +1 202 458 7226, Fax: +1 202 522 7479, Email:
info@developmentgateway.org.
Organization in charge: Development Gateway Foundation.
Geographic scope of the initiative: global. There are Country Gateways in several
countries of Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin and Central America, and the Middle East.
What the initiative does: Development Gateway is a Web gateway that provides
information, products and services focused on issues of development, including
resources that may benefit entrepreneurs in developing countries. Its goal is to help
communities, organizations and individuals to build partnerships, share ideas and work
together to reduce poverty. Among the services rendered, are: (1) virtual communities;
(2)AIDA – Access to Information on Development Activities; (3) dgMarket, a global
information market on development activities; (4) Country Gateways, initiatives operated
locally that explore the use of ICT for the development of their countries.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: it is a Web gateway.
Link: http://www.developmentgateway.org
APPENDIX 3.2
1. Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Type of activity: new businesses development and support program.
Services available: programs, projects and actions in support of entrepreneurship and
development of the entrepreneurial culture; plan of action for 2002-2003.
Contact for further information: Small Business Development Center, Ljubljana, Dunajska
156, Slovenia.
Organization in charge: Slovenia’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
Geographic scope of the initiative: Slovenia.
What the initiative does: The SBDC is an organization created by the Government of
Slovenia and directly connected with the Ministry of the Economy. Its mission is the
development of efficient support services for business, with the objective of promoting
commerce, entrepreneurship, self-employment and the entrepreneurial culture in
Slovenia. The SBDC’s Operational Program for 2002-2003 presents two action
components: “Implementation of Permanent Activities” and “Implementation of
Entrepreneurship Development Programs and Projects of the Government and the
European Union (EU)”. Among the ten Programs and Projects, the following are included:
“Promotion of Entrepreneurial Culture”, “Promotion of Women’s Entrepreneurship” and
“Development of Entrepreneurship and Creativity in the Youth”. Objectives, key-activities,
expected results and success indicators are presented for the Permanent Activities and
the Projects and Programs.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
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32. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Link: http://www.pcmg.si/admin/upload/ostalo/ProgrammeSBDC.pdf
2. Realizing Our Potential – The Revised Regional Economic Strategy.
Type of initiative: regional development program.
Services available: regional development programs; entrepreneurial culture development
actions and projects.
Contact for further information: The Strategy Team at One NorthEast, Andrew Sugden,
andrew.sugden@onenortheast.co.uk (Phone: 0191 229 6608) or Kirsten Young,
kirsten.young@onenortheast.co.uk (Phone: 0191 229 6611).
Organization in charge: The Development Agency for the Northeast of England.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Northeast of England.
What the initiative does: It defines England’s Northeastern region’s strategic development
plan, through actions carried out by the Development Agency for the Northeast of
England. The emphasis is on entrepreneurship development and on the creation of new
businesses. Action B2 – Establishing a New Entrepreneurial Culture develops the theme
of stimulating and supporting entrepreneurial culture. This action is detailed in “Policy
Implementation Framework” for 2002-2010.
(http://www.onenortheast.co.uk/strategyreview/pif.cfm). This action contains detailed
projects for: entrepreneurial attitude reconstruction, creation of business networks,
creation of 200 new businesses up until 2010, combination of entrepreneurs with ideas,
access to financing sources, creation of an international business center, promotion of
enterprises based on local communities.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.onenortheast.co.uk/strategyreview/index.cfm.
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33. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
APPENDIX 4
1. Endeavor Global.
Type of initiative: organization of services for the entrepreneur.
Services available: studies, business planning and financial support, development of
networks and relations.
Contact for further information: 601 West 26th Street, 17th Floor, New York NY 10001,
United States, Phone: +1 212 352 3200, Fax: +1 212 352 1892, Email:
info@endeavor.org.
Organization in charge: Endeavor Global, a non-profit organization.
Geographic scope of the initiative: global.
What the initiative does: Endeavor has several branches in the world, particularly in
developing countries. Its action is carried out in the supplying of information to the
entrepreneur, construction of relationship networks and support to attract venture capital.
Endeavor also encourages international investors to finance high risk enterprises in
developing countries and teaches local community investment members how to act as
“Angel Investors”.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.endeavor.org.
APPENDIX 4.1
1. INOVAR Project – FINEP
Type of initiative: support to the development of risk capital funds.
Services available: investor qualification; Risk Capital Harbor; innovation forums.
Contact for further information: Luiz Martins de Melo, Superintendent of the Innovation
and Investment Area, Phone: +55 21 -2555-0621/+55 21- 2555-1313/+55 21 2555-
0322. http://www.finep.gov.br.
Organization in charge: Financer of Studies and Projects – FINEP.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Brazil.
What the initiative does: The INOVAR PROJECT was created in May, 2000, by FINEP, a
Brazilian Governmental agency to foster projects. This project has the objective of
promoting the development of small and medium-size Brazilian technology-based
businesses through the development of financing tools, especially risk capital. The
actions of the INOVAR Project are: (1) Risk Capital Funds Incubator; (2) Brazil Innovation
Forum; (3) Brazil Risk Capital Gateway (http://www.venturecapital.com.br); (4) INOVAR
Network of Business Tapping and Development; (5) Development of Risk Capital agent
training and qualification programs. Through the Risk Capital Harbor, investors and
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34. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
entrepreneurs can enlist themselves. The Gateway services give support to the initial
negotiation processes between the entrepreneur and the risk investor, those services
being complemented by the meetings held at the Brazil Innovation Forums.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.venturecapital.com.br
APPENDIX 4.2
1. DevelopmentSpace
Type of initiative: investment and social entrepreneurship enterprise.
Available services: support to entrepreneurial planning; financial support; relationships
network construction.
Contact for further information: 1828 L Street, Suite 1030, Washington, DC, 20036
USA. Email: questions@developmentspace.com Phone: +1 202 3317710.
Organization in charge: Acumen Fund, non-profit organization.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Africa and South of Asia.
What the initiative does: It is a market of investment and social entrepreneurship
opportunities created to make the access of social entrepreneurs to sources of
financing easier, thus reducing entry barriers and enhancing the efficiency of funding
programs. This is done through a web-based platform, which consists of three points
of view. The social entrepreneur presents his ideas, which are authenticated and go
through a business plan construction process. The social investor (donor) finds,
chooses and finances the projects in its several stages of development. Service
providers find the opportunities for services resulting from the financed projects,
creating a market for the solutions developed.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: all services are provided on the Internet.
Link: http://www.developmentspace.com
2. The Grameen Organizations.
Type of initiative: seed money; financial support to small businesses.
Available services: financial, planning and business management support.
Contact for further information: Grameen Bank Bhabn, Mirpur, Section-2, Dhaka-1216,
Bangladesh. Email: grameen.bank@grameen.net. Phone: +88 (0) 2 900 5257 68.
Organization in charge: Grameen Family of Organizations
Geographic scope of the initiative: Bangladesh.
What the initiative does: The first of the twelve Grameen Organizations was the
Grameen Bank (GB), which introduced the concept of micro-credit in Bangladesh. The
core objective of the GB is to lend money, without collateral security, to the poor
population of the country. The structure set up for the credit is that of small groups of
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35. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
five people who give mutual guaranty. The GB has already lent over US$1 billion to
over 1 million clients. The model has been replicated in fifty other countries and
consists of the micro-credit initiative best known in the world. Starting from the GB,
its founders have expanded their focus area to other profit companies and non-profit
organizations, making up a total of twelve organizations.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there are 68 information management centers and
two ICT-related initiatives, Grameen Telcom and Grameen Cybernet, that work
towards bringing ICT to the people of Bangladesh
Link: http://www.grameen-info.org/index.html
APPENDIX 4.3
1. Construction of an Entrepreneurial Culture in Mexico
Type of initiative: study and proposal of policy and action.
Available services: observations and recommendations for the development of an
entrepreneurial culture.
Contact for further information: Fernando Fabre, Director, Venture Finance Institute of
Mexico, Anahuac del Sur University, Mexico City, Email: ffabre@ds.uas.mx
Organization in charge: Nacional Financiera, SNC.
Geographic scope of the initiative: Mexico.
What the initiative does: The Nacional Financiera of Mexico’s initiative has produced a
study with the objective of drawing conclusions and offering recommendations to the
public authorities and to the Mexican investment sector in order to accelerate the rate of
transformation in the Mexican business culture and to allow Mexico to anticipate and
prevent possible delays and restrictions to the Mexican economy potential growth. The
study presents observations on the entrepreneurship current practices and risk
investment in Mexico, and, by way of comparison, in the United States. Also, a set of
recommendations to stimulate entrepreneurial culture in Mexico is described. Among
such recommendations, the study remarks on the need to give support to governmental
entities for the creation of risk capital funds and the regulation of their actions.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.uas.mx/escuelas/ADMEMP/EntrepreneurshipinMexico.pdf
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36. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
APPENDIX 5
1. Social Entrepreneurship: Towards an Entrepreneurial Culture for Social and
Economic Development.
Type of initiative: social entrepreneurship.
Available services: proposals for the development of a global entrepreneurial culture.
Contact for further information: Ashoka Headquarters Office, 1700 North Moore Street,
Suite 2000, Arlington, VA 22209, USA. Phone: 703-527-8300, Fax: 703-527-8383.
Organization in charge: Ashoka: Innovators for the Public.
Geographic scope of the initiative: global.
What the initiative does: The paper “Social Entrepreneurship: Towards an Entrepreneurial
Culture for Social and Economic Development” was presented at the Youth Employment
Summit (YES), in September 1992, and it discusses, in depth, the entrepreneurial culture
from the point of view of social entrepreneurship development. The paper describes the
role of social entrepreneurship in the creation of value for society and in income
distribution for individuals. Five recommendations are then made for the development of a
global entrepreneurial culture: (1) constructing a vision of work throughout an individual’s
whole life; (2) changing the focus from the neo-liberal macro-economic policies to the
promotion of decent work with ecologically sustainable growth capable of creating jobs
intensively; (3) removing the barriers that block or discourage entrepreneurship, mainly
those that are caused by government actions or policies; (4) ensuring the poor population
access to credit without collateral security; (5) promoting social entrepreneurship
professionally. Starting from those recommendations, entrepreneurship case studies are
presented as a way of constructing trust relationships in Society in several parts in the
world.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.ashoka.org/global/yespaper.pdf
2. Corporate Social Responsibility Forum: Enterprise and Economic Development.
Type of initiative: promotion of social responsibility in large multinational corporations.
Services available: The CSR Forum acts on seven themes with the objective of studying
and disseminating models, practices and tools to enhance large corporations’ social
responsibility.
Contact for further information: The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum
(IBLF), 15-16 Cornwall Terrace, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4QP, United Kingdom.
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7467 3600. Facsimile: +44 (0) 20 7467 3610. Email: info@iblf.org
Organization in charge: Corporate Social Responsibility Forum.
Geographic scope of the initiative: global.
What the initiative does: The acronym CSR represents the name “Corporate Social
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37. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
Responsibility” in English. Its broad meaning may be understood as open and transparent
business practices based on ethical values and respect for employees, the community
and the environment. CSR has been conceived to produce sustainable values for the
society at large, as well as for the entrepreneur. The CSR Forum develops actions
towards promoting corporate social responsibility in businesses, mainly multinational
corporations that operate in developing countries. For that matter, the theme “Enterprise
and Economic Development” develops actions associated to the construction of
sustainable links among large corporations and small local businesses, forming a link of
trust whose objective is to promote sustainable business for all the actors involved. In its
program “Business and Enterprise” the CSR has produced a study on the best practices
of this kind of relationship whose executive summary can be found in:
http://www.csrforum.com/csr/csrwebassist.nsf/content/flc2a3g4.html. Initiatives such
as the CSR Forum are in line with the most recent and innovative thoughts about
entrepreneurship, like the ones presented by Raymond Kao et al and Charles Spinosa et
al. Such initiatives confirm the importance of the development of trust relationships, on all
levels of Society, to build an entrepreneurial culture.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.csrforum.com
3. Charter for Innovation and Company Start-up in Europe.
Type of initiative: action proposal.
Available services: proposals for programs, projects and actions towards the
development of an entrepreneurial culture.
Contact for further information: http://www.ccip.fr
Organization in charge: Chambre de Commerce et D’Industrie de Paris.
Geographic scope of the initiative: European Union.
What the initiative does: The paper has the objective of proposing programs, projects and
actions to stimulate the emergence of new innovative enterprises in the European Union,
starting from the combination of existing initiatives and the development of new actions.
In order to promote entrepreneurial culture, this paper proposes actions to enhance
awareness of entrepreneurship in education and in the public opinion. Therefore, it is
necessary that there be a mobilization of the whole Society and, particularly, of the
media. Four concrete proposals have, hence, been defined: (1) organization of yearly
visitation events to enterprises: “company open-house day”; (2) inclusion of business
internship training for educators and teachers in all areas and on all levels of education;
(3) promotion of an entrepreneurial spirit among the youth during all their formal
education; (4) support to and perpetuation of innovation assistance policies. Although the
paper is not directly linked to programs or effective actions, the ideas presented provide
orientation and a source of reference for the development of those actions in other
contexts and countries.
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38. Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www3.ccip.fr/dircom/entrep_uk.htm http://www3.ccip.fr/dircom/Charter.pdf
4. The Youth Employment Summit Campaign – The YES Campaign.
Type of initiative: global campaign to promote the creation of youth employment.
Available services: events, construction of knowledge and creation of qualification.
Contact for further information: Mr. Fred Clark (Fred@yesweb.org) or Ms. Poonam
Ahluwalia, Youth Employment Summit Campaign, 55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02458,
United States.
Organization in charge: YES Campaign.
Geographic scope of the initiative: global.
What the initiative does: YES Campaign (The Youth Employment Summit Campaign) was
launched in September 1992, with the objective of promoting youth development. The
campaign focuses on two central elements: (1) construction of capability and
qualification for the youth to become leaders; (2) construction of an entrepreneurial
culture to promote youth employment. The YES Campaign keeps a Web-based global
knowledge repository of information on the job market and effective practices for
individuals and their partnership networks. The YES Campaign works with the following
activities: (1) learning events carried out on the regional level (YES Regional Forum) and
on the global level (YES Second Youth Employment Summit) to be held in Mexico, in
2004; (2) construction of knowledge about practices that work effectively (know what
works) for the creation of job opportunities and wealth for the youth. Hence, YES has
created an online data bank of good practices and other ICT tools for the dissemination of
knowledge; (3) construction of competencies in sectors such as renewable energy, water
supply and sanitation. During the First Youth Employment Summit, several papers were
presented that give examples of entrepreneurial culture promotion. Curtain, R 1992 and
Chigunta, F 1992 are particularly relevant for this paper. The former shows better
practices of ICT use in the creation of jobs and local income. The latter presents the great
challenges to the development of youth entrepreneurship.
The role of the ICT in the initiative: there is no ICT emphasis.
Link: http://www.yesweb.org
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