Creation, development and_management_of_an_entrepreneurial_culture

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

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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.

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Creation, Development and Management of an Entrepreneurial Culture

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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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• 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)


Competence

Capital

Connections

Concepts

Trust

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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Trust: local leaders, coordination, animation,

promotion of entrepreneurial culture, certifications etc.

Adequate Capital, investment structure and financing for the

undertaking

Specific legislation: incentives, protection of

intellectual property, regulations, etc.

Knowledge: Entrepreneurism and

technologies for business

Entrepreneurial Competence: incubation, management of innovation, quality and

productivity programs, etc.

Connections: with the market. marketing, sales,

distribution and networking.

Infrastructure and Basic Services: telecommunications, urban space, etc.

Entrepreneur

& Enterprise

Technology Transfer

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


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:

Creation of Ideas

Conception of the Business

Traditional Education

Entrepreneurial Education

Market Knowledge

Knowledge of Technologies

Knowledge of Management

Entrepreneur Training

Training Trainers

Entrepreneurism and Technology for

Business

Entrepreneur and Vision

Educator and Vision

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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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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Creation of Ideas


Knowledge of Market



Entrepreneur and Vision Educator and

Vision

Pre-incubation

Business Training

Business Consolidation

Development of Entrepreneurial Competence

Support Organizations

Programs and Projects

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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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.

Creation of Ideas


Knowledge of Market




Vision

Pre-incubation

Business Training




Incubation Post-incubation

Development of Market Connections

Clients

Suppliers

Competitors

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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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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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.

Creation of Ideas


Knowledge of Market




Vision

Pre-incubation

Business Training




Incubation P. incubation

Structure of Business Investment and Financing

Banks and Financial System

Risk Investment

Clients

Suppliers

Competitors

Partners

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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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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Creation of Ideas


Knowledge of Market




Vision

Pre-incubation

Business Training






Risk Investment

Governments

Partners

Competitors Clients

Suppliers

Third SectorUnions and Association

Legislation, Mediation, Arbitration, Social Responsibility

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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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.

Creation of Ideas


Knowledge of Market

Knowledge of Technologies Knowledge of

Management

Entrepreneur and Vision Educator and Vision

Pre-incubation

Business Training






Risk Investments

Governments

Partners

Competitors Clients

Suppliers

Third SectorUnions and Associations

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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Academia Productive 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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5. REFERENCES CURTAIN, R. (1992) Richard Curtain. Generating Youth Employment through Information and Communication Technologies: Best Practice Examples and Strategies. © 2002 Education and Development Center, Inc. (These materials may be reproduced and distributed for educational purposes). Produced for the Youth Employment Summit (YES 2002), Alexandria, Egypt, 2002. http://www.yesweb.org/gkr/res/bg.ict.ta.doc. CHAGAS, F. C. D. and da Silva, F.Q.B. (1997). University Teaching of the Setting up of Businesses in the Area of Software. The Discipline: `New Venture Creation in Software` From the Program SoftEx 2000. 42nd. International Conference on Small Business World Conference. San Francisco, United States, 06/1997. CHIGUNTA, F. (1992) Francis Chigunta, Wolfson College, Oxford University. Youth Entrepreneurship: Meeting the Key Policy Challenges. http://www.yesweb.org/gkr/res/bg.entrep.ta.doc. CHURCHILL and LEWIS (1993). The Five Stages of Small Business Growth, Harvard Business Review, May/June, vol. 61, no. 3, pp: 30-50. ETZKOWITZ, H. (1994). The Triple Helix: A North American Innovation Environment. Presented at the opening session of the NAFTA Institute on Innovation, August 14-21, British Columbia, Canada. DA SILVA, F.Q.B. and Araújo, E. E. R. (1996). Enterprise Start-ups in Academic Departments: the Genesis Project. V World Conference on Science Parks. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 10/1996. DA SILVA, F.Q.B and Chagas, F. C. D. (1997). A Fábrica de Empresas: a Experiência de Geração de Novos Empreendimentos em Pernambuco (The Business Factory: Experiences in Generating New Enterprises in Pernambuco). VII Seminário Nacional de Parques Tecnológicos e Incubadoras de Empresas (VII National Seminar on Technological Parks and Business Incubators), pp. 168-177, Salvador, BA, 09/1997. DA SILVA, F.Q.B. (1998). The Setting Up of Environmental Conditions for the Creation of Software Enterprises in Brazil: the GENESIS Project and its Results. 43rd ICSB World Conference on Entrepreneurship, Singapore, June 1998. DA SILVA, F.Q.B. (1998). The Creation of World Class Companies in Brazil: the Setting Up and Operation of a Distributed and Networked Enterprise Generation Program. Fabio Q. B. da Silva. VII World Conference on Science Parks. Austrália, 10/1998.

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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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http://www.intech.unu.edu/


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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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: [email protected] 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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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: [email protected]. 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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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: [email protected]. 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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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, [email protected] and Fernanda Tamborini, [email protected], 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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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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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, [email protected] 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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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: [email protected] 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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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: [email protected]. 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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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: [email protected], 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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20006, United States. Phone: +1 202 458 7226, Fax: +1 202 522 7479, Email: [email protected]. 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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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, [email protected] (Phone: 0191 229 6608) or Kirsten Young, [email protected] (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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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: [email protected]. 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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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: [email protected] 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: [email protected]. 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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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: [email protected] 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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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: [email protected] 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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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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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 ([email protected]) 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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