116 research outputs found
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Book review: Entrepreneurship, growth and public policy: prelude to a knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship
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Book review: three decades of the enterprise culture: entrepreneurship, economic regeneration and public policy
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Part 1 New SME curricula
We began our work at the first residential meeting in Accra (January 2010) by discussing the nature of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and entrepreneurship in a Ghanaian context, clarifying our understanding of the informal sector, and identifying priority areas for curriculum development. At an early stage, we recognised that there was a need to develop more appropriate courses to support enterprise education within our universities and also entrepreneurial learning beyond the campus, particularly in relation to the informal sector. This work informed the first phase, in which we began to engage with SMEs and their associations and to establish their various requirements through dialogue and knowledge sharing. This information was brought back to the second residential meeting in Kumasi (July 2010) as the basis for designing new types of provision. At Kumasi, we worked on two projects that are reported in more detail in the following sections:
♦ A problem-based design for the informal sector: the Sokoban Wood Village Project (Section 1.2)
♦ Strategies for curriculum review and course design in Ghanaian universities (Section 1.3
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Business networks SMEs and inter-firm collaboration: a review of the research literature with implications for policy
This literature review, which was commissioned by the UK's Small Business Service is concerned with business networks, and their importance for the small business community. Business networks are sometimes defined as comprising only inter-firm relationships (e.g. those that exist between component supplier and a manufacturer). However, it soon becomes apparent that a broader perspective is required, if research findings are to contribute meaningful insights for policy and practice. We have therefore incorporated research evidence on personal networks, notably those associated with entrepreneurship, and on links between firms and supporting institutions, such as trade associations, government agencies and universities
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Ships passing in the night?: re-thinking the relationship between entrepreneurial agency and purposive transitions
In this paper, we examine the ways in which the phenomenon of entrepreneurial agency has been represented in the transitions literature with particular reference to purposive sustainability transitions. The aim of the paper is to encourage critical reflection on the relationship between transitions and entrepreneurship research. We present provisional findings from a content analysis conducted on sample publications, covering historical transitional and contemporary purposive transitions. We find that while entrepreneurial agency is clearly evident in both conceptual and empirical works, there are a number of limitations regarding: i) the role of context in relation to the dynamics of entrepreneurial agency; ii) differences in the types of entrepreneurs engaged in socio-technical transitions and the ways in which they interact with other key actors; iii) the predominantly individualistic interpretation accorded to entrepreneurship in the literature. We also review recent developments in entrepreneurship research, including work on: entrepreneurial opportunity, dynamic capabilities, networks and institutions, and indicate how these ideas might be integrated into transitions research, with reference to two sample studies. In the concluding remarks, we suggest ways in which a closer engagement with entrepreneurial agency might contribute to future transitions research and policy-making
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Entrepreneurial dynamics and social responsibility: mapping an expanded intellectual territory
Objectives: (1) To provide a constructive critique of the interface between the entrepreneurial growth dynamics research and social responsibility literatures; (2) to explore opportunities for making new connections between these literatures in order to address substantive ‘gaps’ in research and policy-making ; (3) to map the broader intellectual territory implied by this critique; (4) to outline a tentative research agenda.
Prior work: The paper draws on two main strands of research: entrepreneurial growth dynamics and (corporate) social responsibility. While much has been achieved in the social responsibility literature with regards to established practices, we argue that insufficient attention has been paid to the more ‘entrepreneurial’ dimensions. At the same time, the current wave of enthusiasm for new models of socially-responsible enterprise has opened up a series of new research questions, including: (i) how are these organisational forms likely to grow and develop over the longer-term, at an intra-organisational level, and in terms of emerging inter-organisational relationships?; (iii) how will other actors respond to these developments?; (ii) what are the implications of the resulting dynamics for social, environmental and economic sustainability?
Approach: The paper is based around a critical review of the relevant literatures, focusing on the role of entrepreneurial opportunity and capabilities in shaping entrepreneurial growth dynamics. The discussion addresses current methodological debates and considers how social responsibility can be integrated into the analysis. In doing so, it builds on a research tradition that has promoted historically-informed multi-level and co-evolutionary analysis and argues that such techniques are required in order to gain a better understanding of these phenomena.
Results: We outline a research agenda, illustrated with a number of questions of particular relevance to researchers, policy-makers and practitioners
Implications: The paper identifies a number of issues for researchers and policy-makers and practitioner audiences. It calls for a broadening of the intellectual territory around socially-responsible enterprise. Process-based and multi-level analysis of growth dynamics extends its temporal and organisational boundaries to encompass longer-term interactions and a wider range of actors.
Value: The paper is designed to facilitate and to encourage more constructive interaction between research communities concerned with: social responsibility, social enterprise and process-based approaches to entrepreneurship. It advances understanding by mapping an intellectual space that is neither fully revealed in, nor adequately addressed by, existing bodies of knowledge
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Book review: Knowledge societies: information technology for sustainable development
Review of
MANSELL, ROBIN and WEHN, UTA (Eds).
Knowledge Societies: Information Technology for Sustainable Development.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, 323 pp., £15.9
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Book review: Mobilizing resources and generating competencies: the remarkable success of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Danish business system
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Industrialization
Industrialization, the historical development that saw cheesemaking transformed from a largely craft-based or artisanal activity, often located on a dairy farm, to a production process that, for the most part, takes place in large ‘cheese factories’ or creameries [See ARTISANAL]. The principal features of modern industrialized cheesemaking, which set it apart from traditional approaches include: high production volumes; sourcing of milk from multiple dairy herds; pasteurization and re-balancing of milk supplies to minimize variability; use of standardized, bought-in starter cultures and rennet; mechanization and automation of manual processes such as stirring and cutting the curd; detailed ‘recipes’ and procedures; and the precise measurement and control of key variables such as temperature and acidity using specialized instruments [See PASTERURIZATION, RENNET, STARTER CULTURES]. This transformation of long-established cheesemaking practices was accompanied by equally radical innovations in product marketing and distribution. Together, these changes have exerted a profound influence on the quality and variety of cheese available and in overall patterns of cheese consumption
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Artisanal
Artisanal, a term used to describe production systems that are relatively small-scale and where hand-working and the skilled, intuitive judgment of the maker takes precedence over mechanized and automated methods. Common synonyms include: ‘craft’, ‘handmade’, and ‘traditional’. Artisanal cheese is often made on-farm with milk from the farmer’s own herd (in North America, these varieties are usually known as farmstead cheese)
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