scholarly journals Understanding Small Business Entrepreneurial Activity in the Nigerian Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) and Informal Economy

Author(s):  
Bamidele Wale Oshinowo ◽  
Chijioke Dike Uba ◽  
Eghosa Igudia
2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (03) ◽  
pp. 351-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
DENISE FLETCHER ◽  
EMIL HELIENEK ◽  
ZVETA ZAFIROVA

It is widely reported that entrepreneurial activity has a significant role to play in transition economies such as Central and Eastern Europe but little is known about the role that the family unit plays in facilitating small business emergence in the former command economies. This is surprising given that the link between family and small business development has been widely researched in market economies. In this study, attention is drawn to the role that family relations and resources play in small business emergence. The study focuses on Bulgaria, a country in the Balkans with much cultural diversity and which became a European Union member in 2007–8. Analysis is undertaken of research material drawn from a survey of 69 small firms. 42% of the surveyed firms are two generation businesses involving the entrepreneur and children or parents. 35% of the businesses are three generation businesses involving the lead entrepreneur, parents, children and siblings. The remaining 33% are firms that are run by couples and/or siblings. This suggests that the family household is the key channel for (and of) small business formation. In neglecting the role of family start-ups, this gives a false understanding to the role that households and families sometimes contribute to the economy. At the same time, it is also partly because of this dependency on family relations and resources that small businesses become rooted in the 'informal economy' — an economy that is based on family favours and which it is difficult to break out of.


Author(s):  
Marta Barna ◽  
Svitlana Moroz

Іntroduction. The stable functioning and qualitative development of enterprises of the small business sector largely depend on the state's effective regulatory policy in a modern economy. Necessary are regulatory measures of the state in relation to entrepreneurship development, increase their efficiency, improvement of methods of influence on entrepreneurial activity, which will help to equalize cyclical tendencies in the functioning of small businesses, increase their social role in the social and economic development of regions and the country as a whole. In this regard, it is expedient to study the current state of small business development through the prism of identifying the advantages and disadvantages of regulatory policy in this area. Methods. General scientific and special methods are used: statistical analysis and systematization; empirical synthesis and generalization in the process of research. Results. The article covers the existing manifestations of improvement of certain important economic indicators: increase of sales volumes, growth of the share of small business in GDP and in the total number of economic entities, increase of assets and capital, increase of labor productivity and social parameters. The shortcomings of small business development in Ukraine were identified, among them: a decrease in the number of small business entities, low financial and economic efficiency, weak financial and economic status of small enterprises, high level of profitability of economic activity, small number of employed and self-employed in this sector of the economy, reduction of available workers places, critical imbalances and deformations in the development of the small business sector in the spatial and sectoral aspects. Discussion. Since regulatory policy plays a strategically important role in the functioning of the small business sector, the study of its effectiveness and the identification of deficiencies will allow to form a high-quality business environment favorable for the activation of the entrepreneurial activity of the population, the emergence of new ones, and the improvement of the efficiency of business activities of the small business actors, balanced development of the entrepreneurial sector of the national economy as a whole. Keywords: development, small business, regulatory policy, financial and economic condition, labor productivity.


Author(s):  
Vasyl Bryntsev

Problem setting. Despite the ramifications of national legislation on entrepreneurship and real activity on a significant scale of small and medium-sized businesses, as well as a significant amount of research in this area, there are problems that reduce the effectiveness of business results and encourage improvement as a regulatory framework. and mechanisms of the national model of entrepreneurship. The ways to implement the principle of freedom of entrepreneurial activity in the system of innovation law remain unclear. The purpose of the article is to identify problems that reduce the efficiency of entrepreneurial activity and search for options to improve the existing regulatory framework in the field of innovation, as well as ways to implement in the national model of economic experience of advanced countries. Analysis of recent researches and publications. A comparative analysis of the results of research by scientists from Georgia (T. Anasashvili, D. Bridze, B. Bolkhvadze, I. Margalitadze), Belarus (E. Voronko, V. Panashchenko), Kazakhstan (S. Moroz) with the conclusions and suggestions of Ukrainian scientists: A. Brevnova, P. Bubenko, D. Zadykhailo and others is carried out. Article’s main body. In the context of the global economic crisis, the most effective ways out of it are two main directions. The first, global, is due to the unification of states into economic unions and the development of common mechanisms for economic development. And the second, local, is based on a detailed study of international best practices and its implementation in national models of innovative development. A systematic analysis of the national regulatory framework with the legislation on entrepreneurship of other countries gives grounds for concluding that it is formed on similar conceptual principles, in particular with regard to consolidating the principle of “freedom of enterprise”. The Doing Business survey periodically determines the ranking of countries in the world regarding freedom of enterprise. The assessment is based on the arithmetic mean of ten control indicators: the process of business registration, the mechanism of connection to energy supply, the process of property registration, credit system, existing tax mechanisms, the degree of investor protection and more. In connection with the unsatisfactory state of development of the economy of Ukraine, attention is focused on ensuring the activities of small business on these criteria in countries that are consistently ranked in international ranking research. In particular, Georgia, China, New Zealand, Singapore and others. Conclusions. The plans of the Ukrainian authorities to further harmonize the legislation in the field of small business with European standards, to carry out in-depth tax reform and to carry out manifestations of illegal pressure on business deserve support. In order to accelerate the process of improving the legal framework for entrepreneurship and effective mechanisms for innovation, the conclusions of international experts should be used more widely. The recommendations of international rating agencies on the need to adopt a realistic strategy for the development of small and medium-sized businesses (entrepreneurship), improve the regulatory framework in the field of lending to small and medium enterprises and improve their access to existing forms of financing, development of entrepreneurship and real action should be implemented. the principle of freedom of its conduct in the field of innovation.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eko Heru Prasetyo

Purpose This study aims to investigate how digital entrepreneurs develop platforms business models under an unregulated market and what approach they take to address informal economy (IE) activities. Design/methodology/approach The author used a qualitative method by interviewing sixteen respondents, including founders, Chief Executive Officers, and managers of digital-driven start-ups in Indonesia. I then analysed the interviews into several codes and themes for further discussion. Findings This study reveals distinctive approaches performed by startups within three-level institutions, namely, users, market and regulation. Each level represents digital entrepreneurs’ unique behaviour, which the author described as collective, narrative and compliant. Research limitations/implications This paper demonstrates that digital entrepreneurs leveraging informal sectors contribute to the process of formalisation. However, the author emphasise less on how it impacts informality and who receives incentives. Practical implications This study suggests appropriate strategies for entrepreneurs who build and develop a platform beyond immature setting and unveils different directions to comprehend their legitimacy building. Social implications This study also elucidates political implications such as how the dynamics between regulators’ response and entrepreneurs’ reaction shape the new regulative environment. An idea of self-regulate – entrepreneurs as actors instead of a subject of regulation – might be suitable to reflect how they overcome the bottom of the pyramid using technology innovation. Originality/value While previous studies focused primarily on sharing economy, this study provides a different array of discussion on the digitalisation of the informal economy in emerging markets.


Author(s):  
Shelley Farrington ◽  
Beverley Gray ◽  
Gary Sharp

<p>In South Africa men are more likely than women to undertake entrepreneurial activity. Similarly, White South Africans are more likely to start new business ventures than other ethnic groups. In order to establish why women and certain ethnic groups are less inclined to undertake entrepreneurial activities, the primary objective of this study was to establish whether the perceptions of desirability that some groups have of an entrepreneurial career differ from those of others. Respondents were identified by means of convenience and judgemental sampling. In total, 739 usable questionnaires were returned. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument was assessed by means of an exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach-alpha coefficients. T-test statistics were undertaken to establish significant differences. The results show that female small business owners perceive that self-employment will allow them more Flexibility and Autonomy than do their male counterparts, whereas male students perceive that self-employment will allow them more Time than do female students. Black small business owners and Black student respondents scored higher mean scores than White respondents for the majority of work values investigated in this study. This seems to suggest that Black respondents perceive an entrepreneurial career more positively than White respondents do, despite White South Africans being more likely to start entrepreneurial ventures than Black South Africans.</p><p><strong>KEYWORDS:</strong> Entrepreneurial career, small business enterprises, career perceptions, work values, gender, ethnicity</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-341
Author(s):  
Trey Malone ◽  
Antonios M. Koumpias

PurposeThis research note compares voter opinions regarding small business entrepreneurial activity to opinions of small business owners and links any divergence in perceptions to realized suboptimal entrepreneurial growth policy.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data collection via best–worst scaling and estimation of linear regression models.FindingsResults suggest that small business owners are less concerned about issues such as foreign competition, estate/death taxes, oil prices and labor union demands but are more concerned with domestic competition, income taxes, regulatory burdens and availability of credit from lenders.Social implicationsThe authors find major discrepancies in opinions about trade policy and business financing, which may lead to policy design that hinders entrepreneurship given evidence that politicians do respond to voters' opinions (Autor et al., 2016).Originality/valueIt represents the first empirical assessment of differences between voter and small business owner perspectives on entrepreneurial policy. An immediate policy implication includes the need to provide additional avenues of communication of entrepreneurs' concerns.


Author(s):  
Anthea Patricia Amadi-Echendu ◽  
Magaret Phillips ◽  
Kudakwashe Chodokufa ◽  
Thea Visser

<p class="2">South Africa is characterised by high unemployment levels, a low Total Early Stage Entrepreneurial Activity rate, and a high small business failure rate. Entrepreneurship and small business development is seen as a solution to end unemployment in South Africa. A study to understand how to improve small business support was conducted at the University of South Africa and has shown that alumni are unable to apply theoretical knowledge acquired from their studies. The purpose of this article is to explore the potential of the University of South Africa in becoming more entrepreneurial to address the aforementioned challenges. A desk study that reviewed literature was conducted to identify different constructs associated with an entrepreneurial university, namely entrepreneurial education, research and development, innovation, commercialisation and incubation, and stakeholders. In addition to traditional teaching methods, various alternative approaches can be used to stimulate entrepreneurial education to develop the skills of learners/students. To address these challenges a closer relationship between academia, government, and industry is paramount.  It is recommended that universities incorporate entrepreneurial education in all their qualifications, expose students to on-the-job training, assist with the incubation of business ideas that students have, and provide a platform for cross-pollination of knowledge between industry, academia, and government.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 855-869
Author(s):  
E.V. Shubenkova ◽  
◽  
E.V. Krasavina ◽  

Support and stimulation of the development of small business in our country today is of the most urgent importance in comparison with other periods of economic development in Russia. It is for this purpose that the Presidium of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Strategic Development and National Projects in 2018 approved the national project «Small and Medium Enterprises and Support for Individual Entrepreneurial Initiatives», the implementation period of which is from October 2018 to 2024 inclusive. In 2019, the national project was launched in a number of regions of our country. The main purpose of writing a scientific article was the desire of the authors to make a number of practical recommendations to the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in providing assistance and assistance to young entrepreneurs, as well as to the population showing economic initiative. In this scientific article, its authors consider the objective possibilities for the development of small business on the territory of Moscow, about the role and contribution to this process of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and its territorial associations. In particular, having analyzed the activities of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Headquarters for the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of subjects of investment and entrepreneurial activity in Moscow, the authors offer their vision of the process of developing small business in the capital and give a number of practical recommendations that have already found real implementation in the work of the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (3) ◽  
pp. 50-54
Author(s):  
T.Y. ALTUFYEVA ◽  

The article discusses the problems of maintaining and stimulating entrepreneurial activity in territories of various stadial affiliation, first of all, in emergency situations in order to preserve their efficiency, stability and vitality. As you know, in the context of increasing external instability and the spread of a new coronavirus infection in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, small and medium-sized businesses, a significant part of which were engaged in providing services to the population, suffered the most. The prolonged lockdown had a negative impact on the economic performance of small businesses, development opportunities, and the employment of workers in them. The article analyzes the dynamics of the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The trend of reduction since 2018 of both the total number of small and medium-sized businesses and the number of employees employed in them is shown. Analysis of the situation in small business showed that there have been not only quantitative, but also structural changes in the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Belarus. In the current situation, the process of re-registration of small enterprises of the republic into individual entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises was initiated, due to their more competitive tax parameters in the current conditions and the possibility of reducing personnel to minimum values. The study shows significant improvements in the business climate in the Republic of Bashkortostan in recent years. At the end of 2019, in accordance with the Index of Administrative Pressure - 2020, the republic took 11th place among 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, having risen from 38th place over the year, which is due to a significant simplification of registration procedures, the introduction of the institution of “self-employed” on the territory of the republic, and other innovations. Nevertheless, at present, small business in the republic has not overcome the consequences of the economic crisis caused by an unfavorable epidemiological situation. The crisis is changing the forms of employment, it is becoming remote, remote, non-standard, online professions appear. The traditional mechanism of entrepreneurs' actions in conditions of deteriorating economic conditions is described. The author analyzes the measures taken by the SMEs themselves in the territories of various stages of the life cycle, in particular, the transition to Internet commerce and the state (three packages of support measures in the Republic of Belarus) to continue activities in the context of the coronavirus crisis. The article substantiates the urgency of developing a mechanism to stimulate entrepreneurial activity in emergency situations in the territories of the ascending and descending stages of the life cycle.


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