A Study of the Convergence Between Entrepreneurship, Government Policy, and Higher Education in Oman

This chapter examines the inter-relationships between government policy and higher education in the development of entrepreneurship in Oman. Grounded in Isenberg's entrepreneurship ecosystem framework, the role of higher education in driving entrepreneurialism, as a distinct subset of ‘education capital', is examined in the context of policy development and implementation in Oman. Interviews are utilised to gain insights into government initiatives deployed in the Omani higher education sector to develop indigenous entrepreneurs. Findings point to a dislocation between the approaches adopted in Omani higher education institutions and the context in which they have been employed. This is evidenced through three emergent themes: a desire for ‘joined-up' policy on entrepreneurship, the role of higher education institutions in encouraging entrepreneurship, and the challenge of work preference. The study concludes that a lack of holistic appreciation of the entrepreneurial ecosystem precludes the emergence of entrepreneurship as a driver of sustainable economic development in Oman.

The Motivation to Become Indigenous Entrepreneurs Among the Orang Asli

Entrepreneurship provides an essential business opportunity to contribute to the economy and development of a nation. Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) has encouraged Orang Asli to be more active in business, especially tourism. However, only 318 Orang Asli were registered as indigenous entrepreneurs with JAKOA from 2016 to 2020 and whose businesses are still active today. Therefore, this study aims to understand what may motivate the Orang Asli to become indigenous entrepreneurs. This study employs semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect data from Orang Asli entrepreneurs involved in tourism-related businesses. According to the findings, the Orang Asli are motivated to become indigenous entrepreneurs because of the following reasons: to create job opportunities and income for the community, generate funds for the community, increase demand for tourist activities at their place, pursue personal interests and hobbies, promote and preserve the culture and lastly improve perceptions towards Orang Asli’s socioeconomic status. The findings provide a reference for the relevant authorities to strengthen training or entrepreneurship programs to support Orang Asli in pursuing indigenous entrepreneurial activities in the tourism-related business.

A retrospective overview of Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy from2007 to 2021 using abibliometric analysis

Purpose This paper aims to examine the pattern of publications, using a bibliometric analysis of the Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy (JEC) for the period between 2007 and 2021. Design/methodology/approach The study uses relevant bibliometric metrics and procedures. The analysis covers mainly the number of articles published in JEC, most influential years in terms of the number of publications and citations, top productive countries, most prolific authors, most influential institutions, funding institutions, co-authorship trends, keywords co-occurrence, and vital themes of JEC articles between 2007 and 2021. Findings The journal’s influential impact in terms of citations has increased over time, with 83.62% of the published works receiving at least one citation. Léo-Paul Dana has been recognised as the most prolific author by virtue of his contribution of articles in JEC, and the maximum contribution to JEC comes from the USA, followed by Canada and the UK. University of Canterbury, New Zealand and La Trobe University, Australia were the leading contributing institutions. The study identified “indigenous entrepreneurs”, “gender”, “social entrepreneurship”, “education” and “innovation” as contemporary keywords in the study of enterprising communities. These issues present a clear opportunity for research-related topics for the JEC. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive piece in the journal’s history that provides a general overview of the journal's major trends and researchers.

POLLY HILL: CROSSING AND CONTESTING THE BOUNDARIES OF ANTHROPOLOGY, ECONOMICS, AFRICAN STUDIES, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDIES

Polly Hill spent her long, productive, and at times controversial career crossing and contesting disciplinary boundaries. She graduated in economics at Cambridge, but her doctorate was in social anthropology—with economist Joan Robinson as dissertation supervisor. Her thirteen years at the University of Ghana were initially in economics, then in African studies, and her readership at Cambridge was in Commonwealth studies. As a woman in several male-dominated academic disciplines without a secure base in any (and with distinctive, unorthodox opinions in each), she never obtained a tenure-track appointment despite ten books and fifty scholarly articles. Her books drew attention to the underrecognized agency of indigenous entrepreneurs while her Development Economics on Trial: The Anthropological Case for the Prosecution (1986) critiqued a discipline, disciplinary boundaries, and outside experts, both mainstream and radical.

The Motivation to Become Indigenous Entrepreneur: A Case of Orang Asli in Malaysia

Entrepreneurship is an essential contribution to the economy and development of a nation. This study aims to understand what may motivate Orang Asli to become indigenous entrepreneurs. Using a qualitative approach, this study employs a semi-structured in-depth interview to collect data from ten indigenous entrepreneurs in the tourism business. According to the findings, the Orang Asli are motivated to become indigenous entrepreneurs because of the following reasons: to create job opportunities and income for the community, generate funds for the community, increase demand for tourist activities at their place, personal interest, promote and preserve the culture and lastly improve any negative perceptions towards Orang Asli. This study's findings provide a reference for the relevant authorities to strengthen training or entrepreneurship programs to support Orang Asli in pursuing indigenous entrepreneurial activities in the tourism business.

Crafting Virtual Community of Indigenous Entrepreneurs: Case in Social Entrepreneurship

Facebook has voyaged a significant distance since its launch in 2004 as a web-based social media connector.* What initially started off as a way to socially associate people at an individual level has in its journey become a platform for doing business easily. It is currently a huge ring to associate and network across the globe. Sonia Konjeti Agarwal has weaved a comparable success story utilizing Facebook. Her story, like that of Facebook, started with a motive to socially connect people of a geographical area. She created a Facebook group for women in Pune and christened it PULA (Pune Ladies Association), which has now become a vibrant business platform. Research Questions: i. Social entrepreneurs are change agents. In the context of social entrepreneurship which is most important: initiation of an idea, transmission of idea or creating a sustainable impact? ii. Social media is a powerful tool for networking. How did PULA strategically leverage social media for real time interactions and entrepreneurial ventures? Link to Theory: This case draws linkage to Social Cognitive Theory. Social Cognitive theory depicts bidirectional character of causation where behavior, cognitive, emotional factors and environment persistently and jointly persuade each other. Role of the protagonist in creating an exciting platform for indigenous entrepreneurs through the path of social entrepreneurship is linked here. Phenomenon Studied: Social entrepreneurship is a promising field with diverse interpretations. As a social entrepreneur, Sonia’s efforts are directed towards strengthening the identity of indigenous entrepreneurs. She initiated small venture creations within social network. Growth of indigenous entrepreneurs ignites self dependency and magnetizes new investments. Success of the virtual community to hone entrepreneurial skills is studied. Case context - As a social entrepreneur, the protagonist used Facebook to create virtual community of indigenous (women) entrepreneurs. PULA enhanced visibility, reach, network and prominence of indigenous entrepreneurs at low cost. Opportunity to interact with buyers directly expanded vendor registration in the group. It also created level playing field for first generation entrepreneurs. Findings: This case depicts pragmatism of the social entrepreneur. PULA unified the virtual community and resources fostering entrepreneurship. This virtual community signifies uniqueness of domain, novel practices and policies. PULA was initially constituted for social networking. Gradually members discovered business opportunities. Efficacy of social media for virtual engagement and small venture creation resulted in financial independence for women. Status of women transitioned to indigenous entrepreneur from homemaker. Growth of indigenous entrepreneurs being contagious, a wave of first generation entrepreneurs was born. Discussions: PULA encouraged individuals hitherto in the veil of self imposed life situations to become entrepreneurs. Sonia was zealous about empowering women, to create opportunities for them to succeed and advance in lives. As a social influencer her actions are directed towards social well being. Her primary objective is to leverage the trust shown by two hundred forty-five thousand plus members and six thousand five hundred plus verified sellers. Non existence of tangible and quantifiable metrics for measuring the performance of the social entrepreneur creates a challenge. Sonia is exploring new social media engagement strategies for creating a sustainable virtual community.

Embeddedness as a Differentiating Element of Indigenous Entrepreneurship: Insights from Mexico

The present work aims to know the motives of why Indigenous entrepreneurs start companies, as well as how the characteristics of these groups influence the motives for company creation and determine entrepreneurial behavior. Through qualitative research, using interviews from five Indigenous entrepreneurs in Mexico, and the comparative case studies, this research identifies the motivators and characteristics of Indigenous entrepreneurs, as well as community embeddedness as an element of core business, without which company creation could not happen. The results show that embeddedness, identity, comunalidad (communal way of life), and worldview contribute positively to entrepreneurial project achievements, which also impact the community itself. Recommendations for different economic and social agents, concerning supporting the sustainability of Indigenous communities, and the protection of their culture and historical legacies, are derived from this study.

Informing Canadian Innovation Policy Through a Decolonizing Lens on Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Innovation

While Indigenous entrepreneurship is associated with significant economic promise, Indigenous innovation continues to be invisible in Canadian policy contexts. This article examines how Indigenous entrepreneurial activities are framed in government policy, potentially leading to another wave of active exploitation of Indigenous lands, peoples, and knowledges. The article first discusses the concepts of Indigenous entrepreneurship and innovation through a decolonizing lens, drawing links to education. Then, it provides a set of rationales for why governments need to re-think and prioritize Indigenous entrepreneurship. Next, it maps the current federal government initiatives in this policy sector. Drawing from the Indigenous entrepreneurship ecosystem approach (Dell & Houkamau, 2016; Dell et al., 2017), the article argues that a more comprehensive policy perspective guiding Indigenous entrepreneurship programs should inform Canadian innovation policy. Individual voices from 13 Indigenous entrepreneurs in Manitoba point to three core issues: (a) relationships with the land and the community; (b) the relevance of (higher) education and training; and (c) the importance of cultural survival and self-determination. The article makes an argument for a systemic decolonizing change in how Indigenous innovation is approached in government policyand programs, supported by the work of higher education institutions.