Local Entrepreneurs Research Articles

Outside the Backdoor: Entrepreneurship, Field Experience and Preservice Teachers

This research is to share qualitative data of one preservice teacher, and one early childhood entrepreneur, who educated young children in an exclusive outdoor preschool.The study was conducted in a rural community where most preschools were held in the traditional venue-inside. The Coronavirus-19 pandemic presented many obstacles to the placement of preservice teachers in an appropriate early childhood setting. The university discouraged all direct contact with children. Instead, preservice teachers were expected to view videos of veteran teachers, who in former years, submitted teaching videos to obtain a “National Boards Certification.” The objective was that the preservice teachers would “reflect” and learn from the electronic source. This electronic substitution was unacceptable to the researcher. Practicum experiences allow for rich collaboration between preservice teacher and child. Electronic sources can never replicate the rich learning that happens during an authentic face-to face encounter with a child. Thus, the vision for the study was born.As an alternative to exclusive electronic learning, the preservice university supervisor initiated the opportunity for preservice teachers to participate with a local entrepreneur who was in the process of designing and implementing an exclusive outdoor school. Nature and environmental field experience opportunities for preservice teachers are promising alternatives to the traditional preschool setting. Venues that encourage nature and environmental studies enhance early childhood programs and create opportunities for preservice teachers, and the children they serve, to appreciate the nature around them enhancing their natural curiosity and investigative skills to seek, study, and share. This research article shares the reflections of both the preschool entrepreneur as well as the preservice teacher. It is a pragmatic description of how the exclusive outdoor environment is feasible and presents the challenges and assets that the environmental venue provides.

The Competition Between Local Government and Entrepreneurs in the View of Pierre Bourdieu’s Concept of Capitals

The paper presents the concept of capitals developed by Pierre Bourdieu in the light of the problems of competition between public entities, in particular local government units, and entrepreneurs outside the public utility sphere. The presented analysis sheds a new light on the multi-faceted competition between public and private entities in the field of economy, in particular on the cultural and social aspects of such competition. Pierre Bourdieu’s universal theory of the sociology of law may be successfully used in studying various aspects of the presented issues, which are often erroneously considered to be only economic factors in the common belief.

Origin stories of local journalism entrepreneurs

This paper investigates the origin stories of local journalism entrepreneurs in the UK, based on 57 in-depth interviews and a survey of 116 practitioners, carried out in 2020–2021. In doing so, it focuses on the motivations and identities of editors of what are variably known as community journalism outlets and hyperlocals. These outlets represent a growing sector which has filled the gap left behind by the closure and consolidation of local and regional newspapers. Many have been established over the past decade, frequently by journalists previously working for traditional media organisations. Drawing on insights from the field of social enterprise, the article shows that, like other social entrepreneurs, community journalists are driven by a range of motivations: Their decisions to start up new outlets are frequently informed by economic conditions, including gaps in the local news market. But more importantly, they also tend to be strongly influenced by normative ideals, including the desire to improve their communities through news provision. The distinctive articulation of these normative ideals demonstrates that local journalism entrepreneurs embody distinctive professional identities associated with conceptions of what constitutes “good” local journalism. These are tied to the provision of news which authentically captures the experience of the local community. Editors’ origin stories reveal an emphasis on authority grounded in knowledge of, and a passionate attachment to, the local community.

Entrepreneurial Activities Performed by Local Governments in Poland – The Context of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Concept

The paper explores the activities offered by local governments in the entrepreneurial ecosystem concept perspective. This paper aims to determine the role of the local governments’ assistance in the dependencies between institutions supporting entrepreneurship and new enterprises. The activities, such as (i) intentional activities, (ii) favourable conditions for the local entrepreneurial environment, and (iii) the local governments’ relations with local entrepreneurs have been distinguished. To confirm the theoretically assumed three-factor structure, confirmatory factor analysis was performed. In the course of the study, the Spearman’s correlation and structural modelling methods were applied. The results showed the relation between the local governments’ activities and the entrepreneurship indicators at the local level. Additionally, the impact of the institutions supporting entrepreneurship on the number of newly registered entities, with a mediating role of favourable conditions for the local entrepreneurial environment and the local governments’ relations with local entrepreneurs, was presented.

Private-led policy transfer: the adoption of sector skills councils in Chile

ABSTRACT This study investigates the adoption process of a TVET policy, usually driven by the state, by private actors. Considering a Cultural Political Economy analytical approach, we use the adoption of Sector Skills Councils in three Chilean sectors (mining, wine, maintenance) to examine the different factors that explain the process. We draw on interviews with key informants at the sectoral and national levels, sectoral documents, and press articles. Our analysis shows that the framing actions of a local policy entrepreneur and their interaction with neoliberal political-economic institutions were key to explaining the policy’s attractiveness for private actors. Furthermore, economic and organisational conditions at the sectoral level explain why these three sectors adopted SSCs. We offer further insights about the TVET policy transfer process from the perspective of local and sectoral actors, and in particular, the role of non-state actors.

Rural and traditional cafes and restaurants: a new emerging trend in domestic tourism

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the latest phenomenon emerging from rural towns and villages, where a surge in traditional cafes and restaurants has spurred a new trend in sustainable tourism development. This phenomenon is linked to local efforts to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the series of lockdowns that accompanied it. This paper focuses on two critical lines of inquiry: (1) Where did the idea stem from? and (2) How has it developed to the extent that it now constitutes one of the few primary sources of income for underdeveloped communities?Design/methodology/approachExploratory research was conducted in rural and urban areas where tourism is still developing. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample consisting of ten owners of rural and traditional cafes who consented to their participation in the study.FindingsEmerging trends such as rural and traditional cafes and restaurants can be a stable source of income for underserved communities in uncertain times. Local entrepreneurs often play a critical role in the development of sustainable rural tourism efforts as they have a better understanding of the needs of their own local community. Furthermore, their projects typically carry higher levels of authenticity and innovation with a greater ability to attract both local and international travelers.Research limitations/implicationsTaking into consideration the exploratory nature of this study, a small convenience sample was used.Originality/valueThis study highlights the importance of innovation in the tourism industry during precarious times, the most recent example of which was the global COVID-19 pandemic. This paper suggests that the industry can rely on new emerging trends to mitigate the loss of revenue from previous sources of tourism. Furthermore, the study showcases the importance of domestic tourism trends and how it can lead to an expansion in international tourism resources.

A composite indicator analysis for optimizing entrepreneurial ecosystems

• We use the ‘benefit of the doubt’ (BOD) weighting to evaluate the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the global scale. • We compute endogenous weights to identify country-specific policy priorities. • We show how countries can design optimal entrepreneurship policy using objective criteria. • Effective policy is conditional on the configuration of countries’ entrepreneurial ecosystem. • Quality improvements in entrepreneurial ecosystems are conducive to higher levels of venture capital investments. We employ the ‘benefit of the doubt’ approach rooted in non-parametric techniques to evaluate the entrepreneurial ecosystem of 71 countries for the period 2016. By scrutinizing the relative efficiency of countries’ entrepreneurial ecosystems, the proposed analysis of composite indicators allows the computation of endogenous (country-specific) weights that can be used for developing more informed policy making. The results show that countries prioritize different aspects of their national system of entrepreneurship which confirms that, contrary to homogeneous prescription, tailor-made policy is necessary if the objective is to optimize the resources deployed to enhance the countries’ entrepreneurial ecosystem. The findings of the empirical application reveal significant improvements in the quality of the entrepreneurial ecosystem can be realized by targeting the policy priorities of the local entrepreneurship system identified by the ‘benefit of the doubt’ weights. By analyzing the variation in economic and entrepreneurship outcomes over the seven-year period centered on the study year (period 2013–2019), we found a significant positive correlation between quality improvements in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and venture capital investments.

지역별 특성이 초기창업기업 생존에 미치는 영향

While the domestic entrepreneurial ecosystem has grown rapidly, the concentration of related social and economic infrastructure in the metropolitan area is deepening. In particular, local entrepreneurship, which can create new jobs in the region and contribute to regional economic growth, plays a key role in alleviating the imbalance between the metropolitan and the region. However, relatively few studies have focused on the regional start-ups. To fill this void, this study examines the antecedents of the survival of local start-ups. Specifically, we examine whether the survival probabilities of start-ups differ by region and which firm and regional characteristics affect the survival of local start-ups. We test these hypotheses by using 44.19 million start-up companies from 2016 to 2019. The findings show that the survival rate of start-ups is different even within the same region. This means that local factors can have a significant impact on the survival of start-ups. Second, our results also indicate that the industrial type and firm size had a significant effect on survival. In addition, as for regional characteristics, it was found that industrial structure, location coeffieicent, diversity index, metropolitan area, and the number of universities have significant impact on the survival of start-ups. Based on these results, we discuss the implications and limitations in this study.

Implementation Of Green Human Resources Management To Improve MSME Competitiveness

Quality human resources and ,have global competitiveness are the determinants of the success of MSMEs. Green Human Resource Management (Green HRM) is one of the tools that can be used to manage the MSME workforce. Green human resource management is the management of human resources in a sustainable manner by paying attention to environmental aspects to preserve nature in the management of the company. The application of green HRM is one form of efforts to increase productivity and company commitment (MSMEs) in preserving the environment.
 The purpose of this community service activity is to provide knowledge to MSME actors about improving the quality of human resources through training and assistance involving stakeholders, namely local governments, entrepreneurs and academics to improve MSME competitiveness and implementing Green HRM strategies to improve MSME employee performance.

Keputusan Pembelian Ditinjau Dari Citra Merek Dan Gaya Hidup Konsumen Rm Sambel Alu Bandar Lampung

Purchasing decisions in urban communities are not only based on product taste or quality, but also other factors such as brand image and lifestyle which most local culinary entrepreneurs pay little attention to. This shows that urban people with high mobility want a product that is able to answer their problems, namely food products that are fast, practical and prestige. This study aims to reveal and analyze consumer purchasing decisions in a review of brand image and lifestyle, is there a positive and significant relationship between brand image and lifestyle and purchase decisions at RM Sambel Alu Bandar Lampung consumers.This research is a quantitative study that uses a psychological measurement tool with a Likert scale model as a method of collecting research data. Purchase decision scale with Cronbach alpha (α = 0.815), brand image scale with Cronbach alpha (α = 0.813), and lifestyle scale with Cronbach alpha (α = 0.936). The population in this study were consumers of RM Sambel Alu with certain criteria determined by the researcher. To ensure that the sample truly represents the entire population, the researcher chose purposive sampling and accidental sampling techniques as a reference in sampling. Analysis of the research data was carried out using a two-predictor regression analysis technique which in the calculation process was assisted by the SPSS 21 computer program. The results of the study show that there is a positive and significant relationship between brand image and lifestyle and consumer purchasing decisions of RM Sambel Alu. The results of the regression analysis show that the two independent variables make an effective contribution (SE) of 36.2% to purchasing decisions (R2=0.362; R=0.601; F=27.459; sig. 0.000 (p0.01). Meanwhile, the remaining 63.8% can be influenced by variables other than this research.X1-Y=0.360; sig.0.000 (p0.01) means that there is a significant positive relationship between brand image and purchasing decisions.X2-Y= 0.581; sig.0.000 (p0.05) means there is a positive relationship significant relationship between lifestyle and purchasing decisions. Keywords: Purchase Decision, Brand Image, Lifestyle, Consumers, Local Culinary.

Identify Problems and Suggest Possible Solutions for Safe Pineapple Production in Madhupur Tract

The aim of this study was to ascertain the current problems faced by pineapple growers and suggest possible solutions. A total of 300 pineapple growers of the Madhupur tract were selected as samples following the proportionate random sampling technique. Primary data were collected using a pre-designed and pre-tested interview schedule. Findings indicate that majority of the respondents were middle and young aged (71.4%), and having medium family size (61.9%). The highest proportion (42.9%) of the respondents were illiterate, had high annual income (48.6%), medium farming experience (53.3%), contact with fertilizer dealer (68.67%), medium to small farm size (88.6%), also having medium to small pineapple farm size (89.5%), and majorities production cost and net return was also low which is (42.6%) and (40.0%) respectively. Major constraints reported by pineapple growers were ineffective extension services, high value or unavailability of agrochemicals, infestation of Bengal Monitors in mature fruit, high value or unavailability of labor and so on. Effective extension services, establishment of farmers' association with processing company, making pineapple processing factory, provide training in processing to local small entrepreneurs were some of the major suggestions by the pineapple growers. Multiple regression analysis result indicated that respondents’ education, farm size, pineapple farm size and total income were the contributing factors that influenced their problem facing. These findings will be helpful to the policy maker for developing a sustainable framework and relevant guidelines for increasing pineapple production in Bangladesh.

Acceptability of nutritious children’s foods developed for markets in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has one of the highest levels of malnutrition and child mortality worldwide due, in part, to the micronutrient deficiencies that result from a lack of diet diversity and food accessibility. To address these challenges, nutrient-dense, affordable snack foods are being developed for children in Sierra Leone. The products in development are similar to foods that are currently eaten in the region, such that they could easily be integrated into children’s diets. The two lead products are a groundnut butter pudding for children six months to two years of age and a sweet potato based muffin for children two to five years of age. The objectives of this study are (1) to determine the dietary habits of children in Sierra Leone between six months and five years of age, and (2) to perform acceptability testing with the pudding and the muffins. In total, 428 mother-child pairs participated in the study, which was performed in 2019 in multiple locations in the vicinity of Makeni, Sierra Leone. The mothers reported that the most common snacks for children six months to two years of age were porridge and rice, while the most common snacks for two to five year olds were rice and biscuits. These findings confirmed that the pudding and muffins would be familiar and appealing to young children. Moreover, the test results demonstrated that both the pudding and the muffins were acceptable in terms of taste and texture. Based upon these findings, the best formulations were selected, then further modified to reach the target levels of each micronutrient (vitamin A, iron, and zinc) in a single serving size. The estimated cost of each product is 1500 leones ($0.15 USD), making it affordable for Sierra Leoneans. Future steps are to collaborate with local entrepreneurs to sell these products in the markets where people normally shop. This study was approved by the District Medical Officer of Health in Sierra Leone and performed in collaboration with World Hope International, an NGO with a facility in Makeni, Sierra Leone. Key words: acceptability testing, malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, nutrition, sensory testing, Sierra Leone

The The Effect of Current Ratio and Debt to Equity Ratio on Company Value with Return on Asset as Intervening Variable in Food and Beverage Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for Period 2017-2020

The food and beverage sector is a sector that is in great demand by investors, considering that business developments in this sector continue to experience significant growth, which is the main attraction for local and foreign entrepreneurs to invest in this sector. The rapid development of the food and beverage sector will make companies compete with each other in order to maintain and increase company value. This effort is certainly a problem for the company, because it relates to the funds that will be used. The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the effect of the current ratio and debt to equity ratio on firm value through return on assets. The method used in this research is quantitative research, and the nature of the research is explanatory. The data collection technique used is documentation. The types and sources of data are secondary data in the form of financial statements of companies in the food and beverage sector published by the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2017-2020. The research data was tested using Partial Least Square (Software Smart PLS). the conclusion of this study is that the current ratio and debt to equity ratio have no effect on company value. Return on assets is not able to mediate the effect of the current ratio on company value. Return on assets is able to mediate the effect of debt to equity ratio on company value.

Identification of Zingiberaceae as Useful Plant by Bidayuh Bau in Mount Sejinjang Singai and Mount Jagoi Bau, Sarawak

The Zingiberaceae is a ginger family, consists of perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes. It is comprised of about 53 genera and more than 1500 species that are distributed throughout Asia and more than 1200 species mostly growing in tropical forests. Borneo itself have more than 250 species of gingers in 19 genera. Sarawak has 141 species in 18 genera. Zingiberaceae is well known as gingers family with abundant numbers of spices widely used in Borneo, because of their unique flavors, ornamental and the medicinal values. The extracts of Zingiberaceae rhizome contain many essentials oils, including terpenes, alcohols, ketones, flavonoids, and phytoestrogens that use as medicine. Zingiberaceae grow vigorously in a wide range of habitats ranging from riverine to the mineral area, from lowland to the upper mountain regions. The utilization of Zingiberaceae as food, traditional medicine, spice, condiment, dye and flavour had been practiced by Bidayuh Singai and Jagoi in generation. Mount Sejinjang Singai was an old village own by Bidayuh Singai and Mount Jagoi was an old village own by Bidayuh Jagoi. Both villages have moved to new villages surrounding of each mountain area. They still practice the medicinal use of Zingiberaceae and some species are cultivated such as Zingiber officinale, Zingiber officinale var rubrum, Curcuma xanthorhiza, Curcuma domestica, Kaempferia galanga and Zingiber cassumunar. They mainly use for medicinal purposes as it can cure many diseases traditionally. These species are also sold in Bau local market by the local Bidayuh entrepreneur and digital online selling platform, Timogah.com.

Fashion Brand Involvement and Hedonic Consumption Antecedents in a Fast Expanding Market

The observed intense competitive fashion market and the fragmented knowledge in fashion involvement which is largely skewed towards utilitarian dimension have combined to trigger this study. Accordingly, this paper seeks to unravel hedonic antecedents of fashion involvement and consumption in a fast-expanding market of a typical developing sub-Saharan African country context; and to posit a framework to guide private brand fashion consumer research in fast-expanding markets from developing country context. Data were collected through the aid of structured questionnaire from fashion consumers in top fashion outlets in Lagos metropolis. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique was deployed to process data regarding hypothesized causal relationships using SmartPLS 2.0 software. Support was found for three hedonic drivers and support was not for one. Fashion belief was found as strong mediator between fashion involvement and fashion consumption. The study develops a theory that reflects hedonic drivers of fashion involvement by providing strategic insights for local fashion brand entrepreneurs, especially as they compete with established global brands. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings were discussed.

Local Knowledge and Epistemic Authority in Entrepreneurial Journalism

This article contributes to broadening the understanding of journalistic authority by focusing on the example of local journalism startups in the UK, on the basis of in-depth interviews. The research suggests that for local journalism entrepreneurs, the establishment and maintenance of journalistic authority relies heavily on claims to knowledge of the local context and relationships of co-presence with the local community. As such, the epistemic foundations of the authority of local journalism entrepreneurs are particular to this form of journalistic practice, and closely linked to distinctive self-understandings. For these journalists, the relationship to the local is premised on a strong affective attachment to the material spaces of their communities, and the relationships and networks they have built within them. The paper proposes that the authority of local journalism entrepreneurs is premised on their witnessing in the context of co-presence. The long-standing presence of these journalists, and their resulting visibility and accountability, form the basis for the trust vested in them by their communities.

Foreign Direct Investment, Public Sector Venality and Entrepreneurship Development in Developing Countries

This paper evaluates the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and entrepreneurship development in developing countries. The paper also analyses the intervening effect of public sector venality and the foreign direct investment effect on developing entrepreneurship in developing countries. The paper applied a quantitative research method. Secondary data collection covered four years (2016-2019). Data related to FDI were collected from the World Bank database; data for public sector corruption were collected from the Transparency International Corruption Index, and data related to entrepreneurship development were collected from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) reports. The sample consisted of nine developing countries which resulted in 36 observations. Data were analysed with the application of fixed effect regression. The results showed that foreign direct investment significantly affects entrepreneurship development in developing countries and that public sector venality negatively affects entrepreneurship development. The practical significance of these findings includes the need for developing countries to place pragmatic emphasis on the continuous attraction of foreign direct investment to accelerate the positive spill-over effect of foreign direct investment on local entrepreneurs, which comes with skills and technology advantages – amongst others. There is a dire need for governments in developing countries to rethink their approach toward eradicating public sector venality, which this research has confirmed as inimical to the nurturing and development of local entrepreneurship. This paper recommends an agenda for further research to explore the current model by including more samples and more time series in future analysis models.

Microfinance Companies on Entrepreneurship Development in Nepal

This is survey based article. It is conducted with different microfinances institutions (MFIs) that branches are located in Bharatpur, Chitwan and Gaidakot, Nawalparasi. Respondents are 120 micro-entrepreneurs and 20 employees of the same MFIs are taken as respondents. Data and information are collected through questionnaires and interview. The questionnaires are distributed among the 120 sample micro-entrepreneurs and 20 employees of MFIs. The relationship between MFIs and entrepreneurships are analyzed through the use of chi square test. The article concluded that MFIs play significant role in enhance micro-enterprises operation. The study concluded that there are various barriers impede entrepreneurs’ development. The major challenges involve negligence of government for the entrepreneurship development and lack of finance for the proper development of the enterprises. Poor financial literacy, poor management of market area and the lack of infrastructure development are also the challenges. Other factors that hindered enterprises growth that was cited by entrepreneurs: Interest rates charged are too high, rigid payment period; local market is not well diversified, high competition among the local entrepreneurs, no support from the local municipality. Despite the various problems and challenges, MFIs have a positive impact on the entrepreneurship development in overall study.

Collaboration on Urban Regeneration: Perspectives Towards Transit-Oriented Development Between Local Entrepreneurs and Key Stakeholders in Salaya Sub-District, Thailand

This study focuses on the future changes to the urban form around the Salaya railway station, which will be developed as a terminal station of the Bangkok metro service. The purpose is to investigate stakeholder attitudes to the transit-oriented development (TOD) approach to the station premises. The attitudes of local businesses and key stakeholders to joint programs on infrastructure development and the surrounding area are identified as local businesses encouraging the collaborative urban regeneration program. The approach uses scenarios as a tool for participatory planning to help identify future applications, including a workshop in two parts. The first part was conducted using group interviews with local entrepreneurs to raise the idea of the collaborative urban regeneration program. The second part was an evaluation of the program by the three key stakeholder groups: municipality, railway operators, and real estate investors. The scenarios evaluated by the key stakeholders indicate the different attitudes to the collaborative urban regeneration program depending on the role of each stakeholder. The collaborative program developed by local entrepreneurs can be classified by economic and physical factors. The findings suggest a common aspect for future collaboration in marketing strategies, such as advertising representing localness, as both local entrepreneurs and key stakeholders mostly agreed on the program. Disagreement on collaborative urban regeneration depends more on the specific role of the company or organization.

Restoring Pasts and Enriching Futures in Albania

Complaints about the uncertainty and instability of everyday life often emanate from mainstream Albanian society, but a small number of local social entrepreneurs are seeking to overcome this prevailing thought matrix. In postulating their entrepreneurial tactics and goals, they see the mobilisation and transformation of the passive mindset (mentaliteti) of the majority of Albanians as the core prerequisite for their own economic success, as well as general well-being in the country. The paper explores mentaliteti and how it relates to entrepreneurial subjectivities, tactics, and plans. In their aim to mobilize the predominant mentaliteti, local entrepreneurs aspire to revitalize certain traditional moral norms such as responsibility. They do this by redeploying already familiar structural processes like remittances that have been important to the country's history and economy. Through their entrepreneurial plans and endeavors, this small group of individuals aims to bring back and remit specific, once important, ethical and moral values to ensure a better future for all. Both entrepreneurship and remittances are important drivers of economic and social enrichment and general prosperity in Albania today and in the future.