The primary objective of this thesis was to develop knowledge and understanding about how traditional resources can be used for entrepreneurship and economic development. This was accomplished by systematically studying how the Canadian Inuit, Swedish Sámi and other indigenous people use Rangifer tarandus for enterprise. The Inuit and Sámi are indigenous circumpolar people living in Canada and Northern Europe for more than 4000 years. Rangifer tarandus known as caribou or tuktu by the Canadian Inuit and reindeer by the Sámi has been a key resource for survival. A literature review was conducted relating 1) to Canadian Inuit, Swedish Sámi and other selected circumpolar indigenous people use of caribou or reindeer for enterprise, and 2) indigenous entrepreneurship, particularly from traditional resources, and how this is affected by context and culture. Research methods included descriptive exploratory comparative cases, participative observation, snowball sampling as well as indigenous research methods. Five field sites were visited: Rankin Inlet and Coral Harbour in Nunavut; Inukjuak in Nunavik, Quebec; Happy Valley-Goose Bay/ North West River in Labrador; and Jokkmokk, in Northern Sweden. The thesis explored: 1) Why are the Inuit hunters of caribou and the Sámi herders of reindeer? 2) What were the products and value-added processing? 3) Why have the Sámi successfully sold their meat and products in the international market while the Inuit have only recently begun to do so? 4) How has their culture and traditional knowledge affected the entrepreneurship including innovation and opportunity recognition? 5) What barriers have they faced and how have these been overcome? 6) How have they measured the success of their enterprises? 7) What can they learn from each other? The findings indicated the Inuit and Sámi uses of caribou and reindeer for enterprise were very different. Context and culture were extremely important. Indigenous people living at similar latitudes and making use of a similar species had very different trajectories and outcomes in indigenous economic development and entrepreneurship from Rangifer tarandus. Themes such as resource availability, cultural propensity, remoteness and geographic location, kinship and social capital, infrastructure, measures of success, indigenous knowledge and wisdom, and innovation and adaptation were important. This work made a significant contribution as little consideration had been given to the voice and perspectives of the Canadian Inuit and Swedish Sámi in the emerging field of indigenous entrepreneurship especially as it relates to traditional resources and practices. It also helped to identify other potential commercial uses of caribou thus it provided more potential value added from the commercial harvesting and processing. These opportunities could assist in increasing Inuit employment, income, self-reliance, and community esteem. The research findings have implications for 1) the field of indigenous entrepreneurship, 2) policy makers, and 3) indigenous entrepreneurship education. It provides international comparisons of two indigenous peoples using a similar species and focused on the use of traditional resources and culture as a basis for business creation and operation.

This PhD research project views and examines the socio-economic environment of the urban Indigenous Australian entrepreneur. The proposed research project explores Indigenous entrepreneurs. As they experience enlightenment, empowerment and emancipation through success in business, do they identify less with Indigenous culture and more with the Anglo-European values of the dominant Australian or American culture? Do successful Indigenous entrepreneurs, in effect, need to take on or adopt values of the dominant Anglo-European culture to remain successful in business? Are there impediments/inhibitors existing that restrict business growth and subsequent success to the Indigenous entrepreneur? From case study analysis and literature review, is the Indigenous entrepreneur different in comparison with the non-indigenous entrepreneur? Does entrepreneurship free the Indigenous business person from the welfare system? These are the questions that this research attempts to answer. The project involved a case study analysis of twenty five contemporary urban Indigenous Australian entrepreneurs geographically spread from Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns and a few major regional centres. The Hawaiian study was similar with twenty five case studies from the major urban centres on the islands of Oahu, Molokai, Kauai, Hawaii and Maui. The Hawaiian study also included a control study of sixteen non-Hawaiian minority entrepreneurs to ensure that the Hawaiian findings were objective. Indigenous Standpoint theory was applied together with a Grounded theory approach to ensure that the research was based in an Indigenous epistemological approach to knowledge. Constant comparative coding was used to ensure the qualitative data was analysed using a semi structured format. The outcomes of the study provide a rich insight into the world of minority entrepreneurs who operate within post-colonial cultures of western dominance and negative stereotypes that have created welfare dependant societies. In summary the outcomes identify that the intrinsic motivator for Indigenous entrepreneurs is to provide for their family, to give their children a better life than what they experienced, and to escape the entrapments of poverty. Racism and discrimination combined with lack of capital and access to micro-credit were seen as the major inhibitors to business success. The Indigenous entrepreneurs are struggling to cast off the shackles of welfare, to no longer be at the mercy of successive government programmes. The study results indicate that success in small enterprise undertakings by Indigenous entrepreneurs is a move up from self management, success in entrepreneurial activity is self-determination for those entrepreneurs. The end result is one of micro-economic reform within the Indigenous families who benefit from the success in small business enterprise and entrepreneurial activity. Indigenous values in Hawaii were maintained with a strong connection to land and language, whether it be spoken or not by the entrepreneur. It was the values attached to language that included a strong work ethic, maturity and respect that were seen to be dominant issues. Within Indigenous Australia the result of genocide inflicted on successive Indigenous generations has not destroyed Indigenous Australian culture altogether. Strong views remain concerning protocol and ethics, what has evolved are contemporary Indigenous values that allow the Indigenous Australian to maintain cultural standards revolving around kinship in contemporary Australia.

This PhD research project views and examines the socio-economic environment of the urban Indigenous Australian entrepreneur. The proposed research project explores Indigenous entrepreneurs. As they experience enlightenment, empowerment and emancipation through success in business, do they identify less with Indigenous culture and more with the Anglo-European values of the dominant Australian or American culture? Do successful Indigenous entrepreneurs, in effect, need to take on or adopt values of the dominant Anglo-European culture to remain successful in business? Are there impediments/inhibitors existing that restrict business growth and subsequent success to the Indigenous entrepreneur? From case study analysis and literature review, is the Indigenous entrepreneur different in comparison with the non-indigenous entrepreneur? Does entrepreneurship free the Indigenous business person from the welfare system? These are the questions that this research attempts to answer. The project involved a case study analysis of twenty five contemporary urban Indigenous Australian entrepreneurs geographically spread from Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns and a few major regional centres. The Hawaiian study was similar with twenty five case studies from the major urban centres on the islands of Oahu, Molokai, Kauai, Hawaii and Maui. The Hawaiian study also included a control study of sixteen non-Hawaiian minority entrepreneurs to ensure that the Hawaiian findings were objective. Indigenous Standpoint theory was applied together with a Grounded theory approach to ensure that the research was based in an Indigenous epistemological approach to knowledge. Constant comparative coding was used to ensure the qualitative data was analysed using a semi structured format. The outcomes of the study provide a rich insight into the world of minority entrepreneurs who operate within post-colonial cultures of western dominance and negative stereotypes that have created welfare dependant societies. In summary the outcomes identify that the intrinsic motivator for Indigenous entrepreneurs is to provide for their family, to give their children a better life than what they experienced, and to escape the entrapments of poverty. Racism and discrimination combined with lack of capital and access to micro-credit were seen as the major inhibitors to business success. The Indigenous entrepreneurs are struggling to cast off the shackles of welfare, to no longer be at the mercy of successive government programmes. The study results indicate that success in small enterprise undertakings by Indigenous entrepreneurs is a move up from self management, success in entrepreneurial activity is self-determination for those entrepreneurs. The end result is one of micro-economic reform within the Indigenous families who benefit from the success in small business enterprise and entrepreneurial activity. Indigenous values in Hawaii were maintained with a strong connection to land and language, whether it be spoken or not by the entrepreneur. It was the values attached to language that included a strong work ethic, maturity and respect that were seen to be dominant issues. Within Indigenous Australia the result of genocide inflicted on successive Indigenous generations has not destroyed Indigenous Australian culture altogether. Strong views remain concerning protocol and ethics, what has evolved are contemporary Indigenous values that allow the Indigenous Australian to maintain cultural standards revolving around kinship in contemporary Australia.

This study seeks to improve the understanding of Indigenous Enterprise Development (IED) efforts undertaken on communal Indigenous land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Success in enterprise may support the achievement of a range of social, political and economic objectives for Indigenous peoples. The thesis offers a contribution to knowledge and literature on IED by bringing understanding to the meaning of success for Indigenous enterprise, identifying those factors that contribute to its success as well as presenting the barriers that prevent it. This study is the most recent rigorous scholarly work of IED on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. The focus of this research is on Indigenous commercial enterprise development at a communal and individual level. Indigenous enterprise development is said to be different from other forms of enterprise development because of the legal rights of Indigenous peoples and because of particular cultural attributes, such as different perceptions of property rights in the Indigenous context and an emphasis on values like collectivism and sharing. These differences are found to shape notions of success and approaches to development. The research reviews literature in the international and domestic context on Indigenous economic development and Indigenous entrepreneurship. It also draws from internal and external documents of relevant institutions and news sources. These sources and findings are then built upon with fifty six in-depth, face-to-face interviews of selected participants who are experts or opinion leaders on IED in the region. These participants represented a variety of interest groups such as the government, academia, the Indigenous community and businesses from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures in the Northern Territory. This study used a qualitative research approach for data collection and analysis. The researcher utilized a qualitative data analysis method, including the reporting of field notes, preparation of field notes into transcripts, coding of data, display of data, the development of conclusions, and creation of a report. This study identified five categories of barriers to successful enterprise development on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. These barriers are: high levels of conflict and mistrust, socio-cultural norms and values that can work against success, a lack of human capital, a poor institutional framework and economic and structural factors. There were four categories of factors found that support the development of successful Indigenous enterprise: developing business acumen, integrating culture within the enterprise, separating business from community politics and greater independence from government. While definitions of success varied across the region there were common objectives for Indigenous enterprise, such as eliminating welfare dependency and maintaining a link to land. Ultimately, success for Indigenous enterprise was deemed to be business survival, but in ways that are congruent with each Indigenous community?s values. The findings in this research emphasize that certain cultural attributes may act to constrain successful enterprise development, but can be integrated into an enterprise through changes in enterprise structure, or practice, to support successful economic outcomes. The research also emphasizes the importance of institutional settings on human capital and successful enterprise development in the region. This study?s findings can potentially guide and inform further research in this field. The research develops a number of policy recommendations which offer potential support to policymakers in addressing the important social problem of Indigenous disadvantage through enterprise development initiatives. / This study seeks to improve the understanding of Indigenous Enterprise Development (IED) efforts undertaken on communal Indigenous land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Success in enterprise may support the achievement of a range of social, political and economic objectives for Indigenous peoples. The thesis offers a contribution to knowledge and literature on IED by bringing understanding to the meaning of success for Indigenous enterprise, identifying those factors that contribute to its success as well as presenting the barriers that prevent it. This study is the most recent rigorous scholarly work of IED on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008

This study seeks to improve the understanding of Indigenous Enterprise Development (IED) efforts undertaken on communal Indigenous land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Success in enterprise may support the achievement of a range of social, political and economic objectives for Indigenous peoples. The thesis offers a contribution to knowledge and literature on IED by bringing understanding to the meaning of success for Indigenous enterprise, identifying those factors that contribute to its success as well as presenting the barriers that prevent it. This study is the most recent rigorous scholarly work of IED on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. The focus of this research is on Indigenous commercial enterprise development at a communal and individual level. Indigenous enterprise development is said to be different from other forms of enterprise development because of the legal rights of Indigenous peoples and because of particular cultural attributes, such as different perceptions of property rights in the Indigenous context and an emphasis on values like collectivism and sharing. These differences are found to shape notions of success and approaches to development. The research reviews literature in the international and domestic context on Indigenous economic development and Indigenous entrepreneurship. It also draws from internal and external documents of relevant institutions and news sources. These sources and findings are then built upon with fifty six in-depth, face-to-face interviews of selected participants who are experts or opinion leaders on IED in the region. These participants represented a variety of interest groups such as the government, academia, the Indigenous community and businesses from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures in the Northern Territory. This study used a qualitative research approach for data collection and analysis. The researcher utilized a qualitative data analysis method, including the reporting of field notes, preparation of field notes into transcripts, coding of data, display of data, the development of conclusions, and creation of a report. This study identified five categories of barriers to successful enterprise development on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. These barriers are: high levels of conflict and mistrust, socio-cultural norms and values that can work against success, a lack of human capital, a poor institutional framework and economic and structural factors. There were four categories of factors found that support the development of successful Indigenous enterprise: developing business acumen, integrating culture within the enterprise, separating business from community politics and greater independence from government. While definitions of success varied across the region there were common objectives for Indigenous enterprise, such as eliminating welfare dependency and maintaining a link to land. Ultimately, success for Indigenous enterprise was deemed to be business survival, but in ways that are congruent with each Indigenous community?s values. The findings in this research emphasize that certain cultural attributes may act to constrain successful enterprise development, but can be integrated into an enterprise through changes in enterprise structure, or practice, to support successful economic outcomes. The research also emphasizes the importance of institutional settings on human capital and successful enterprise development in the region. This study?s findings can potentially guide and inform further research in this field. The research develops a number of policy recommendations which offer potential support to policymakers in addressing the important social problem of Indigenous disadvantage through enterprise development initiatives. / This study seeks to improve the understanding of Indigenous Enterprise Development (IED) efforts undertaken on communal Indigenous land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Success in enterprise may support the achievement of a range of social, political and economic objectives for Indigenous peoples. The thesis offers a contribution to knowledge and literature on IED by bringing understanding to the meaning of success for Indigenous enterprise, identifying those factors that contribute to its success as well as presenting the barriers that prevent it. This study is the most recent rigorous scholarly work of IED on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008

This study seeks to improve the understanding of Indigenous Enterprise Development (IED) efforts undertaken on communal Indigenous land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Success in enterprise may support the achievement of a range of social, political and economic objectives for Indigenous peoples. The thesis offers a contribution to knowledge and literature on IED by bringing understanding to the meaning of success for Indigenous enterprise, identifying those factors that contribute to its success as well as presenting the barriers that prevent it. This study is the most recent rigorous scholarly work of IED on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. The focus of this research is on Indigenous commercial enterprise development at a communal and individual level. Indigenous enterprise development is said to be different from other forms of enterprise development because of the legal rights of Indigenous peoples and because of particular cultural attributes, such as different perceptions of property rights in the Indigenous context and an emphasis on values like collectivism and sharing. These differences are found to shape notions of success and approaches to development. The research reviews literature in the international and domestic context on Indigenous economic development and Indigenous entrepreneurship. It also draws from internal and external documents of relevant institutions and news sources. These sources and findings are then built upon with fifty six in-depth, face-to-face interviews of selected participants who are experts or opinion leaders on IED in the region. These participants represented a variety of interest groups such as the government, academia, the Indigenous community and businesses from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures in the Northern Territory. This study used a qualitative research approach for data collection and analysis. The researcher utilized a qualitative data analysis method, including the reporting of field notes, preparation of field notes into transcripts, coding of data, display of data, the development of conclusions, and creation of a report. This study identified five categories of barriers to successful enterprise development on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. These barriers are: high levels of conflict and mistrust, socio-cultural norms and values that can work against success, a lack of human capital, a poor institutional framework and economic and structural factors. There were four categories of factors found that support the development of successful Indigenous enterprise: developing business acumen, integrating culture within the enterprise, separating business from community politics and greater independence from government. While definitions of success varied across the region there were common objectives for Indigenous enterprise, such as eliminating welfare dependency and maintaining a link to land. Ultimately, success for Indigenous enterprise was deemed to be business survival, but in ways that are congruent with each Indigenous community?s values. The findings in this research emphasize that certain cultural attributes may act to constrain successful enterprise development, but can be integrated into an enterprise through changes in enterprise structure, or practice, to support successful economic outcomes. The research also emphasizes the importance of institutional settings on human capital and successful enterprise development in the region. This study?s findings can potentially guide and inform further research in this field. The research develops a number of policy recommendations which offer potential support to policymakers in addressing the important social problem of Indigenous disadvantage through enterprise development initiatives. / This study seeks to improve the understanding of Indigenous Enterprise Development (IED) efforts undertaken on communal Indigenous land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Success in enterprise may support the achievement of a range of social, political and economic objectives for Indigenous peoples. The thesis offers a contribution to knowledge and literature on IED by bringing understanding to the meaning of success for Indigenous enterprise, identifying those factors that contribute to its success as well as presenting the barriers that prevent it. This study is the most recent rigorous scholarly work of IED on Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008

Background: Entrepreneurship potential amongst rural Nama youth should be considered a courageous idea to enhance the motivation and development of the community. At independence in 1990, Namibia developed its own economic and youth policies which were drafted in alignment with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which address concerns about the role rural young people, can play in their own communities. Theoretical Background: This paper explores the role of indigenous entrepreneurship as it pertains to development amongst rural youth in Namibia. It considers the cultural context within which entrepreneurship takes place. To identify and understand the cultural context, the study draws upon the theoretical frameworks of Geert Hofstede, specifically his continuum of individualism/collectivism. The need to continually incorporate new aspects whilst consciously maintaining the traditional, reflects a key African concept, that of "Ubuntu" (unmuntu ngumutu ngabantu). Methodology: An empirical investigation of rural youth in Arandis village was conducted. To explore the significance of entrepreneurship, culture and the notion of Ubuntu in Africa, a comprehensive study of stakeholder views at both a community and national level was also carried out. These investigations were guided by questionnaires, in-depth interviews (supported by story-telling), playback national radio interviews, a panel discussion and a review of Namibian policy documents. Analysis of data also explored practical initiatives and possible forms of enterprise which could contribute to the creation of opportunity for youth in Arandis and in Namibia. Findings: The major findings of this thesis are that: entrepreneurship in Namibia is defined by participants and stakeholders as the efforts made by an individual in accumulating the necessary resources to benefit the community; rural young people in Arandis are potential entrepreneurs (illustrated, by the strong passion they showed to be role models in their community and their strong sense of cultural identity).