Submitted by Anna-Katharina Lenz (anna.lenz@fgvmail.br) on 2018-02-06T17:48:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PHD_THESIS_LENZ.pdf: 4850763 bytes, checksum: a3934582f5eeb8d71db1b0f401811ecc (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2018-02-06T18:33:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 PHD_THESIS_LENZ.pdf: 4850763 bytes, checksum: a3934582f5eeb8d71db1b0f401811ecc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-08T11:34:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PHD_THESIS_LENZ.pdf: 4850763 bytes, checksum: a3934582f5eeb8d71db1b0f401811ecc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-18 / This PhD thesis aspires to contribute to the literature on entrepreneurship and economic development by engaging in the discussion of how to foster formalization of microentrepreneurs in developing countries in the short and long-run and microentpreneurs’ drivers for the acceptance of external learning activities. How can we increase formalization of microentrepreneurs? (Paper 1) I address the first question in the paper “Nudging into Budging” in which I conduct a Randomized Field Experiment in one of the major Favelas in Rio de Janeiro. While missing information about the existence of the MEI program and it’s features might be a plausible reason for low take-up, I hypothesize that information alone is not enough to move a large number of microentrepreneurs to take-up due to attention biases. To test this hypothesis, the intervention makes use of additional nudges to remind people in cellphone messages about the content of the information session. My results show that neither an information session nor text messages alone can increase take-up, but that the combination of both increases formalization by seven percent. The results suggest that combining information with behavioral nudges in order to induce the take-up of a public policy program can be a cost-efficient approach. How can we increase microentrepreneurs tax and social security payments? (Paper 2) The paper “Take the wind out or hoist the sails? Heterogeneous treatment effects of a behavioral intervention on small entrepreneurs” addresses my second research question. I hypothesize that public policy intervention can be fruitful and cost-efficient in increasing payments if they account for individual pre-performance trends. For this purpose, I study the payment of microentrepreneurs contributions in Brazil before and after a nationwide intervention in which bills were sent in a booklet for one calendar year to all formalized microentrepreneurs’ households. My results show that the policy intervention works well for microentrepreneurs with irregular payment histories in the first half year after formalizing, but that the intervention has a negative effect on those microentrepreneurs with flawless payment history in this period. In the light of increasing public policy initiative that try to “nudge” people into desired behavior, the paper contributes to the literature by emphasizing the need to account for heterogeneity in behavioral interventions. What explains the take-up of business support programs by microentrepreneurs? (Paper 3) I conclude this PhD thesis with the paper “Distress calls for help: The effect of a business crisis on the take-up of business support services by microentrepreneurs”, in which I hypothesize that microentrepreneurs may be more inclined to take-up training in moments of distress. I study an individual-level longitudinal dataset of monthly tax payments of microentrepreneurs who procure business support services and those who do not. My results show that microentrepreneurs are particularly prone to the take-up of business support services if they undergo a critical business situation represented by a decline in tax payment and in credit scores.

L'entrepreneur, grand absent du paysage économique pendant une grande partie du vingtième siècle, est de retour. Le profil de l'entrepreneur contemporain est étroitement lié aux caractéristiques de l'individu hypermoderne : un sujet mobile, qui exige sa liberté, qui construit ses propres réseaux, qui a ses propres aspirations. La motivation dans l'acte entrepreneurial n'est pas uniquement le profit, elle peut varier entre la recherche d'épanouissement, et la création de son propre emploi. Les dispositifs d'accompagnement à la création d'entreprise se sont multipliés et l'enseignement de l'entrepreneuriat est devenu une priorité. L'objectif de cette recherche est l'étude du processus d'apprentissage de l'entrepreneuriat dans une approche biographique, mettant l'accent sur les apprentissages informels. Le groupe des entrepreneurs n'étant pas une catégorie sociale homogène, l'échantillon a été construit à partir d'un seul domaine d'activité, la cosmétique biologique. La recherche repose sur l'étude de récits de vie de six entrepreneurs spécialisés dans ce secteur. Cette étude met en évidence trois types de phénomènes qui apportent un éclairage sur le processus d'apprentissage de l'entrepreneuriat : des phénomènes spécifiques au monde de la cosmétique biologique, des phénomènes communs à tous les entrepreneurs mais qui prennent une forme différente en fonction de l'histoire personnelle de celui-ci, et des phénomènes spécifiques à chaque entrepreneur, qui montrent l'influence biographique sur la manière d'entreprendre. Cette thèse ouvre, en conclusion, des perspectives sur l'utilisation des histoires de vie comme méthode de soutien à la création d'entreprise. / The entrepreneur, who has been missing from the economic landscape for the majority of the twentieth century, is back. The profile of the contemporary entrepreneur is closely linked to the characteristics of the hypermodern individual : a mobile person demanding their freedom, and constructing their own network, with their own ambitions. The motivation behind the creation of a business is not only making profit; it can vary from the pursuit of personal fulfilment to the necessary creation of one’s own job. Mechanisms to support setting up new businesses have proliferated, and teaching entrepreneurship nowadays has become a priority.The goal of this research is to study the entrepreneurial learning process within a biographical approach, stressing informal learning. As the entrepreneurs do not form a homogenous social category, the sample was created from one activity domain : organic cosmetics. This research is based on the study of life-stories of six entrepreneurs specialising in this domain. This study shows three types of phenomena, shedding light on the entrepreneurial learning process: phenomena that are specific to the biological cosmetics domain, phenomena shared by all entrepreneurs but taking different shapes according to their personal story, and phenomena specific to each entrepreneur showing the biographical influence on the learning method. This thesis opens new perspectives on the possible uses of accounts of life as a method to assist in setting up new businesses.

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Enligt läroplanen för gymnasieskolan (Skolverket, 2011a) ses entreprenöriella förmågor och kompetenser som vägen framåt för att förbereda eleverna för de utmaningar som finns i dagens samhälle. Det utvecklar deras kreativitet, förmåga att ta initiativ och ansvar, samt stimulerar motivationen och engagemanget hos dem. Studien undersökte vilka arbetssätt och förhållningssätt tekniklärare har gällande undervisning i entreprenörskap och entreprenöriellt lärande i teknikämnet på gymnasiet för att främja dessa entreprenöriella förmågor hos eleverna. Samt vilka hinder lärare upplever och vilka resurser som krävs. Enkäter skickades till tekniklärare på gymnasieskolor för att undersöka detta. Det framkom att den otydliga definitionen av begreppet entreprenörskap har lett till olika tolkningar som i sin tur lett till olika implementeringar. Lärarnas tolkning av entreprenörskap kunde delas in till tre förhållningssätt: utvecklande av företagande som i huvudsak sker genom företagsstarter/Ungföretagsamhet, utvecklandet av designtänkandet i värdeskapande syfte som i huvudsak sker genom projektbaserade uppdrag och slutligen utvecklande av entreprenöriella förmågor genom traditionell undervisning som i huvudsak utgår från läroboken, lärarnas genomgångar samt skriftliga och muntliga övningar. I studien framkom tydliga hinder som begränsar implementeringen av entreprenöriellt lärande i undervisningen såsom brist på tid, utrustning, lokaler, läromedel samt brist på kontakter med näringslivet för att kunna skapa verklighetsbaserade arbetsuppgifter som stödjer elevers lärande och ökar deras motivation. Dessutom lyfter studien fram att det krävs förändrat tänkande kring skolans kultur och struktur, som till exempel mer stöd från skolledningen, kollegiala samarbeten, anpassad utrustning och lokaler. Lärarna behöver även en tydlig definition av begreppen entreprenörskap och entreprenöriellt lärande,djupa ämnes- och didaktiska kunskaper, gott ledarskap och tillräckligt med tid, för att entreprenöriellt lärande ska vara framträdande och genomsyra teknikundervisningen i samtliga gymnasieskolor. / According to the national Swedish curriculum for upper secondary school (Skolverket, 2011a), entrepreneurial abilities and competencies are seen as the way forward to prepare students for the challenges that exist in today's society, it develops their abilities to take initiative and responsibility, and stimulates their motivation and commitment. The study investigated the teacher's teaching methods and their attitudes regarding teaching entrepreneurial education in the technology program in upper secondary school in order to stimulate these entrepreneurial abilities in students, as well as what obstacles teachers experienced and what resources are required. Questionnaires were sent to technology teachers in high schools to investigate this. It emerged that the unclear definition of the concept of entrepreneurship has led to different interpretations which, in turn, have led to different implementations. The teachers' interpretation of entrepreneurship could be divided into three approaches: development of entrepreneurship that mainly takes place through business start-ups / Young Enterprise (UF) concept, development of design thinking for value-creating purposes that mainly takes place through project-based assignments and finally development of entrepreneurial skills through traditional teaching from the textbook, the teachers' reviews and written and oral exercises. The study revealed clear obstacles that limit the implementation of entrepreneurial learning in today's teaching such as lack of time, equipment, facilities, teaching materials and lack of contacts with businesses to be able to create reality-based tasks that support students' learning and increase their motivation. In addition, the study highlights that a change in thinking about the school's culture and structure is required, such as more support from the school management, collegial collaborations, adapted equipment and premises. Teachers also need a clear definition of the concepts of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial learning, deep subject and didactic knowledge, good leadership and sufficient time for entrepreneurial learning to be prominent and permeate technology teaching in all upper secondary schools.

In order to introduce innovations successfully in a company is vital to have a continuous process of learning and knowledge creation, and in small and medium-sized companies this learning process is centered on the entrepreneur´s character. In service companies, particularly those belonging to the tourism segment, the use of innovations is an essential condition for survival, and besides seasonality that characterizes tourism services, the segment faces a highly unstable environment, with customers looking for differentiated services more and more. Hence, the present study identified the types of innovation used by small and medium-sized tourism companies in Aracaju and analyzed how entrepreneurs learn to innovate. To achieve this goal, a conceptual model was built based on the type of innovation used by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2005), according to Larsson´s interorganizational learning concept et al. (1998), learning type adopted by Conlon (2004) and Nonaka´s and Takeuchi´s learning dimension models (1997), Rae and Carswell (2000) and Politis (2005). The research strategy adopted was to study multiple cases and eight cases concerning small and medium-sized hotels/inns and travel agencies in Aracaju city. To collect data, we used a semistructured interview guide, applied personally to the owners of the hotels / inns and travel agencies. In addition, in order to ensure the quality of the study, we also used the techniques of document analysis and direct observation. From the data analysis it was possible to verify that the surveyed companies are trying to innovate in different ways, and the implemented innovations include the four types of innovation defined by the OECD (2005): service innovations, process, organizational and marketing. Concerning the influence of the entrepreneurial learning for introducing these innovations, it was found that the entrepreneurs undergo a continuous learning process to innovate, and this learning occurs both as individual and from established relationships with other individuals (group learning) or institutions (interorganizational learning) being individual learning the one that occurs through observation and practical experience of the entrepreneur, highlighted as a major form of learning for innovation. / Para que as inovações sejam introduzidas com sucesso em uma empresa é fundamental que haja um processo contínuo de aprendizagem e geração de conhecimento, sendo que nas pequenas e médias empresas esse processo de aprendizagem está centrado na figura do empreendedor. Nas empresas de serviço, particularmente as que pertencem ao segmento turístico, a adoção de inovações é uma condição essencial para sobrevivência, pois além da sazonalidade que caracteriza os serviços turísticos, o segmento enfrenta um ambiente altamente instável, com clientes que buscam cada vez mais serviços diferenciados. Diante disto, o presente trabalho buscou identificar os tipos de inovação adotados pelas empresas turísticas de pequeno e médio porte da cidade de Aracaju e analisar como os empreendedores aprendem a inovar. Para alcançar esse objetivo, foi construído um modelo conceitual baseado na tipologia de inovação adotada pela Organização para a Cooperação e o Desenvolvimento Econômico (OCDE, 2005), no conceito de aprendizagem interorganizacional de Larsson et al. (1998), na tipologia de aprendizagem adotada por Conlon (2004) e nas dimensões dos modelos de aprendizagem de Nonaka e Takeuchi (1997), Rae e Carswell (2000) e Politis (2005). A estratégia de pesquisa adotada foi a de estudo de casos múltiplos e foram analisados oito casos de hotéis/pousadas e agências de viagem de pequeno e médio porte localizados na cidade de Aracaju. Para coletar os dados, foi utilizado um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturado, aplicado pessoalmente aos proprietários dos hotéis/pousadas e agências de viagem. De forma adicional, visando garantir a qualidade do estudo, foram também utilizadas as técnicas de análise documental e de observação direta. A partir da análise dos dados foi possível verificar que as empresas pesquisadas estão buscando inovar de diversas formas, e as inovações implementadas incluem os quatro tipos de inovação definidos pela OCDE (2005): inovações de serviço, processo, organizacionais e de marketing. No que se refere a influência da aprendizagem empreendedora para introdução destas inovações, verificou-se que os empreendedores passam por um processo contínuo de aprendizagem para inovar, e este aprendizado ocorre tanto individualmente, como a partir dos relacionamentos estabelecidos com outros indivíduos (aprendizagem grupal) ou instituições (aprendizado interorganizacional), sendo a aprendizagem individual, que ocorre através da observação e das experiências práticas do empreendedor, destacada como uma das principais formas de aprendizado para inovação.

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Studiens syfte är att bidra till en ökad förståelse för hur de entreprenöriella förmågorna kreativitet, nyfikenhet, initiativtagande, relationsskapande, samarbete och kommunikation kan framträda under planerade aktiviteter på fritidshemmet. På två olika fritidshemsavdelningar iscensätts tre olika aktiviteter som vidareutvecklas utifrån elever och lärares olika intressen. Med stöd av en cyklisk process inspirerad av aktionsforskning, utvecklas den egna professionella praktiken genom att genomföra aktiviteter, reflektera över resultat, applicera förändringar och genomföra igen.  Resultatet av genomförda aktiviteter visar att elever är naturliga entreprenörer och när tillfälle ges av lärare, visar elever en mängd tecken på ovannämnda förmågor som forskare skulle definiera som entreprenöriella. / The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of how the entrepreneurial abilities, creativity, curiosity, initiative, relation-building, cooperation and communication can appear during planned activities during the extended school leisure time center. Three different activities are staged at two different leisure time centers, these activities can develop futher by the varied interests of the pupils and teachers. Supported by the cyclical process insired by action-research the professional practice is developed through implementing activities, reflect the results, applicate changes and re-implement. The results of the implemented activities show the pupils are natural entrepreneurs and when opportunity is given by the teachers can exhibit a number of the forementioned abilities that scientists would define as entrepreneurial.

The aim of this study is to gain more in-depth knowledge into what Swedish upper secondary school students perceive they learn, and the factors that students perceive affect learning, when they start and run mini-companies within the Junior Achievement Company Program.  The data is comprised of interviews with eleven students each of whom ran a mini-company with other students. Situated learning theory, experiential learning theory and theoretical concepts on reflection in learning were used to analyze and further understand the data. The results reveal that the students talk about, and appear to convey, equal importance upon learning general skills as learning business skills when doing their mini-companies. Students describe using general skills they improved while running their mini-companies in other school activities and non-school activities leading to better performance in these activities. Doing business activities triggers learning and provides students with an opportunity to further develop, and learn multiple aspects, of skills. Students identify many factors, such as time, autonomy, assessment, and deadlines, which they associate with their mini-companies. On the whole, they say these factors have a positive effect on learning both business and general skills, however some factors can also inhibit learning. An analysis of all the factors students identified reveals that they originate, or are influenced by, multiple contexts such as school, the Swedish Junior Achievement organization, and the business environment. Together these factors can be said to create a special school community of practice for their mini-company project. Students point out significant differences between their mini-company project, and other school projects they have previously done, thus providing valuable insight into the importance of project design in relation to learning skills and possible pedagogical implications regarding learning general skills in other school projects. / This thesis strives to gain further knowledge and understanding into what Swedish upper secondary students perceive they learn, and how they learn, when starting and running Junior Achievement mini-companies. The data is comprised of interviews with eleven students each of whom ran a mini-company with other students. Situated learning theory, experiential learning theory and theoretical concepts on reflection on learning were used to analyze and further understand the data. The results reveal that students talk about, and appear to convey, equal importance upon learning general and business skills. General skills students improved when doing mini-companies can benefit other school and non-school activities. Students perceive that learning is not only triggered by the business tasks they do, but is also influenced by a multitude of factors such as time, autonomy, assessment, and deadlines that affect what, and how they learn. Overall, students perceive factors that they associate with the mini-company project have a positive effect on learning skills, however some can also inhibit learning. Students point out many differences between the mini-company project and other school projects providing valuable insight into the importance of project design in relation to learning skills.

A dynamic movement known as wealth creation education attracts many thousands of people seeking education for the vocation of an entrepreneur in the UK. Entrepreneurship education in these collectives includes venturing know-how but also co-constructs existential meaning and purpose for adherents, a role traditionally fulfilled by religion. This emergent sectarian movement is identified as wealth creationism. Led by charismatic entrepreneurs this newly identified research domain represents rich opportunities to study entrepreneurs in naturally arising settings, but has been neglected and understudied. While publicly subsidised educational support for small-business owners has suffered from low uptake, this study provides new knowledge about the kind of education that is engaged with in large numbers, despite being more expensive. This inquiry critically examines the attraction of these educational collectives and evaluates the social processes of eight wealth creation education providers in England. Teaching content and methods were also investigated. This qualitative study takes an interpreted approach through a social constructionism perspective. Using grounded theory methodology the providers were initially researched through participative observation in the educational settings followed by theoretically sampling data with various collection methods. Interdisciplinary theories, including the sociology of religion, accounted for findings, which were analysed at the meso-group level. The movement teaches entrepreneurship know-how and 'mindset' - ways of thinking and being. Insulating directives of behaviour and the construction of stigmatised out-groups maintain social boundaries. Employing similar narrative features and resources as religious sects, the socially constructed co-extensive nomos and cosmos privileges esoteric knowledge and is closely identified with modern Gnosticism. Participants do not acknowledge religious interpretations of their activities, yet three North American authors provide plausible canonical works that legitimise the movement. Wealth Creationists display entrepreneurial chauvinism, which equates employment with bondage, viewing the employed as slaves. Adherents choose educators with perceived entrepreneurial credibility to lead them on a purposeful mission for the type of knowledge that promises emancipation. This study is significant for both researchers of entrepreneurs and the sociology of religion. It offers participating entrepreneurs critical insights into the charismatic settings, which can be both enabling and disabling for venturing. This study has implications for academics engaged in outreach to small-business owners who may learn from the marketing tactics of these groups, although academics may still lack perceived credibility. Insights into business group formation will be of interest to business group researchers. A map of educational provision may interest researchers and educators of small and microbusiness owners, and those from the fields of entrepreneurial learning.

The aim of this study is to gain more in-depth knowledge into what Swedish upper secondary school students perceive they learn, and the factors that students perceive affect learning, when they start and run mini-companies within the Junior Achievement Company Program.  The data is comprised of interviews with eleven students each of whom ran a mini-company with other students. Situated learning theory, experiential learning theory and theoretical concepts on reflection in learning were used to analyze and further understand the data. The results reveal that the students talk about, and appear to convey, equal importance upon learning general skills as learning business skills when doing their mini-companies. Students describe using general skills they improved while running their mini-companies in other school activities and non-school activities leading to better performance in these activities. Doing business activities triggers learning and provides students with an opportunity to further develop, and learn multiple aspects, of skills. Students identify many factors, such as time, autonomy, assessment, and deadlines, which they associate with their mini-companies. On the whole, they say these factors have a positive effect on learning both business and general skills, however some factors can also inhibit learning. An analysis of all the factors students identified reveals that they originate, or are influenced by, multiple contexts such as school, the Swedish Junior Achievement organization, and the business environment. Together these factors can be said to create a special school community of practice for their mini-company project. Students point out significant differences between their mini-company project, and other school projects they have previously done, thus providing valuable insight into the importance of project design in relation to learning skills and possible pedagogical implications regarding learning general skills in other school projects. / This thesis strives to gain further knowledge and understanding into what Swedish upper secondary students perceive they learn, and how they learn, when starting and running Junior Achievement mini-companies. The data is comprised of interviews with eleven students each of whom ran a mini-company with other students. Situated learning theory, experiential learning theory and theoretical concepts on reflection on learning were used to analyze and further understand the data. The results reveal that students talk about, and appear to convey, equal importance upon learning general and business skills. General skills students improved when doing mini-companies can benefit other school and non-school activities. Students perceive that learning is not only triggered by the business tasks they do, but is also influenced by a multitude of factors such as time, autonomy, assessment, and deadlines that affect what, and how they learn. Overall, students perceive factors that they associate with the mini-company project have a positive effect on learning skills, however some can also inhibit learning. Students point out many differences between the mini-company project and other school projects providing valuable insight into the importance of project design in relation to learning skills.