Abstract
This paper engaged in conceptual discourse on the HOWs and WHYs of promoting entrepreneurship at a grassroots level. Dissemination of a popular entrepreneurial culture in a country is one of the main driving forces of achieving accelerated economic development. The paper mainly focuses on the Horn of Africa (HoA) countries. The discussion deals with what types of capacity a country needs to do to promote grassroots entrepreneurship as an effective tool for faster growth and reduction of poverty. The most effective nation-building process, among others, emanates from establishing entrepreneurship culture nationally particularly at the grassroots level. HoA nations can attain faster economic growth by creating a conducive environment for their predominantly younger population to actively engage in entrepreneurial and innovation activities. This can take place only if capacity building programs in entrepreneurship are initiated. We conceptually identified and clustered the resources and capacities needed to disseminate entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. Furthermore, we proposed an array of conceptual initiatives and action plans for consideration by the HoA nations to accelerate their nation-building process by fostering entrepreneurship and innovation nationwide. Our proposed initiative and action plans are conceptual and subjective to further discussion, adaptation, and improvement to reflect the objective reality of each nation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Abimbola OH, Adekeye OA, Ajayi MP, Idowu AE (2011) Some socio-cultural issues in entrepreneurship development among some groups in Nigeria. IFE PsychologIA 19(2):268–284
Acs ZJ, Audretsch DB (2005) Entrepreneurship and innovation. Discussion papers on entrepreneurship, growth and public policy, 2105
African Development Bank (2013) Annual development effectiveness review, 2013. African Development Bank Publication, Abidjan
African Development Bank (2014) African economic outlook in 2014. African Development Bank Publication, Abidjan
African Development Bank (2015) Support to skills development for employability and entrepreneurship. African Development Bank Publication, Tunis
Ahlin C, Jiang N (2008) Can micro-credit bring development? J Dev Econ 86(1):1–21
Ahmad NH, Halim HA, Zainal SRM (2010) Is entrepreneurial competency the silver bullet for SME success in a developing nation? Int Bus Manag 4(2):67–75
Ahmed A, Nwankwo S (2013) Entrepreneurship development in Africa: an overview. World J Entrep Manag Sustain Dev 9(2/3):82–86
Ali M (2014) Youth unemployment a global security challenge. Harv Int Rev 36(1):13
Ali DAH, Ali AYS (2013) Entrepreneurship development and poverty reduction: empirical survey from Somalia. Am Int J Soc Sci 2(3):108–113
Alvarez SA, Busenitz LW (2001) The entrepreneurship of resource-based theory. J Manag 27(6):755–775
Amit R, Schoemaker PJ (1993) Strategic assets and organizational rent. Strateg Manag J 14(1):33–46
Anthony S (2015) How Singapore became an entrepreneurial hub. Harv Bus Rev, 25 February 2015 issue
Antonites AJ, Nonyane-Mathebula BT (2012) Engineers as entrepreneurs: entrepreneurial orientation of engineers in South Africa. S Afr J Ind Eng 23(1):1–17
Asante SK (2016) Regionalism and Africa’s development: expectations, reality and challenges. Springer Verlag, Berlin
Awogbenle AC, Iwuamadi KC (2010) Youth unemployment: entrepreneurship development program as an intervention mechanism. Afr J Bus Manag 4(6):831–835
Ayre G, Callway R (2013) Governance for sustainable development: a foundation for the future. Babson-Rwanda Entrepreneurship Center Annual Report, Kigali, Center Publication, Earthscan
Barney J (1991) Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Adv Strateg Manag 17:203–227
Barney JB (2001) Is the resource-based ‘view’ a useful perspective for strategic management research? Yes. Acad Manag Rev 26:41–56
Barney J, Wright M, Ketchen DJ (2001) The resource-based view of the firm: ten years after 1991. J Manag 27:625–641
Barney JB, Ketchen DJ Jr, Wright M (2011) The future of resource-based theory: revitalization or decline? J Manag 37(5):1299–1315
Bategeka LN (2012) The role of the state in economic development: employment challenges in Uganda. Economic policy research centre, 20
Blakely EJ, Leigh NG (2013) Planning local economic development. Sage Publication, New York
Brenkert GG (2002) Entrepreneurship, ethics, and the good society. Ruffin Ser Soc Bus Ethics 3:5–43
Brixiova Z, Aragie EA (2010) Unlocking productive entrepreneurship in Ethiopia: which incentives matter? William Davidson institute working paper number 100. University of Michigan Publications, Arbor, MI
Brush CG, Greene PG, Hart MM (2001) From initial idea to unique advantage: the entrepreneurial challenge of constructing a resource base. Acad Manag Exec 15(1):64–78
Busenitz LW, Gómez C, Spencer JW (2000) Country institutional profiles: unlocking entrepreneurial phenomena. Acad Manag J 43(5):994–100
Carree MA, Thurik AR (2010) The impact of entrepreneurship on economic growth. In: Handbook of entrepreneurship research. Springer Verlag, New York, pp 557–594
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2014) World fact book. CIA Publications, Washington DC
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2015) World fact book. CIA Publications, Washington DC
Chen X, Zou H, Wang DT (2009) How do new ventures grow? Firm capabilities, growth strategies and performance. Int J Res Mark 26(4):294–303
Clarysse B, Tartari V, Salter A (2011) The impact of entrepreneurial capacity, experience and organizational support on academic entrepreneurship. Res Policy 40(8):1084–1093
Conner KR, Prahalad CK (1996) A resource-based theory of the firm: knowledge versus opportunism. Organ Sci 7(5):477–501
Corduras A, Levie J, Kelley DJ, Saemundsson RJ, Schott T (2010) Global entrepreneurship monitor special report: a global perspective on entrepreneurship education and training. Babson College-London Business School, Babson Park-London
Dahles H (2008) Entrepreneurship and the legacies of a developmental state: Singapore enterprises venturing across national borders. J Dev Entrep 13(04):485–508
Dalohoun DN, Hall A, Van Mele P (2009) Entrepreneurship as a driver of a ‘self-organizing system of innovation’: the case of NERICA in Benin. Int J Technol Manag Sustain Dev 8(2):87–101. https://doi.org/10.1386/ijtm.8.2.87/
Das TK, Teng BS (2000) A resource-based theory of strategic alliances. J Manag 26(1):31–61
DeJaeghere J, Baxter A (2014) Entrepreneurship education for youth in sub-Saharan Africa: a capabilities approach as an alternative framework to neoliberalism’s individualizing risks. Prog Dev Stud 14(1):61–76
Drucker P (2014) Innovation and entrepreneurship. Routledge Publisher, New York
Dugassa TG (2012a) The impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of business and engineering students in Ethiopia. Afr J Econ Manag Stud 3(2):258–277
Dugassa TG (2012b) The context of entrepreneurship education in Ethiopian universities. Manag Res Rev 35(3):225–244
Eunni RV, Manolova TS (2012) Are the BRIC economies entrepreneur-friendly? An institutional perspective. J Enterp Cult 20(2):171–202
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (2010) Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP). Government Press, Addis Ababa
Ferreira JJ, Azevedo GS, Fernández R (2010) The contribution of resource-based view and entrepreneurial orientation on small firm growth. Cuadernos de Gestión 11(1):95–116
Friedman T (2016) Thank you for being late: an optimist’s guide to thriving in the age of accelerations. Farrar, Straus and Giroux pub, New York
Fukuda-Parr S, Lopes C (eds) (2013) Capacity for development: new solutions to old problems. Routledge Publisher, New York
Gatewood EJ, Boko S (2009) Globalization: entrepreneurial challenges and opportunities in the developing world (no. 34). Expert report. Globalization Council Publication, Stockholm
George G (2000) Development and financial institutions as catalysts of entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Acad Manag Rev 25(3):620–629
Golrokhian A, Browne K, Hardin R, Agrawal A, Askew K, Beny L, Morse B (2016) World development perspectives. World Dev 1:53–57
Government of Djibouti (2015) Djibouti vision. Government Publications, Djibouti
Government of Eritrea (2013) Eritrean National Development Strategy. Government Publications, Asmara
Government of Kenya (2012) Kenya Vision 2030. Government Publications, Nairobi
Government of South Sudan (2011) South Sudan National Development Plan. Government Publications, Juba
Government of Sudan (2013) Sudan Country Development Program. Government Publications, Khartoum
Grant RM (1991a) The resource-based theory of competitive advantage: implications for strategy formulation. In: Zack M (ed) Knowledge and strategy. Butter Worth Heinemann, Oxford, UK, pp 3–23
Grant RM (1991b) The resource-based theory of competitive advantage: implications for strategy formulation. Calif Manag Rev 33(3):114–135
Grant RM (1996) Towards a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strateg Manag J 17:109–122
Gries T, Naudé W (2011) Entrepreneurship and human development: a capability approach. J Public Econ 95(3):216–224
Habtu Y (1993) Regional economic cooperation and integration prospects for development in the horn of Africa: the case of Eritrea and its immediate neighbours. Government Conference Report, Asmara
Halabisky D, Potter J, Thompson S, Fantini M, Rezaei S, Snijders J, Wennberg K (2014) The missing entrepreneurs 2014: policies for inclusive entrepreneurship in Europe. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD Publication, Paris
Hammond AL, Prahalad CK (2004) Selling to the poor. Foreign Policy 142:30–37
Hampden-Turner C (2009) Teaching innovation and entrepreneurship: building on the Singapore experiment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Harris JW (1983) Cultural beginnings: Plio-Pleistocene archaeological occurrences from the Afar, Ethiopia. Afr Archaeol Rev 1(1):3–31
Headey D, Taffesse AS, You L (2012) Enhancing resilience in the horn of Africa. IFPRI discussion paper 01176. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC
Healy S (2011) Seeking peace and security in the horn of Africa: the contribution of the inter-governmental authority on development. Int Aff 87(1):105–120
Heinonen J, Poikkijoki SA (2006) An entrepreneurial-directed approach to entrepreneurship education: mission impossible? J Manag Dev 25(1):80–94
Henry C, Hill F, Leitch C (2005) Entrepreneurship education and training: can entrepreneurship be taught? Part I. Educ Plus Train 47(2):98–111
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) (2013) IGAD drought disaster resilience and sustainability initiative (IDDRSI). IGAD Publications, Djibouti
International Labor Organization (ILO) (2003) Ethiopian women entrepreneurs: going for growth. ILO Publication, Addis Ababa
International Labour Office (2015) World employment and social outlook: trends 2015. International Labour Organization, Geneva
International Monetary Fund (IMF) (2013) Regional economic outlook: sub-Saharan Africa. International Monetary Fund Publications, Washington, DC
Isenberg DJ (2010) How to start an entrepreneurial revolution. Harv Bus Rev 88(6):40–50
Jahan S, Jespersen E, Mukherjee S, Kovacevic M, Bonini A, Calderon C, Lucic S (2015) Human development report 2015, work for human development. UNDP, New York
Kaijage E, Wheeler D (2013) Supporting entrepreneurship education in East Africa. Plymouth Business School Publications, London
Kaleka A (2002) Resources and capabilities driving competitive advantage in export markets: guidelines for industrial exporters. Ind Mark Manag 31(3):273–283
Kanyari J, Namusonge S (2013) Factors that influence the Kenyan youth entrepreneurs towards the youth enterprise development fund: a case study of Gatundu South District, Kenya. Int J Educ Res 1:5
Kirby DA (2006) Creating entrepreneurial universities in the UK: applying entrepreneurship theory to practice. J Technol Transf 31(5):599–603
Kirzner IM (1978) Competition and entrepreneurship. University of Chicago press, Chicago
Kirzner IM (1997) Entrepreneurial discovery and the competitive market process: an Austrian approach. J Econ Lit 35:60–85
Knight FH (2012) Risk, uncertainty, and profit. Courier Dover Publications, New York
Kor YY, Mahoney JT, Michael SC (2007) Resources, capabilities and entrepreneurial perceptions. J Manag Stud 44(7):1187–1212
Kostova T (1997) Country institutional profiles: concept and measurement. In: Academy of management best papers proceedings. AoM Publications, Briarcliff Manor, NY, pp 180–184
Kotler P, Rackham N, Krishnaswamy S (2006) Ending the war between sales and marketing. Harv Bus Rev 84(7/8):68
Kuada J (2014) Economic growth and poverty alleviation in Africa - linking hard and soft economics. Afr J Econ Manag Stud 5(1):2–8
Kuckertz A, Berger ES, Allmendinger M (2015) What drives entrepreneurship? A configurational analysis of the determinants of entrepreneurship in innovation-driven economies die betriebswirtschaft/business administration review 75(4):273–288
Kuriakose S (ed) (2013) Fostering entrepreneurship in Georgia. D.C. World Bank Publications, Washington
Kuriakose F, Joseph J (2016) Nurturing youth entrepreneurship to tackle youth unemployment: a case study of Kerala. J Res Innov Manag Sci 1(1):1
Landes DS (1998) The wealth and poverty of nations: why some countries are so rich and some so poor. WW Notion Publications, New York
Langevang T, Gough KV (2012) Diverging pathways: young female employment and entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa. Geogr J 178(3):242–252
Larroulet C, Couyoumdjian JP (2009) Entrepreneurship and growth: a Latin American paradox? Indep Rev 14(1):81–100
Leonidou LC, Leonidou CN, Fotiadis TA, Zeriti A (2013) Resources and capabilities as drivers of hotel environmental marketing strategy: implications for competitive advantage and performance. Tour Manag 35:94–110
Liedholm CE, Mead DC (2013) Small enterprises and economic development: the dynamics of micro and small enterprises. Routledge Publisher, Abingdon, UK
Lin JY (2011) New structural economics: a framework for rethinking development. World Bank Res Obs 26(2):193–221
Makadok R (2001) Toward a synthesis of the resource-based and dynamic capability views of rent creation. Strateg Manag J 22(5):387–401
Mali Milara I (2014) Comparison of resources and capabilities in two companies. Academic Thesis, Universitat Jaume, Castellón
Manolova TS, Eunni RV, Gyoshev BS (2008) Institutional environments for entrepreneurship: evidence from emerging economies in Eastern Europe. Entrep Theory Pract 32(1):203–218
Martín JAR, Molina MDMH, Fernández JAS (2015) An index of economic and social development in a group of countries in Africa. Appl Res Qual Life 10(3):495–508
Mason C (2011) Entrepreneurship education and research: emerging trends and concerns. J Glob Entrep 1(1):13–25
Matlay H (2006) Researching entrepreneurship and education: part 2: what is entrepreneurship education and does it matter? Educ Plus Train 48(8/9):704–718
Mbaku JM (2013) Evaluating poverty elimination. Harv Int Rev 35(1):72–77
Mburu M (2015) Management challenges facing the implementation of youth development projects in Kenya. A case study of youth enterprise funded projects in Nairobi County. Strateg J Bus Chang Manag 2(1):1
McAdam R, Galloway A (2005) Enterprise resource planning and organizational innovation: a management perspective. Ind Manag Data Syst 105(3):280–290
McMullen JS (2011) Delineating the domain of development entrepreneurship: a market-based approach to facilitating inclusive economic growth. Entrep Theory Pract 35(1):185–193
Mitra J, Abubakar YA, Sagagi M (2011) Knowledge creation and human capital for development: the role of graduate entrepreneurship. Educ Plus Train 53(5):462–479
Mpeera Ntayi J, Mutebi H, Kamanyi S, Byangwa K (2013) Institutional framing for entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa: a case of Uganda. World J Entrep Manag Sustain Dev 9(2/3):133–154
Nafukho FM, Helen Muyia MA (2010) Entrepreneurship and socioeconomic development in Africa: a reality or myth? J Eur Ind Train 34(2):96–109
Naudé W (2010a) Entrepreneurship, developing countries, and development economics: new approaches and insights. Small Bus Econ 34(1):1–12
Naudé W (2010b) Promoting entrepreneurship in developing countries: policy challenges. United Nations University Press, New York
Naudé W (2011) Entrepreneurship is not a binding constraint on growth and development in the poorest countries. World Dev 39(1):33–44
Ngosiane BR (2010) Promoting an entrepreneurial culture in Kenya. Afr Exec 291:17–23
Nishida M, Petrin A, Rotemberg M, White T (2016) Measuring cross-country differences in misallocation. US Census Bureau Center for Economic Studies Paper No. CES-WP-16-50
Norrman C, Bienkowska D, Moberg M, Frankelius P (2014) Innovative methods for entrepreneurship and leadership teaching in CDIO-based engineering education. In Proceedings of the 10th international CDIO conference, vol 19. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, p 2014, 16 June 2014
Oganisjana K, Koke T, Rahman S, Fernate A, Rutka L (2014) The development of entrepreneurship in interdisciplinary study environment: first achievements, hindrances, and perspectives. Int J Bus Soc 15(3):447
Ogundele OJK, Akingbade WA, Akinlabi HB (2012) Entrepreneurship training and education as strategic tools for poverty alleviation in Nigeria. Am Int J Contemp Res 2(1):148–156
Ossal AG, Nwalado EN (2012) Entrepreneurship education: a panacea for sustainable development in Nigeria. J Resource Distinct 1(1):1
Pereira AA (2007) Attitudes towards entrepreneurship in Singapore: the role of the state in cultural transition. Asian J Soc Sci 35(3):321–339
Peteraf MA (1993) The cornerstones of competitive advantage: a resource-based view. Strateg Manag J 14(3):179–191
Phan PH (2004) Entrepreneurship theory: possibilities and future directions. J Bus Ventur 19(5):617–620
Prahalad CK, Hammond A (2002) Serving the world’s poor, profitably. Harv Bus Rev 80(9):48–59
Robb A, Valerio A, Barton B (2014) Entrepreneurship education and training: insights from Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique. World Bank Publications, Washington DC
Rodrik D (2014a) The past, present, and future of economic growth. Challenge 57(3):5–39
Rodrik D (2014b) An African growth miracle? (no. w20188). National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA
Rola-Rubzen MF, Burgess J eds (2016) Human development and capacity building: Asia Pacific trends, challenges and prospects for the future. Routledge
Rothaermel FT (2015) Strategic management. McGraw-Hill, New York
Saravathy SD (2004) The questions we ask and the questions we care about: reformulating some problems in entrepreneurship research. J Bus Ventur 19:707–717
Schumpeter J (1934a) The theory of economic development. Harvard Press, Cambridge, MA
Schumpeter JA (1934b) The theory of economic development: an inquiry into profits, capital, credit, interest, and the business cycle, vol 55. Transaction Publishers, Piscataway, NJ
Scott WR (2015) Organizations and organizing: rational, natural and open systems perspectives. Routledge, New York
Shane S (2012) Reflections on the 2010 AMR decade award: delivering on the promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Acad Manag Rev 37(1):10–20
Sheriff M, Muffatto M (2015) The present state of entrepreneurship ecosystems in selected countries in Africa. Afr J Econ Manag Stud 6(1):17–54
Sorenson J (ed) (2016) Disaster and development in the horn of Africa. Springer-Verlag, New York
Sunkel O (1972) Under development in Latin America: toward the year 2000. In: Economics and the world order. Macmillan, New York, pp 199–231
Sv Gantsho M, Karani P (2007) Entrepreneurship and innovation in development finance institutions for promoting the clean development mechanism in Africa. Dev South Afr 24(2):335–344
Sy A, Director AGI (2015) Development in Africa. Foresight Africa, 22
Tesfayohannes M (1998) The promotion of small and medium-scale enterprises financing as a contribution to sustainable industrial development: the case of Eritrea. Shaker Verlag, Aachen, Germany
Tessema Gerba D (2012) The context of entrepreneurship education in Ethiopian universities. Manag Res Rev 35(3/4):225–244
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (2012) Entrepreneurship development program in Ethiopia. UNDP Publication, Addis Ababa
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (2013) 2013 human development report. United Nations Publications, New York
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (2013) Somalia Strategic Plan. United Nations Publications, New York
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (2010) 2010 Uganda Economic Development Report. United Nations Publications, New York
United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) (2015) World employment and social outlook – trends 2015. ILO Publication Office University Press, Geneva
Vanevenhoven J (2013) Advances and challenges in entrepreneurship education. J Small Bus Manag 51(3):466–470
Veeraraghavan V (2009) Entrepreneurship and innovation. Asia Pac Bus Rev 5(1):14–20
Wagner T (2010) The global achievement gap: why even our best schools don’t teach the new survival skills our children need – and what we can do about it. Basic Books Pub, Boston
Wilson BS, Wingfield JC (1994) Seasonal and inter-population variation in plasma levels of corticosterone in the side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana). Physiol Zool 67(4):1025–1049
World Bank (2010) World economic outlook. World Bank Publications, Washington DC
World Bank (2013) World development report, 2013. World Bank Publications, Washington DC
World Bank (2014) World economic outlook. World Bank Publications, Washington DC
World Economic Forum (2014) Entrepreneurship, creative economy and employment. Davos, Switzerland. http://www.weforum.org/events
Zahra SA, Ireland RD, Gutierrez I, Hitt MA (2000) Introduction to special topic forum privatization and entrepreneurial transformation: emerging issues and a future research agenda. Acad Manag Rev 25(3):509–524
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tesfayohannes Beraki, M., Lee, R. (2019). Promoting Grassroots Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development in the Horn of Africa. In: Chrysostome, E. (eds) Capacity Building in Developing and Emerging Countries. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16740-0_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16740-0_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-16739-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-16740-0
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)