BRAVE SPIRITS ON NEW PATHS: TOWARD A GLOBALLY RELEVANT RESEARCH PARADIGM OF INDIGENOUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Kevin
Hindle, Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University
of Technology
Michele Lansdowne, Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana
Principal Topic
This is the first study in a series aimed at strengthening research in the emerging field of Indigenous entrepreneurship. A literature survey revealed two dominant themes: the need to reconcile tradition with innovation and the need to understand how Indigenous world-views and values impact upon enterprise. Four relevant theoretical contexts were briefly explored: fourth world theory (Neitschmann 1994; Seton 1999); Whetten’s hybrid theory (Whetten 2002); value theory (various authors) and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor research model (Reynolds et al. 2001). This exploration of theory guided an empirical investigation employing depth interviews with 40 selected opinion leaders representing two cultures: Indigenous Australian and American Indian. Data evaluation culminated in the formal articulation of a paradigm for Indigenous entrepreneurship research. Discussion focused on utility of the paradigm and future research directions.
Method
Data collection employed semi-structured depth interviews derived from a model utilized for the key-informant interviewing component of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. We interviewed 20 experts with nationally recognized credibility from Australia, and 20 from the USA. 28 respondents (70%) were Indigenous. Analytical techniques included cognitive mapping, pattern matching, content analysis, and appropriate techniques of statistical description—all in the service of what Glaser and Strauss (1967) call “the constant comparative method”—a structured approach to developing grounded theory. The format for presentation of results utilized an adaptation of Hindle’s (1997; 2002) generic model of research paradigm articulation.
Results and Implications
The major lesson learned in this study was that Indigenous entrepreneurs can use their heritageth—ey don’t have to lose it when they set out in pursuit of venture success. Heritage protection and the pursuit of innovation are not incompatible. Indigenous spiritual and cultural traditions can be positive entrepreneurial forces. This research resulted in articulation of a paradigm focused on 3 “essential elements” and 7 laws which sensibly distinguish Indigenous entrepreneurship as a field within the entrepreneurship discipline. We argue that utilization and development of the paradigm can provide a globally-relevant basis for better scholarship and better policy development in a field that was growing rapidly but previously lacked adequate structural foundations.
CONTACT: Kevin Hindle, Director of Entrepreneurship Research, Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology, Cnr Wakefield and William Streets, Hawthorn Vic 3122 Australia; (T) + 61 3 9214 8732; (F) + 61 3 9214 8381; khindle@swin.edu.au
2002 Babson College. All Rights Reserved. Last Updated March 2003.