Business Commons^™

Navigating The Pathway To Entrepreneurship For Persons With Disabilities: Insights From An Irish Context, Thomas M. Cooney, Martina Brophy, Ahsan Habib

Reports

This report is a study of the challenges facing persons with disabilities who want to start a business in Ireland. It profiles the community and identifies the distinctive barriers to entrepreneurship that persons with disabilities endure. The report concludes by offering a series of recommendations regarding what actions should be taken to improve the pathway to entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities in Ireland.

Meeting The Sustainability Challenges: An Assessment Of Entrepreneurial Education, Anna Zherdeva, Intesar Madi, Abrar Alzankawi, Lucia Morales Dr, L. Pop, A. Soler-Dominguez, J.C. Saez

Conference papers

The importance of sustainability and entrepreneurship education is highlighted in this study. The world economies are facing significant challenges as they try to enable the transition towards more sustainable economic and business models. Therefore, at the centre of the transition process, it is critical to consider the role that business education can play and, more specifically, the role of business schools in integrating and supporting the development of skills and competencies that align with our contemporary society's needs. In this paper, we initially assess the need to connect entrepreneurial and sustainability education by exploring the educational offerings at Technological University …

Using Sequential Mixed Methods To Evaluate The Contribution Of Absorptive Capacity (Acap), Anthony Paul Buckley, Francis Martin Behan

Conference papers

How might Absorptive Capacity (ACAP) (Cohen & Levinthal 1990,,Song et al. 2018) contribute to indigenous firm innovation and growth and how might the effects of this construct be evaluated at both firm and policy level? This paper demonstrates how a mixed methods research design and data analysis strategy can address the research question outlined above. Within the ‘mixed methods’ research genre, the design approach argued for here is for a ‘sequential mixed methods research’ approach. This is where one methodology is followed sequentially by another to add robustness to the overall findings from a study. The approach can also be …

Design As Entrepreneurship: Towards A Design-Specific Entrepreneurship Framework, Con Kennedy

Conference papers

Current thinking on entrepreneurship states there is no specific link between the entrepreneur and their enterprise. Design is an individual creative act; therefore, the practitioner is not separate from their idiosyncratic process. The Designer is the product offering. Designers form Design Enterprises, meaning that with this aspect of inseparability, the Design Entrepreneur is a different kind of entrepreneur than currently discussed. The literature on the topic discusses design as a creative output, not as entrepreneurship output. Like any enterprise, Design Enterprises must be profitable. There are many entrepreneurship processes, none of which seem to address the needs of the Design …

Applying The Practice–Based Method In Teaching Entrepreneurship: The Case Of The Msc In Business & Entrepreneurship At Tu Dublin, Anthony Paul Buckley

Articles

‘Since we live in an age of innovation, a practical education must prepare a [wo]man for work that does not yet exist and cannot yet be clearly defined’ - Peter Drucker Following reviews of the relevant IEET (Innovation, Entrepreneurship Education & Training) literature and after assessing current thinking and practice in the domain, it was concluded that, in the absence of empirical evidence in favour of a particular pedagogical approach, that a portfolio of coordinated practice-based methods is an appropriate approach for developing value-based learning outcomes at this time (2019). These pedagogical approaches focus on students’ attempts to discover, create …

University-Based Technology Start-Up Incubators – Evaluating Their Contribution To The Co-Production Of Knowledge, Innovation And Growth. Experience From The Edge, Anthony Paul Buckley, Stephen Davis

Articles

Policy makers in developed economies see merit in supporting the innovative abilities of technology entrepreneurs. It is hoped that from these highly–educated entrepreneur(s), new technology and service–based firms (NTBFs) can emerge. Indeed empirical evidence suggests that it is fast-growing young innovative firms which provide the bulk of new employment growth (Henrekson & Johansson, 2010; Storey & Greene, 2010). Start-up incubators are one of a number of micro-policy interventions with which states attempt – primarily through publically funded higher education Institutions - to support technology entrepreneurs to develop and commercialise their innovations. Incubator numbers have grown globally from their first appearance …

The Contribution Of Higher Education-Based Technology Start-Up Incubators To The Co-Production Of Knowledge, Innovation And Growth: Experiences From The Edge, Anthony Paul Buckley, Stephen Davis

Articles

Start-up incubators are one of a number of micropolicy interventions used by states to support their technology entrepreneurs. Since 2000, the number of incubators in the United States has almost trebled while that in Europe has more than doubled. This article outlines the challenges involved in attempting to evaluate the contribution of the higher education technology start-up incubator process. It advocates theory-based evaluation (TBE) methodology as a possible solution for effective evaluation (and policy learning) in complex research settings such as this, where a study is unable, for myriad reasons, to meet the stringent requirements of experimental research design. TBE …

Teacherpreneurs: From Vocation To Innovation, Anthony Paul Buckley, Kisito Futonge

Conference papers

The global market for e-learning is projected to reach $255 billion by 2017 with a compound growth average of 23% since 2012 (GSV Advisors, 2012). The shift towards digital learning has attracted a wave of digital entrepreneurs who are creating e-learning content, learning platforms, educational apps and online marketplaces. Nowhere is this more evident than in the online 'K-12' market (50 per cent share of the global e-learning market). The term K-12 refers to 12 years of formal primary and secondary education from kindergarten (K) or nursery – essentially pre-university level education. The purpose of this paper is to investigate …

Profile Of Business In The Traditional Design Sectors, Con Kennedy

Reports

This research report illustrates the findings form the “Profile of Business in the Traditional Design Sectors”. This research was commissioned by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland as part of the Year of Irish Design (ID1025) which is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and was under taken on their behalf by Con Kennedy. The aim of this research is to develop an understanding of the size, location and demographic of design practices and business in the Republic of Ireland. For the purpose of this report, the agreed sectors and design sectors to research were: • …

Internationalising Family Run Business: Overcoming Conflict, Embracing Cohesion And The Role Of Entrepreneurship, Marty Reilly, Pamela Sharkey Scott

Conference papers

Family run businesses, despite their importance to both local economies and at a broader national level have traditionally received significantly less attention in business research than either Small to Medium Enterprises (SMES) or new venture business start-ups.

The study proposes to examine the internationalisation of family run businesses with a focus on cohesion, leadership and the role of entrepreneurship, both during and directly thereafter the critical interim of expanding operations across international borders.

Proposing a multiple case study methodology, we intend to explore the practicalities of how family run enterprises expand beyond their national borders and embrace wider, international markets. …

Returning To Ulysses: The Need For Ireland's Higher Education Institutions To Re-Imagine The Provision Of Entrepreneurship Education, Thomas Cooney, Kathleen Farrell, Paul Hannon

Conference papers

This paper is a detailed analysis of entrepreneurship education in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on the island of Ireland based on a survey of all twenty-six institutions. The paper examines the number and types of courses and activities currently being offered to students and concludes that the vast majority of the existing provision is quite traditional in its approach. It is further argued that entrepreneurship education needs to be re-imagined if it is to meet the needs of Ireland’s current economic and social challenges, and that educators should seek inspiration from some of the island’s most creative artists from its …

Muslim Entrepreneurship In Ireland, Thomas M. Cooney, Jennifer Manning, Amr Arisha, Peter Smyth

Reports

No abstract provided.

Gj Belfrost (England), Thomas Cooney, Jennifer Manning

Case Study

No abstract provided.

Wristop Technologies (Finland), Pasi Malinen, Thomas Cooney

Case Study

No abstract provided.

Beck Halstrøm (Sweden), Jennifer Manning, Thomas M. Cooney

Case Study

No abstract provided.

David Lysaght (Ireland), Thomas M. Cooney

Case Study

No abstract provided.

Enhancing The Entrepreneurial Spirit In Apprenticeship Education To Develop Craft And Micro-Enterprises, Ray English, Katherine Collins

Conference Papers

Micro, small and medium–sized enterprises are considered to be the mainstay of the economy of the European Union, since they represent 99% of all EU enterprises. They are socially and economically important in that they provide 65 million jobs and contribute to innovation and entrepreneurship. However, a 2002 Eurobarometer survey found that EU citizens are less inclined to become entrepreneurs, and tend to be more risk adverse. In recognising this, the EU made entrepreneurship one of the main objectives of the Lisbon Agenda in 2000. The European Commission in 2003 drafted the Green Paper on Entrepreneurship in Europe to stimulate …

A Qualitative Study Of The Nascent Entrepreneurial Process Of An Immigrant Within An Irish Context Of A Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Lucia Walsh

Doctoral

This thesis intersects the theoretical fields of nascent entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation. The key research question that guides this research is: What is the nascent entrepreneurial journey of an immigrant within an Irish context of cross cultural adaptation? The study explores the notion that the nascent entrepreneurial and cross-cultural adaptation journeys of immigrants in this study are intertwined and dynamically interact with each other.

Despite much academic interest in nascent entrepreneurship, there is a lack of qualitative studies that focus on understanding the nascent entrepreneurial process of immigrants on a longitudinal basis. Additionally, the immigrant/ethnic specific entrepreneurship theories frequently overlook …

A Mapping Of Ethnic Entrepreneurship In Ireland, Thomas Cooney, Anthony Flynn

Reports

The research findings presented in this report represent the first major attempt to map in a systematic fashion ethnic entrepreneurial activity in Ireland. The rapid transformation of the demographic profile of Ireland in this decade through unprecedented levels of immigration has stimulated debate on the economic and social policy implications of the new multi-racial Ireland. One facet to this policy debate is the potential for non-Irish nationals to bolster indigenous business activity. It was the aim of this research to capture the essential nature of ethnic entrepreneurship in Ireland in 2008 with a view to better informing policy formulation as …

Entrepreneurship Education In The Third-Level Sector In Ireland, Thomas Cooney, Trudie Murray

Reports

Entrepreneurship education is now a key part of the tertiary-level educatin landscape in many countries around the globe. Institutions are creating the type of learning environments that are conducive to encouraging and supporting student enterprise and graduate entrepreneurship. Going byond notions of employability, entrepreneurship capacities enable graduates to create their own futures, exploit the opportunities that emerge in their complex and unpredicatable worlds, and better contribute to economic development and well-being. This report demonstrates that Ireland is no exception. The evidence presented illustrates that there is no shortage of entrepreneurial activity across the island. Institutions are spreading provision outside of …

A Mapping Of Entrepreneurship And Innovation Policy In Ireland., Thomas Cooney

Reports

The objective at the centre of the IPREG (Innovative Policy Research for Economic Growth) project is the facilitation of a " network of networks" needed to address one of Europe's critical issues-empirically relevant research on growth policy. IPREG is an established "network of networks" encompassing researchers, policy makers and business people in twelve countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and UK. The initial stage of the project was to map out the current policies and actors in each country and to develop a comprehensiveness index based upon interviews and survey feedback. This work …

The Entrepreneurial Process: An Assessment Of A Real Life Case Study And A Theoretical Model, Kevin Neary

Masters

The purpose of this work is to record and document the development cycle of an entrepreneur focusing specifically on the point of start up of the entrepreneurs business through to a key juncture when the entrepreneur sells a portion of his business. The work then examines the Klofsten Business Platform Model, a model that might be described as a self diagnostic tool for new start up ventures by entrepreneurs. The entrepreneur then analyses his business development in light of Klofstens’ Model and comments on how he feels his real life experience fits into the proposed model. After a period of …

Subsidiary Entrepreneurship: An Exploratory Study, Enda Carolan

Masters

This is a study of subsidiary entrepreneurship. In recent years entrepreneurship has been promoted by academics, practitioners and governmental agencies as a panacea for subsidiary managers as they attempt to sustain and grow their subsidiaries. The research question that underpins this works relates to the transposition of the concept of entrepreneurship into large nature business units of multinational corporations (MNC). Drawing on four case studies of subsidiary managers who invoke the discourse of entrepreneurship to make sense of their managerial behaviour, this study examines the difference between entrepreneurship and subsidiary entrepreneurship. There are two key findings. Firstly subsidiary entrepreneurship is …