Projects / Programmes
Entrepreneurship for Innovative Society
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.02.00 |
Social sciences |
Economics |
|
| 5.04.00 |
Social sciences |
Administrative and organisational sciences |
|
| 5.09.00 |
Social sciences |
Psychology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S000 |
Social sciences |
|
| S124 |
Social sciences |
Patents, copyrights, trademarks |
| S180 |
Social sciences |
Economics, econometrics, economic theory, economic systems, economic policy |
| S184 |
Social sciences |
Economic planning |
| S185 |
Social sciences |
Commercial and industrial economics |
| S188 |
Social sciences |
Economics of development |
| S189 |
Social sciences |
Organizational science |
| S190 |
Social sciences |
Management of enterprises |
| S191 |
Social sciences |
Market study |
| S195 |
Social sciences |
Development cooperation |
| S264 |
Social sciences |
Applied and experimental psychology |
| T270 |
Technological sciences |
Environmental technology, pollution control |
Entrepreneurship, innovativeness, economic development
Researchers (10)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The basic objectives of the research program P5-0023 "Entrepreneurship for Innovative Society" in the extent of 1.2 FTE are set to gain knowledge and understanding of relationships between entrepreneurship, innovativeness and economic growth. It aims to strengthen the understanding of reasons present in companies and organizations which cause Slovenia lagging behind in innovativeness and entrepreneurship. It also aimes at providing policy making implications.
The main points of the research group are in explaining and understanding principles of transition to innovative economy and society, influences and consequences of becoming EU member from the viewpoint of company innovativeness, social responsibility and economic growth in relation to entrepreneurship. The research is based on knowledge gained in preceding research program "Innovative Company in Transition", and in basic and targeted research projects such as "Slovenian Entrepreneurship Observatory", "Global Entrepreneurship Monitor" and "Regional Entrepreneurship Monitor and Social Values" performed within same research group.
The basic theoretical starting point of the research is the finding that the specific conditions of the innovative and entrepreneurial activities in any region influence the size and amount of its socially beneficial entrepreneurship, which in turn supports economic growth and development. Innovativeness, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial behavoiur depend on humans (their values, especially their motivations and aspirations, and their capabilities), but there is a lack of attributes of this kind in the transition/latecomer economies, and they must be developed as quick as possible.
The design of the research program match these findings, including investigation of the economic and social development of a region; its capability of trading as an open competitive economy; its capability to employ both genders on an equal basis, both as entrepreneurs and as coworkers; its capability to research, develop and apply innovatively the achievements of R&D in both old and new enterprises, especially SMEs; its capability to develop new economic activities, etc., and to build its modern quality of life by competiveness based on innovativeness, entrepreneurship and systemic thinking. Research program investigates incorporation of the entrepreneurship and innovation management, including the intelectual property, into the integral enterprise management, the model of the corporate social responsibility (and its measuring by the contemporary creditworthiness etc.), the model of corporate ethical norms and culture, and the model of business economics able to investigate new types of enterprises. This includes entrepreneurs' and other influential persons' self-image and capability to take risk, methods of decision-making concerning the enterprise future (anticipatory models), holistic rather than one-sided consideration of technological and other inventions and innovations, especially the ones related to environment protection.
The briefed research content is accordant with the basic objectives of the program, which include, along with the knowledge and understanding of interdependence of innovativeness, entrepreneurship and the economic growth, especially: (1) a clearer understanding of reasons why Slovenia and other new EU members lag behind in innovativeness and entrepreneurship, and (2) understanding what can be done to diminish, or even abolish, this lag as much and as soon as possible.
Significance for science
The understanding of the interdependence between the economic growth and development and entrepreneurship is still theoretically and practically underinvestigated. We do not dispose with a requisitely holistic methodology of a system of indicators for perceiving and measuring of entrepreneurial/ innovative activity. Therefore it was not possible to quantitatively analyze the impact of numerous factors of entrepreneurship in order to better understand how the creation of a supportive environment could influence the enhancement of entrepreneurship and, as a consequence, the creation of the innovative society. Our programme team has become an important member in one of the most representative worldwide research program "Global Entrepreneurship Monitor" (with more than 50 participating countries); the programme team is also partnering in the "European Network for Social and Economic Research" (32 countries), which has been studying in-depth different entrepreneurship topics. We were developing different research topics with studying the influence of innovative absorption capacity of adult population, intrapreneurship, the impact of education on entrepreneurship, growth aspirations, the role of ambitiousness and reasons for a declining aspiration level of entrepreneurs , and family entrepreneurship. Our research contributed to better understanding that the economic behaviour crucially depends on prevailing values. It depends on values of people making decisions. We contributed some suggestions for a framework model to answer the series of above listed questions, which we have found essential for the transition to become reality and for a business practice to become more innovative. We contributed to new knowledge on governance and management solutions and measures for developing the necessary enterprises’ dynamics and credibility in order to achieve sustained effectiveness, innovativeness, and hence competitiveness. In this context we also dealt with family businesses lacking small number of in-depth studies on management, relations between the business and the family, and on their succession issues. The same is true for self-image, aggressiveness, success, and innovativeness which are important factors of entrepreneurship, but the relations between them are not studied in-depth. The research of the relation between self-image and aggressiveness among successful and less successful entrepreneurs and innovators wanted to answer a basic question: whether or not differences in the level of aggressiveness exist among successful and less successful entrepreneurs and what is the profile of self-image and aggressiveness among both groups of entrepreneurs. Such understanding of correlation can have an important applied value in practice since the acquired knowledge can be used in developing the entrepreneurial mentality and in promoting innovativeness in enterprises. We contributed new knowledge in the area of searching for correlations between technological innovation and adoption of active environmental policies in manufacturing enterprises. This is an important multidisciplinary research area because technological innovation is a complex field itself whereas the environmental dimension widens its multidimensional complexity. Therefore, the usual technological development indexes or technological innovation indexes, respectively, should be upgraded and connected with additional environmental indexes at the enterprise's level. We contributed to better understanding of enterprises’ environmental costs, effectiveness, and benefits. We started to develop modern methodology of environmental credibility as a selective market criterion. Precautionary principle used for environmental decisions was examined and some modern systems of effectiveness indexes (as a support tool of sustainable economy) were introduced.
Significance for the country
Direct significance of the proposed research programme is made of its ability to assure evidence-based suggestions, which can be used for setting the Slovenian economic development priorities. In addition, it can contribute in defining the measures of supporting innovativeness and entrepreneurship as well as a gradual development of a humane innovative society. Such findings will be directly useful for Slovenian enterprises. Namely, the research programme is theoretically based on modern theories of the firm and by that paradigmatically framed in understanding and searching for answers practically useful to companies: innovativeness stimulation, fostering intrapreneurship, open-innovation practices, affirmation of creditworthiness, networking, and self-image of individuals, environmental standards and sustainable development, to mention some of them. Products are expected to be either environmentally friendly or much less commercially successful in the markets of the advanced EU countries in future. Thus, understanding and introduction of methodological tools for environmentally sound product development will represent one of important aspects of innovativeness in various industrial sectors. Our findings will also be useful in describing the technological development characteristics of Slovenian industrial enterprises in general. These research results are useful concerning stimulation and direction of the sustainable development or safety of the natural environment in the Slovenian economy. Successful entrepreneurs promote Slovenia internationally by themselves, but for the permanent success company must be dynamic, as well as credible and truth-worthy partners. In knowledge society the national identity can be maintained merely by enforcing companies, which base their competitiveness on knowledge, higher added value and mastering of the social and entrepreneurial capital. Thus, we must understand the laws, which control the relations between innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth and development. This is a contribution of this programme. The indirect importance of this program for the Slovenian society has many dimensions. From the viewpoint of the country promotion, it is visible in the intense international publishing of results and in involvement of the programme team in influential World (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, DIANA, IFSR) and European networks (European Network for Social and Economic Research, European Council for Small Business, European Expert Group on Policy-Relevant Research on Entrepreneurship and SMES, FINPIN) where top research on entrepreneurships, system theories and innovative societies, as well as numerous applied projects take place. The programme’s importance for the development of the profession is visible in the fact, that the programme team has became recognized (in the past years) as the leading group for studying entrepreneurship, innovation management and systems thinking in Slovenia and gained a reputation also abroad with its regular publications in “GEM Slovenia” and “Slovenian Entrepreneurship Observatory” and others. The programme team also contributes - with its scientific monographs - to better understanding of the meaning of entrepreneurship for creation of a modern innovative society. Its important role is also in building up the relevant Slovenian terminology on entrepreneurship research, innovation, system theory, environmental management, and economics.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
