Economic and non‐economic models of entrepreneurship in the UK

Abstract

Fostering an ‘enterprise culture’ was a ‘holy grail’ of economic policy in Europe during the 1980s. But, just as with that divine object, the pursuit of this economic goal has proven complex and frustrating. This paper examines a case study of the UK and shows a lack of clarity in the conceptualization of enterprise culture and a lack of cohesion in policies which seek to promote this. In effect, a small firms policy was substituted for a policy to foster an enterprise culture. The achievements, even of this, have been limited quantitatively as well as in the uneven impact on regions, social groups and sectors. Indeed, cultural contingencies result in there being a group of non‐economic entrepreneurs who are largely impervious to policy direction. Despite this failure, the fostering of an enterprise culture remains one of the major challenges for the 1990s.

Keywords:

• enterprise
• culture
• UK
• small firms
• leisure