Entrepreneurship as economic inclusion or exclusivity
Entrepreneurship is based in large part, as outlined in Chapter 2, on capitalist growth theory, which results in the temporary dominance of the most successful economic model. This gives rise to the dominance of a US-based model of entrepreneurship, largely serving US economic interests, which we can term 'the bison in the living room'. This bison is large, dominant, and unaware of the destructive effects it can unwittingly cause on the environment around it. So far it has been very successful but its suitability for worldwide existence is questionable, and it may even become a threatened species. Its existence is founded on the following assumptions.
- It is based on the notion of individual enterprise and self-enrichment through the
investment of personal effort in conditions of uncertainty.
- It assumes and makes fundamental decisions on dynamics of investment, risk and
return within the paradigm of capitalist economic growth.
- Its goal is normally continuous growth in scale, turnover, sales and profitability.
- It operates on a resource-consumption model of 'capture and exploit', with waste or sub-optimal use of natural, physical, human and other resources being of secondary or no contern.
- It is blind to the consequences of its actions on the wider ecology of the world economy, societies, resources and environment, and takes no responsibility for these.
-It assumes that its government will use its powerful position to provide business advantage rather than equity, by dominating and changing or ignoring legal, trading and environmental agreements to protect its interests.
-It assumes competition to achieve market domination is inherently good, except by foreign entrants to its own markets.
These statements summarise the US model of the entrepreneurial business. The late Peter Drucker (1993) long argued the need for the US economy to progress from this form of entrepreneurship. It has been, and continues to be, a highly successful model, and the aim is not to criticise the United States for its economic success, because one could be just as