1st Edition

Cultivating Grass-Roots for Regional Development in a Globalising Economy Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Organised Markets

By James Cécora Copyright 1999
    158 Pages
    by Routledge

    158 Pages
    by Routledge

    First published in 1999. The key to successful regional development is more a personality issue than a global one, contends social economist Dr. James Cécora. With a fresh new interdisciplinary approach, Cécora tackles traditional economic theory to show that a distinct type of individual, the 'innovative entrepreneur', can do more to secure economic stability in a particular region than any multinational corporation. Arguing that global economics have spiraled out of control, Cécora builds a case for supporting and promoting the development of entrepreneurs at the local and regional level. These individuals will, he says, work at strengthening the regional economy over the long term because of their permanent attachment to a region, as well as in vested self-interest. Cécora compares the personalities of corporate managers to self-starting entrepreneurs, drawing the conclusion that the risk-taking ability of entrepreneurial types prompts more creative thinking and regionally appropriate action and solutions. This willingness to try new approaches is often a key to success.

    1. Goals and Policies for Regional Development: A Critical View from the Grass-Roots  2. The Global Economy: The Sea on Which National and Regional Economies Sail  3. Behavioural Dynamics at the Grass-Root Level: Innovation and Entrepreneurship as Functions of Personality, Social Structures and Cultural Configurations  4. Individual Actors: Personal Factors in Innovative Behaviour and Enterprise  5. Contexts: Socio-Cultural Embeddedness and its Implications for, Opportunities for and Constraints on Innovative Behaviour and Enterprise  6. Summary and Conclusions

    Biography

    James Cécora

    ’...builds a case for supporting and promoting the development of entrepreneurs at local and regional level.’ CAB Abstracts ’...very valuable to all those who are interested in understanding this complex subject.’ TESG (Journal of Economic and Social Geography) ’...Cécora does an excellent job of comprehensively reviewing the literature on the topics relevant to stimulating development of rural and less developed regions...The book contains interesting perspectives on the sociocultural aspects of regional development policy...’ APA Journal