Patriotic Entrepreneurship: A Foundation for Development

Charles Dawa

Around the world, the role of patriotism in starting, running, and growing businesses (that is, patriotic entrepreneurship) is largely overlooked in discussions of entrepreneurship within academia, the private and public sectors.

Over-represented are entrepreneurial spirits such as risk-taking, vigilance, creativity, innovation, value-adding, commercialization, tenacity, hard work and profit-seeking.

There is a strong misconception that “patriotism” should be confined to politics. So when patriotism comes up, it’s common to hear some of the business fraternities saying business should not be confused with politics. Business and politics are inseparable, but that’s for another time.

Given this trajectory, it is time for us, Zimbabwean entrepreneurs, to assess patriotic entrepreneurship and envision how this will positively or negatively impact the achievement of our national strategic vision. – Zimbabwe will become a middle-income country by 2030

Before we unpack patriotic entrepreneurship, let’s first define a few key terms: entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.

The term entrepreneurship is generally defined as the process of being creative and innovative in starting and growing new businesses that are profitable, competitive and sustainable.

Entrepreneurship is not only closely related to starting and growing new businesses, but it is also primarily related to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Entrepreneurship inevitably involves creativity and innovation, so our very close relationship with SMEs means that significant innovation and creativity occurs among SMEs. In particular, entrepreneurship is synonymous with small businesses, which generally tend to be more creative than large companies.

There are several factors that make small businesses more creative and innovative. These factors include limited financial and material resources, more informal communication, less bureaucracy, flexible organizational structures, and decision-making by the owner his manager. It includes being entrusted to his one person.

These factors tell a story. In other words, SMEs have to compete, survive and thrive in the market with limited capacity, so they can become more agile, creative and innovative by reducing bureaucratic structures and increasing more informal communication. tends to become

Additionally, the owner/manager, who is usually the chief executive officer and sole decision maker, is almost always involved in the entire business operation, allowing them to make decisions on the fly. Small businesses have more on-the-job learning, which fosters significant trial and error and ultimately enhances creativity and innovation.

The above contrasts with the more formal and bureaucratic communications and structures of large companies. Large companies typically have different centers of power and decision-making, for example different senior managers and department heads or directors.

Business processes are formalized by strict internal controls, leaving little room for learning on the job. Unless it occurs under a specially approved project such as a test run for new product development, trial and error is very limited and mistakes are heavily penalized.

Moreover, except in large companies that are learning organizations, traditionally, employees are under-created and innovative, and what they mostly do is follow prescribed job descriptions. Just perform your duties on a daily basis. However, management, especially senior management, has the freedom to be creative and innovative and guide their subordinates accordingly.

Nevertheless, big business is still creative and innovative, although not synonymous with entrepreneurship. This is because being creative and innovative is not a monopoly for small businesses.

Employees in large companies may find it difficult to be fully creative and innovative given the constraints of rigid, formalistic job descriptions, but when they are placed on a team, they do so. Be creative and innovative whenever you are given the opportunity to do so. To solve identified business problems.

The Annual Strategic Planning Workshop is also a great opportunity to show your creativity and innovation, as employees put forward fresh ideas at such workshops.

As a result, it is a fact that large companies are known to leverage the creativity of their managerial and non-managerial employees, senior management and non-managerial to foster creativity and innovation leading to new business processes. am.

All this is called in-house entrepreneurship. That is, while taking risks to competitively and sustainably exercise creativity and innovation within an existing business, in the case of entrepreneurship, such creativity and innovation can lead to the start and growth of new businesses. be directed.

In general, however, the private and public sectors rarely talk about the term intrapreneurship, preferring to use it as a broad term that incorporates intrapreneurship. Therefore, in this article, entrepreneurship has this comprehensive and broad meaning.

Despite the differences between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, what SMEs and large companies have in common is the ability to profitably and sustainably develop a range of products and services to meet the socioeconomic needs of the country. It’s about having and producing and producing in a way that is better than the competition.

After all, the production activities of small and medium-sized enterprises and large enterprises improve the quality of life of citizens. As a result, as a Zimbabwean, he aims to become a middle-income country by 2030, while at the same time helping SMEs and large corporations become more effective in entrepreneurship, producing high-quality, competitive products and services. We are given a great responsibility to create. Grow our economy and improve our quality of life.

Interestingly, when the world considers what small businesses and large corporations should do to be entrepreneurially successful, it primarily considers all factors that fall under the hallmarks of successful entrepreneurs, and patriotism. avoid or pay little attention to the main factors of

I have been involved in and considered discussions on entrepreneurship, but to the best of my knowledge, I have never come across an academic paper, entrepreneurship textbook, or business conference that devotes much space to patriotic entrepreneurship. .

Globally, successful entrepreneurship is driven by wisdom, risk propensity, entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and exploitation, cash flow, profitability, shareholder value, market share, innovation, scale-up, and complex and dynamic macro environments. It is widely understood in terms of its ability to adapt and bounce back from failure. and long-term business viability.

Sure, all these factors certainly point to entrepreneurial talent, but it’s quite surprising how little patriotism is included in the criteria for entrepreneurial success.

But before they become entrepreneurs, they first belong to a nation and are necessarily nurtured and nurtured within a particular nation. For us as Zimbabweans, ‘ubuntu’ is a timeless ideology that not only distinguishes us as Africans from the rest of the world, but also our families, neighborhoods, communities, businesses, and societies. , and shapes and drives how we think and act in the world.

For all entrepreneurs, therefore, it is imaginary to have a strong affinity for their country and a constant pull to find ways to be creative and innovative to effectively meet their economic challenges. It’s not about or outlandish, it’s a lifelong aspiration, a passion, and a burden.

This strong affinity for one’s country and its political, social and economic problems reflects what patriotism is all about. Patriotism leads to unquestioning loyalty to the motherland. Subordinate individual desires and preferences to national interests, and join hands with all citizens to achieve the national vision and strategic goals of the motherland.

The important thing is that patriotism is not a phenomenon that is only talked about and demonstrated in the world of politics, it must be lived in the same way.

Given the above, it is crucial and logical to question how patriotic we are as entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe. To what extent do we subordinate our motives for unfair advantage to advancing our national interests?

What do our actions in the market reveal about the kind and degree of our patriotism: strong patriotism or strong opposition. It includes engagement and criticism, and offers creative and innovative options for advancing national interests.

Strongly dissent, by contrast, includes years of pessimism, tweeting, gossiping, name-labeling, constant dissent, and indulgence in the behavior of the zero-sum game market.

I could go on and on with the question, but for brevity my last two questions are: Given the courageous decisions taken by the government to address the land issue, it is a fundamental instrument of entrepreneurship and what importance do we as entrepreneurs, businessmen and businesswomen in Zimbabwe take? Do you have patriotism in how we run our business?

Moreover, how can patriotism be exercised and strengthened in carrying out entrepreneurship?

In particular, interrogating our approach to entrepreneurship in such a candid manner suggests that the strategic economic trajectory as a country has changed, especially thanks to the new dispensing regime and the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa. Most important, given that it’s not only well crafted, but has already been run by some people… A clear milestone success.

Moreover, in this new era towards high national economic performance, Zimbabwe’s key strategic motto, business is open And the strategic philosophy “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” was all created by President Mnangagwa.

To prove this, let us pause for a few seconds and objectively seriously consider this ideology “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”.

To be honest, it is as clear as the difference between day and night that a country can only be effectively and successfully built if the “bene ve nicas” are patriotic.

Patriotic entrepreneurship is therefore globally overlooked in discussions of entrepreneurship in academia, private and public sector corridors, but in fact, without patriotism, the socio-economic development of any country It’s not superficial to speculate that the strategic vision for is also dead. In birth fashion or in the light of day, its execution is lethargic.

The net effect is a mediocre result, with the majority of citizens leaving their queries. Entrepreneurship by whom and for whom? Dr. Tafataona Mahoso, the late Dr. Vinbay Chibaura, and the late Professor Useunes Mpepelek (may their souls rest in eternal peace), with the influential patriotic program zvaVanhu, have been such entrepreneurial spirits. correctly intervenes in labeling the . For this reason, in order to avoid “Kenbishiwa” in entrepreneurship, our Second Republic introduced the mantra “Leave no one behind”.

So, in order not to be left behind, question patriotism in all your endeavors, whether you are an individual, a small business, or a large entrepreneur. to be continued….

Dr. Charles Dahwa provides cutting edge consulting in the areas of research, strategy, entrepreneurship and small business development, marketing, human resources management and corporate governance. He recently graduated with a PhD in Business Administration from his Metropolitan University of Manchester (UK). Contact information is as follows: [email protected] Mobile: +263 71 370 2933