Transformational entrepreneurship – a policy case study from Northern Ireland

Transformational entrepreneurship recognises that enterprising people apply themselves not just to creating and running commercial business but also to a variety of other challenges. However, in the 1980s, when official interest in what was then mainly referred to as ‘enterprise’ really took root, the focus in Northern Ireland was primarily on its business creation aspects. As an example of the development of that official interest, this chapter presents a summary of the evolution of official enterprise policy in Northern Ireland and its impact.
In the 1980s, when Northern Ireland’s economy was in a bad shape, the enterprise that was supposed to lead to the creation of small businesses began to be seen as a key factor needed for a stronger economy and more business start-ups became a specific policy objective. The study describes the development of initiatives to support start-ups, but the evidence suggests
that, although Northern Ireland may be a good place in which to start or grow a business, there has been no consequent increase in business start-up rates. It is therefore interesting that a recent press release reported a finding that ‘more than 70% of Britons believe it is easy to start a business in the UK’, but, despite this, ‘less than [sic] one in ten has any intention of doing so’ (ERC, 2022). A conclusion is that recognising the importance of intentions, and that they are more likely to be influenced by perceived social norms than by supposed economic logic, might provide a better perspective from which to develop an appropriate policy for encouraging or supporting enterprise – including transformational entrepreneurship.