International Handbook of Research on Indigenous Entrepreneurship

This book edited by scholars Leo‐Paul Dana and Robert B. Anderson is a tremendous collection of articles on the issue of indigenous entrepreneurship. The book is divided into seven parts and includes a truly global perspective of indigenous entrepreneurship written by numerous worldwide scholars. Part 1 titled “Indigenous entrepreneurship: history, culture, values and objectives” includes three chapters, the first of which is about defining the field of indigenous entrepreneurship by Leo‐Paul Dana. This chapter provides a unique insight into the development of the theoretical domain “Indigenous entrepreneurship”. Although in practical terms entrepreneurship in indigenous communities has been around for a long time, it is only most recently has there been a theoretical development of this field in the mainstream entrepreneurship literature. The other two chapters in Part 1 discuss research paths and misconceptions in indigenous entrepreneurship both of which are very useful to scholars, practitioners and people in general interested in indigenous entrepreneurship.

The second part of the book is about Africa and includes six diverse chapters. It is incredibly beneficial to have the parts of the book sectioned into geographic areas and this allows for individuals to critically compare different indigenous entrepreneurship practices throughout the world. Chapter 5 by W.A. Naude and J.D. Havenga includes an interesting discussion on the importance of small business research in Africa by analysing African entrepreneurship since 1963. The authors highlight the importance of entrepreneurship for Africa by stating that Africa is the poorest region and the only major developing region with negative growth in the world. The other chapters discuss different regions in Africa such as South‐Western Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Maasai and Lesotho.

Part 3 is on Asia and incorporates six chapters on a range of areas in Asia including the Bedouin, Siberia, Russia, Mongolia, Japan and the Maldives. Chapter 10 highlights the importance of indigenous communities to economic development by stating that there are more than 130,000 Bedouin in the Negev region. The richness of culture and diversity in indigenous entrepreneurship is evident in Chapter 11 on Evenks who are reindeer herders and hunters of Eastern Siberia. Furthermore, Chapter 13 illustrates the cultural diversity by discussing indigenous small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Mongolia. The authors discuss how the Government of Mongolia implemented the SMEs Development Programme in 1999. Interestingly, Chapter 15 is on the Dhivehis of the Maldives which provides for fascinating reading. As the international entrepreneurship field sometimes focuses too much on well‐known countries, the analysis of countries such as the Maldives provides a different useful perspective.

Part 4 is on Europe and includes chapters on areas including Greenland, Ireland, Finland and the Kola Peninsula. Chapter 16 discusses how globalisation has affected indigenous entrepreneurship in Europe by altering the socio‐economic and socio‐political systems. Chapter 17 examines the psychology involved in indigenous entrepreneurship by questioning whether a mentality supports entrepreneurship in Greenland. The author points out the role of the Greenland Government in terms of public welfare and its influence it has on developing an entrepreneurial culture. Chapter 20 incorporates a gender perspective of indigenous entrepreneurship by examining the role of women in the Sami reindeer industry. Interestingly, the authors states that, legislation and state policy such as the Reindeer Management Act and the Norwegian Reindeer Herding Act of 1978 have affected the role women play in reindeer business. The role of legislation is further evident in Chapter 22 which discusses the changes to indigenous entrepreneurship brought about by the European Union and the Finnish Government.

Part 5 is on the Americas and includes 12 chapters on areas such as British Columbia, Mexico and Bolivia. Within America there is much diversity with regards to type of indigenous business conducted. For example, Chapter 25 discusses the Han people who have traditionally utilised natural resources such as gold and salmon for business. Chapter 27 states that other indigenous people such as those in the Osoyoos Indian Band lands have participated in the wine industry. The importance of politics in indigenous entrepreneurship is highlighted by Chapter 32, which discusses indigenous entrepreneurship in Mexico. The authors discuss the Maya people in Chiapas, Mexico which are well‐known for their cultural significance but less known for their electricity and petroleum reserves.

Part 6 discusses the South Pacific and includes 11 chapters on countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The role of colonialisation and history is evident in the chapters appearing in this part of the book. Chapter 38 discusses the geographic concentration of indigenous people in Australia as over half live in New South Wales and Queensland with the role this has played in developing businesses in those areas. The success of a Maori tribe in New Zealand is examined in Chapter 43 as a role model for other indigenous communities in the world.

Part 7 aptly titled “Toward future research” includes two chapters that provide a useful synopsis of the book. Chapter 48, the last chapter, provides a good conclusion of all the previous chapters and a synthesis of understanding on indigenous entrepreneurship topics. Overall, this is an outstanding collection of papers that have clearly been well thought out and written. Together, the book provides a critical foundation of indigenous entrepreneurship throughout the world. The novel chapters are extremely interesting and great to read. Moreover, the book is a compulsory addition for scholars in the field of indigenous entrepreneurship and a welcome addition to the literature on indigenous entrepreneurship. The layout and structure of the book is well refined and I would highly recommend the book to all entrepreneurship scholars, practitioners and the general community as a thoroughly researched and useful reference. Photos are also included in the book, providing a human dimension to the terrific chapters detailed in the book. This book is definitely a great addition to the indigenous entrepreneurship field and will remain a cornerstone of indigenous entrepreneurship studies for many years to come.