Life is just amazing! Supposedly I am a part-time `inner-city-missionary` with barely any income and with a master`s thesis hanging over my head and yet I set in the London Palladium tonight and watched Venezuela Viva at a British Red Cross function. Amongst many others there were Mr and Mrs ambassadors, some very famous misses of some very famous misters: Mohamed Al-Fayed`s beautiful wife and Bruce Forsyth`s other half. And by the rumour I`ve heard the King of Greece himself was there as well and plenty paparazzi outside.
But back to the thesis, I got up at 5pm and wrote the introduction. It still needs to settle a bit.
Thesis Introduction
Glocal Trinnovation
-A comparative study of the effects of policy making on the decreasing number of Hungarian artisans versus opportunity entrepreneurship and the English sole-traders-
This thesis is set to examine the effects of policy making and necessity entrepreneurship on the decreasing number of Hungarian artisans. Furthermore through case studies from both England and Africa it provides a comparison on why starting up small businesses in the field of craftsmanship in Hungary has a decline of success stories. Finally by looking at possible local skills, materials and markets the thesis provides a possible solution for community development by using traditional craft as a basis combined with global experience and innovation.
The idea came from the author`s personal experience of being brought up in a Hungarian artisan family, being educated in England and gaining experience in researching sustainable development projects on a local level in Southern Africa. This unique insight how the economic development of a country affects its policy making, innovation and entrepreneurship programs with regards of sustainable economic success from a business point of view gave a strong outline of the main research questions: How policy making could have a positive effect in Hungary to increase the numbers of artisans by not having to carry the burdens of heavy necessity entrepreneurial taxes?
Glocal Trinnovation is a new term created by the author from two portmanteau words. Glocal has been used by Glocal (Media and Communication for Development). The word Glocal is derived from glocalization, meaning ‘think global, act local’ 1. Trinnovation combines the words tradition and innovation and enhances a connection between the experience of tradition and the advances of Innovation. Glocal Trinnovation is the analyses of the relationship between empowerment and social sustainability in traditional craft and contemporary fashion (product design and development) through policy making and its long-term effects on local economic growth. Glocal Trinnovation is a new way of approaching the relationship between fashion and traditional craft by using local skills, local sources and local markets under the umbrella of global knowledge and innovation of low carbon footprint considerate design meaning during the making process from local materials the carbon footprint created during the transportation between raw materials, makers and markets is kept minimum.
The main questions of the idea, which the author tries to answer through this thesis has sprung from historical evidence of the decline of village tailoring by the effects of policy making in the author`s village tailor family history, who is a third generational designer-maker. In 2004 after spending 4 years in England and before starting university the author took a gap year which she spent in Hungary and that was the time when she first encountered the term: necessity entrepreneur2, which is the opposite of opportunity entrepreneur. Reynolds at al. explicitly distinguishes between “opportunity-based” and “necessity-based” entrepreneurship in the annual report (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) to measure the rate of entrepreneurial activity across countries. Necessity entrepreneur is a direct result of transition economy, privatisation and high taxes, whilst
1 http://www.glocal.nu
2Reynolds et al. (2002, p.16)
according to Reynolds et al. it is possible to label more than 97 percent of those who are entrepreneurially active as either opportunity or necessity entrepreneurs. Opportunity-based entrepreneurship involves those who choose to start their own business by taking advantage of an entrepreneurial opportunity. Necessity-based entrepreneurship involves people who start a business because other employment options are either absent or unsatisfactory. `There appears to be a positive relationship between self-employed parents and the probability of reaching a later stage in the entrepreneurial process, in particular for opportunity entrepreneurs. For necessity entrepreneurs there is a negative effect of the perception of a lack of financial support on the probability of active involvement in the entrepreneurial process.` Lack of government support from a policy perspective it is important to understand what drives and characterizes opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship. Do opportunity entrepreneurs indeed have a higher preference for entrepreneurship than necessity entrepreneurs (i.e., are they more motivated to become self-employed)? Reynolds et al. (2002) suggest that necessity entrepreneurs may not necessarily be affected by the same factors as opportunity entrepreneurs. This would imply that current programs designed to encourage entrepreneurship may be appropriate for opportunity motivated entrepreneurs, but not for necessity-motivated entrepreneurs. Opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship may also differ with respect to performance. It has been argued that opportunity entrepreneurship is more likely to have a higher contribution to the economy in terms of innovation and job creation (Reynolds et al., 2002). Hence, policy makers may need to develop different sets of policies to support opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship. The main goal of this study is to investigate whether opportunity and necessity entrepreneurs differ with respect to socio-demographic factors and attitudes towards entrepreneurial activity. Moreover, do opportunity entrepreneurs perceive and experience different obstacles to starting up and running a business than necessity entrepreneurs?
The journey from `Mission Possible` to `Glocal Trinnovation`:
From an African experience of setting up sewing projects to the decreasing number of Hungarian artisans. To start with drawing upon research and the challenges of product design development undertaken for final major project on BA, PDDFI – Clothing at London College of Fashion, it was intended to deepen the research and further explore the possibilities and the road to success of sustainable development in disadvantaged African communities.
Throughout the research, it was identified that high percentage of the people living in the First World, who has disposable income have a limited understanding of the challenges people in disadvantaged communities have to face on a daily basis. The role of the volunteers in setting up sustainable sewing projects on ground and supporting from the First World not known, either. The financial, medical, environmental, social and gender differences between Western customers and Sub – Saharan makers comes across with a significant difference in reasoning why clothing and accessories are made and bought. Setting up projects based on skills and materials, that can be sourced on ground and sold for Western customers is more than a challenge.
By working in partnership with an existing organisation an analytical journey of a product designed and made by women in disadvantaged communities, and sold for western costumers was proposed to be written and illustrated with photographs. The aim of the book was to show a real picture of both makers and customers from their everyday life, which could educate and inform readers about sustainable development in a visual and easily readable way. The idea was to create a bridge between the disadvantaged and the wealthy by introducing people from both sides of the label.
Early on the research during conversations of the theme of the thesis in Hungary it was identified that there is a need there in local development in craft to create sustainable livelihoods, which was not encouraged by the policy making at that time. Few factors had been eased since 2008 due to the change of the political scene, which has a more favourable effect on necessity entrepreneurs in terms of reduction of bureaucracy burden when registering. The shift of the research has given the author a unique insight in the relationship between policy making and the decreasing number of Hungarian artisans. The need for sustainable development projects on local level to create jobs locally by using local materials and local skills for the local market to generate income in areas where the unemployment level is high in order to keep the money flowing within the community made it necessary to concentrate not only on the design elements of the products, but on the surrounding main factors: business and economics.
During BA(hons) PDDFI Clothing, the author`s final year project was based on a volunteer – research trip to Southern Africa for Hope for Africa Missions, where an in – depth research was undertaken to set up self – sustainable sewing projects to empower women in disadvantaged communities, in Lesotho and Mozambique. The research undertaken both on ground and in England gave an overall understanding of the social, economical, environmental, medical and gender differences between the first world and the third world. Through meeting charity board members, social entrepreneurs and researchers involved in microfinance projects in Africa and Asia I have a priceless knowledge base of the business and financial issues involved behind every project set up was gathered.
The challenge of applying PDDFI principles in an environment, where there is no electricity and running water gave an opportunity of constant problem solving in order to create products that the women could learn to make in a short period of time to reduce the leeway for turnover.
During the research into an ethically aware consumer base in England with disposable income, it was realised, that although the target customers are more and more interested in sustainable products, they know very little or almost nothing about the makers and the challenges they face on a daily bases. This led to discover a huge gap in knowledge between the third world maker and the first world customer, giving an idea, to create a bridge by telling stories from both sides of the label.
During summer 2007 the author volunteered for Hope for Africa Missions to carry out research in Southern African communities. The aim of the research was to identify possibilities for setting up sustainable sewing projects in order to empower women in disadvantaged communities.
During the mission trip the author developed a deep interest in research and problem solving for sustainable development through translating the skills learnt on BA Product Design and Development for Clothing. Through the realisation of the final year project a sustainability model was developed for the charity, which could since been used in the visited communities in Lesotho and Mozambique. During this process a keen interest in sustainable development was deepened even further in combining local skills, materials and markets.
The fashion industry is going through a significant change concerning sustainability and ethical issues. I would like to gain a full understanding about what this change is bringing into the industry from the product design development through customers’ needs and expectations on an international level. I strongly believe by given the opportunity to study on MA Fashion and The Environment course, the skills and knowledge I gain would significantly affect my ability to help the disadvantaged and would give me a chance to be able to obtain a job in the field of research and practical development working for both the fashion industry and the social sector.
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