Advancing Entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates

This short chapter provides an introduction to the book and an overview of the research. A brief outline of the main chapters. The research design is also provided along with the main research question this book seeks to explore. Important background information on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and entrepreneurship in the region is also included in the chapter. Entrepreneurship in the UAE is still a bit of an enigma; there are significant investments in entrepreneurship and ample opportunities for Emiratis to start new ventures. Yet the number of Emiratis who own and run their own businesses is still relatively low when compared with other parts of the world. This book distinguishes between investors who merely own a business and entrepreneurs who are actively involved in running their business. In doing so this book discounts the vast number of Emiratis who own small businesses such as restaurants, barber shops and launderettes but seldom get involved in the day to day running of these businesses.This exercise highlights a significant entrepreneurial gap in the UAE. This chapter also briefly considers some of the reasons behind this Emirati entrepreneurial gap.

Emerging from the shadows of political economy and economic science, historically, entrepreneurship has struggled to gain its rightful place as a key construct of modern civilization. This chapter provides an overview of the theory of entrepreneurship and its development over the last three centuries. It incorporates developmental constructs that have forged the theory of entrepreneurship to its modern form. The chapter also includes the important Austrian and American perspectives that are central to how we view entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs today. By doing so this section of the book starts to develop a picture of an innovative and acting entrepreneur, his/her role and the factors needed for success. The section on price, monopolies, and competition is particularly useful in understanding the modern entrepreneur’s plight.

The entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial process are at the core of this book. Despite multiple variations, the entrepreneur and entrepreneurship are inseparable and the entrepreneur is widely accepted as the core driver of entrepreneurship. However, the theory of entrepreneurship has not been consolidated and lacks a universal definition of entrepreneurship or indeed the entrepreneur. This chapter defines entrepreneurship and the entrepreneur, among other terms relevant to this book. Key concepts such as entrepreneurial motivation, action, and entrepreneurial characteristics are also discussed along with other central constructs such as environmental factors and competing models of entrepreneurship. This process has also allowed for a distinct separation between entrepreneurship and the entrepreneur. In doing so, this important chapter outlines the theoretical framework that has guided this research.

This short chapter outlines the research methodology and design adopted for this study. The type of methodology, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed, should be determined by the nature of the phenomenon being studied. In trying to unravel context-bound experiences of young Emirati nationals, the following chapter justifies a qualitative approach using open-ended in-depth interviews. After an outline of the research aim, objectives, and questions, the population and sampling strategies are discussed. This chapter also deals with important issues of triangulation, credibility, and utility. The last two sections of the chapter highlight data collection procedures and the software used to conduct analysis.

This chapter reports on the research results, outlining two out of the five major themes that emerged from interviews, their relevance to explaining the entrepreneurial gap and related challenges, and the opportunities for young Emiratis. Using interview data and direct quotations, this chapter reports on and analyzes the two themes of personal characteristics and family. The theme of personal characteristics includes the sub-themes of need for achievement (nAch), need for independence, risk-taking propensity, and capacity to innovate. The theme of family includes the sub-themes of family circumstance, family approval, family support, and commitment to family. The sample demographic data is also provided in this chapter.

This chapter reports on the research results, outlining two out of the five major themes that emerged from interviews, their relevance to explaining the entrepreneurial gap, and the related challenges and opportunities for young Emiratis. Using interview data and direct quotations, this chapter reports on and analyzes two themes of culture and perceived behavior control (PBC). The theme of culture includes the sub-themes of collectivist nationalism, perceptions of entrepreneurship, religion and tradition, and, lastly, reputation. The theme of perceived behavior control included the sub-themes of access to finance, access to support, competition, education, market knowledge, and time. The chapter also discusses the findings, further exploring the interconnected nature of major themes and their implications for entrepreneurship in the UAE.

The role of government has far reaching consequences for Emiratis and emerges as a corner stone of Emirati society. Therefore, this theme, along with four related sub-themes, has been outlined separately in this chapter. Using interview data and direct quotations this chapter reports on and analyzes the theme, role of government, which includes the sub-themes of political role models, government support programs (GSP), government regulations, and expectations of government support programs. The sub-theme of political leadership as role models was unexpected; this sub-theme highlighted the experiences and perceptions of Emiratis and how political leaders, past and present, had a profound effect on young Emiratis’ motivation and ambition. This chapter illustrated the importance Emiratis place on government and opportunities connected with the role of government.

This chapter of the book summarizes major themes and sub-themes and highlights important outcomes of the interviews to establish a coherent picture of the nascent Emirati entrepreneur. In line with the methodology, this section provides brief interpretations and starts the meaning-making process. The chapter provides a discussion of the many gauges Emiratis entrepreneurs use to assess the likelihood of success in undertaking entrepreneurial action. This chapter proposes five distinct types of young Emiratis who may not be entrepreneurs but have the potential. In doing so, the book provides a better understanding of how more Emiratis may be supported to recognize entrepreneurship as a viable vehicle to realize their ambitions and advance entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates.

This chapter outlines major conclusions that can be drawn from this book and through these a model of entrepreneurship for the UAE is proposed. The chapter provides a synopsis of why some young Emiratis are unable to translate their entrepreneurial intentions into action. The Emirati Model of Entrepreneurship (EME) frames key factors that affect behavior and, act as opportunities and challenges when encouraging young Emiratis to enter the realms of entrepreneurship. Although this model is drawn from the UAE context it has relevance to the wider Gulf region. It can help provide a better understanding of Emirati entrepreneurs and which support mechanisms can be developed to help advance entrepreneurship, specifically among this stratum of the population.