Indigenous Business Ecosystems (MGMT90287)

Indigenous entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems are characterized by a complex set of interconnected elements: traditional territory, leadership, culture, capital markets, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members that continuously interact, collaborate, and compete in response to the specific dynamics of a particular region. 

This subject aims to introduce students to the key issues, concerns, and theories of Indigenous hybrid venture creation in the context of entrepreneurial ecosystems that are unique to a region’s particular socioeconomic needs and priorities for social, cultural, spiritual, and environmental value creation. This subject aims to support students to build a framework for the practice of Indigenous entrepreneurship through generating insights into the creation, management, and development of new ventures by and for Indigenous peoples that are responsive to the community, its values, traditions, culture and socioeconomic needs.  

Examining the objectives of Indigenous entrepreneurship in context of social interrelationships and interdependencies will bring students into critical discussions between community’s cultural and spiritual understandings, beliefs, practices, and socioeconomic needs. Understanding the tensions inherent in Indigenous business ecosystems and the way that organisations and individuals are embedded in a particular geographical, environmental and community context will lead to a more sophisticated understanding of what is at stake and at play in Indigenous business ecosystems. The subject will explore Indigenous entrepreneurship, hybrid venture creation and entrepreneurial ecosystems and students will be encouraged to apply them to their own practice, experience and/or context of entrepreneurship.