Pragmatism and Entrepreneurship Policy in Communities
This paper examines how pragmatism can serve as a foundational paradigm for entrepreneurship policy. Drawing on Kraaijenbrink (2008) and OECD (2011) frameworks, it traces the evolution of entrepreneurship models from a linear, rational process to a more integrated, circular model that accounts for the interplay between entrepreneurs, their environment, and the broader community. The paper identifies three key dimensions of pragmatic entrepreneurship — individual abilities, physical environment, and social context — and argues that effective policy must integrate all three. It concludes that public deliberation, consensus building, and clearly defined partner roles are essential to creating conditions in which entrepreneurship can thrive.
- Introduction: Pragmatism as an Entrepreneurial Framework: Pragmatism introduced as entrepreneurship policy foundation
- The Evolution of Pragmatic Entrepreneurship Models: Shift from linear to circular entrepreneurship models
- The Three Dimensions of Pragmatist Entrepreneurship: Individual, environmental, and social factors explained
- Applying Pragmatism to Entrepreneurship Policy: OECD-based policy recommendations for communities
- Conclusion: Integrated pragmatism enables thriving entrepreneurial communities
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its policy argument in a clearly articulated theoretical framework — pragmatism — before moving to practical recommendations, giving the argument a coherent foundation.
- It traces the historical evolution of the entrepreneurship model (linear to circular/integrated), which contextualizes why a pragmatic approach is necessary rather than merely preferred.
- The conclusion is concise and directly tied to the paper's central claim, avoiding the common mistake of introducing new material at the end.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of theory-to-application reasoning: it first explains a conceptual model (Kraaijenbrink's pragmatist entrepreneurship framework), then maps its components onto a practical policy context (OECD community entrepreneurship strategy). This two-step structure — "here is the theory, here is how it applies" — is a reliable and persuasive method for policy-oriented academic writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by establishing the importance of entrepreneurship and introducing pragmatism as a useful policy lens. It then reviews the shift from the older linear model to a more complex, interactive one. The three dimensions of the pragmatist model (environment, individual, society) are then explained before being applied to OECD-based policy recommendations. A brief conclusion ties the argument together. The structure is linear and logical, making it easy to follow even in a short essay format.
Introduction: Pragmatism as an Entrepreneurial Framework
Entrepreneurship is one of the most important drivers of business and prosperity today. Communities where entrepreneurship thrives are strong. Hence, entrepreneurship policies need to be in place to encourage communities to become self-sustaining and business oriented. In this, Anderson's view of pragmatism can be used as a starting point: being neither a technique of neutral problem solving nor mere compromise, pragmatism actively considers the most important elements that can promote entrepreneurship in a specific community, and seeks the best ways to implement these. It is therefore an important paradigm in terms of creating effective entrepreneurial policy. In other words, policy makers need a pragmatic paradigm upon which to base policies that would promote entrepreneurship in communities.
The Evolution of Pragmatic Entrepreneurship Models
According to Kraaijenbrink (2008, p. 2), the current pragmatic model of entrepreneurship has undergone considerable evolution over the last 20 years. In the past, pragmatism was assumed to focus on the rationally planned, risk-taking, and linear process of opportunity recognition and exploitation. This process begins with the entrepreneur first recognizing the opportunity to create a profitable business, then creating a business plan, investigating the market, developing a marketing campaign, and ultimately launching the business. Profitability is furthermore reliant upon the ability of the entrepreneur to create innovative and derivative products according to the revealed needs of the community.
Kraaijenbrink (2008, p. 2), however, notes that scholars have begun to question this model in favor of a more complex interaction model — one that accounts for the dynamic relationships occurring between the entrepreneur, the public, and the product as catalyst. This is a circular process, which the author refers to as a "means-driven and risk-aversive" process. Pragmatism, according to the author, provides an alternative to the overly rational model that operates on a strictly linear basis.
The Three Dimensions of Pragmatist Entrepreneurship
In the pragmatist model, human beings perceive the world in terms of possibilities and the possible actions that they can take (Kraaijenbrink, 2008, p. 7). There are a set of alternative opportunities that provide both abilities and constraints for business people to pursue certain ventures. The business plan is therefore dependent upon these abilities and constraints. The abilities and constraints that the environment provides are furthermore tempered by the inherent abilities of the business person him- or herself. The third dimension of pragmatism is the constraints and abilities provided by the surrounding society. Hence, entrepreneurship is dependent upon the external physical and social environment, as well as internal factors such as inherent abilities and resources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, pragmatism today recognizes the integrated nature of human relationships and endeavors. These can be used to create the best environment for entrepreneurship to thrive.
References
Kraaijenbrink, J. (2008, May 22–23). The nature of the entrepreneurial process: Causation, effectuation, and pragmatism. Dutch Institute for Knowledge Intensive Entrepreneurship (NIKOS). Retrieved from http://doc.utwente.nl/73744/1/Kraaijenbrink.pdf
OECD (2011). Entrepreneurship policy delivery. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/document/21/0,3746,en2157136138013663380408231111,00.html
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