THE IMPACT OF SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT ON ENTREPRENEURIAL EMERGENCE: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF NIGERIAN SOCIETY

Abstract

The paper presents an analytical and evaluative study of the impact of socio-cultural environment on entrepreneurial emergence. The paper is based on theoretical survey of the socio-cultural characteristics of Nigerian society and its major sub-societies; and their roles in the emergence of entrepreneurs. The analysis of the relationship of socio-cultural environment and its influence on entrepreneurial emergence is built on a blend of scattered observations and some qualified reasoning about the distribution of business ownership amongst Nigerian ethnic groups, and gender. Primarily, the study reveals that socio-cultural environment significantly impact, both negatively and positively, on entrepreneurial emergence in society. It is revealed that beyond the negative or adverse economic circumstance of individuals, the value system of a people is a great determinant of the desire and capacity of people becoming entrepreneurs. Specifically, in Nigeria the study reveals that the prevalent socio-cultural characteristics, particularly the value system has enormous negative influence on the emergence of entrepreneurs. However, the findings also indicate that it is not all a negative influence but in some ways the Nigerian socio-cultural environment has positively influenced the emergence of Nigerian entrepreneurs. This disproves the general notion that the Nigerian society absolutely does not provide opportunities for entrepreneurial emergence. It is noted that although the Nigerian environment consists more of negative features, these features can be turned around and tapped as motivation for business ownership by potential entrepreneurs. Many Nigerians are entrepreneurs today through this approach. The paper however, recommends that certain traditions and values in Nigerian global and sub-cultural systems which have remained barriers to people particularly women becoming entrepreneurs must be dropped or modified to pave way for the emergence of entrepreneurs among Nigerian men and women. It is also recommended that there is need for a socio-cultural environmental management based on value reengineering and reorientation approach by government through its relevant agencies to help change and redirect the attitude and behaviour of Nigerians positively towards entrepreneurial involvement. Finally, Nigeria and similar societies should learn from the earlier and newly industrialized societies what socio-cultural characteristics and features make them thick as entrepreneurial societies, and modify their socio-cultural situations along such path. Keywords: Impact, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial emergence, Theoretical analysis, Socio-cultural environment, Value re-engineering and re-orientation

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