Preserving Culture through Small Business: Government Support for Artisans and Craftsmen in Greece

Abstract

While literature and governments often link entrepreneurship with innovation, Greece uses small business as a means to preserve cultural tradition. The result of ethnographic field research, this global perspective is about the efforts to promote long-term development of rural, small-scale enterprises in traditional sectors of the Greek economy. Schumpeter (1911), and many after him, linked entrepreneurship with innovation (Barnard 1949: Baumol 1968; Drucker 1974; and Mintzberg 1973). Governments have also associated entrepreneurial behavior with innovation, and numerous policies have been designed to promote innovation among entrepreneurs. For example, the government department known as Industry, Science and Technology Canada instituted the Manufacturing Productivity Improvement Program to assist innovative entrepreneurs in adopting modern technology. In France, various networks have been established to promote technological innovations, among them the Agences Regionales d'Information Scientifique et Technologie (regional agencies for scientific and technological information) and the Centres Regionaux d'Innovation et de Transfert Technologiques (regional centers for innovation and technological transfer). Similar attempts have been initiated in newly industrialized countries. In Singapore, for instance, the Small Business Bureau provides a grant for the promotion of technological upgrading (Dana 1987). Even less-developed nations have developed interest in innovation. As discussed in Dana (1996), an example is the Trust Fund for the Development of Small Industry in Mozambique. Thus, various efforts have focused on encouraging innovation and new technologies within the small business sector. Although the same is true in Greece, innovative technologies are not the prime concern of the Greek government. Rather, emphasis is placed on assisting artisans and craftsmen. The artisan as an entrepreneur is discussed by Stanworth and Curran (1976), while the craftsman is addressed by Chandler (1962), Dunkelberg and Cooper (1982), Filley, House, and Kerr (1976), Smith (1967) and Woo, Dunkelberg, and Cooper (1988). The purpose of this article is to illustrate how the artisanal handicraft sector in Greece has been singled out to be given special priority. The Hellenic Organization for Medium- and Small-Size Enterprises and Handicrafts The Hellenic Organization for Medium- and Small-Size Enterprises and Handicrafts is commonly referred to by its acronym, EOMMEX. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry, Research, Technology and Trade, the organization was created by laws passed in 1977 and amended in 1984 and 1991. EOMMEX is a non-profit organization funded by the Greek government and by European Union sources. Its activities are dedicated to maintaining an environment favorable for the long-term development of small-scale entrepreneurs, with special attention being given to handicrafts. Activities include keeping barriers to entry at a minimum and enhancing the economic climate to maximize the probability of success of those doing business in the sector. As well, EOMMEX is actively involved in providing artisans with a wide range of comprehensive services, including training, financial assistance, and marketing. The organization also subsidizes the interest rates on loans to small business owners, and makes available letters of guarantee. EOMMEX employs 650 specialists in Athens and in twenty-six regional offices. It also operates offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, and New York, facilitating collaboration with partners abroad. All of its services are provided free of charge. The Handicraft and Artisan Sector It is of particular interest for EOMMEX to reinforce the arts and crafts sector while preserving traditional handicraft products. Both artistic and technical assistance are provided, as are the marketing and promotion of handicraft products. In various regions, handicraft centers have been established. …

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