All too often, the idea of what makes an entrepreneur is something of a cliché – think pinstriped suits and testosterone - but researchers at Lancaster University are working to nurture, celebrate and explore entrepreneurship wherever those skills are to be found.

From refugees to single mothers, flourishing family businesses to small start-ups, Lancaster’s research is helping to understand what makes successful entrepreneurs tick and is changing lives by building on success.

The University's work in this space encompasses more diversity than ever, thanks to the growing Entrepreneurs in Residence network that began 16 years ago and now spans the globe.

Dr Carolyn Downs is all too familiar with the stereotype of the entrepreneur, but thanks to her work and others in her field, the idea of what makes an entrepreneur is changing.

In 2015, Dr Downs launched a successful programme to get ‘hard-to-reach’ people, including single mothers and recovering addicts, back into work. Designed to give participants the confidence and skills to start a business - and taught in launderettes and cafes rather than formal settings - ‘Eliemental’ has seen 35% of UK, Greece, and Romania participants start their own businesses.

Dr Downs said: “People from excluded groups, including those with physical disabilities, mental health issues, young offenders and migrants, can’t see how they can ever break into the system of demonstrating specific qualifications, skills and experience. This leaves them in poverty, isolated, and unable to participate in communities.

“Starting a business can help anyone skip over some of the rigid barriers. You need an idea and energy to get started. But the biggest barrier is the image of the entrepreneur built up as the wealth-generating hero and turned into a cultural phenomenon through programmes like The Apprentice.”

Entrepreneurship in refugee communities

Meanwhile, Dr Sophie Alkhaled, specialising in gender and entrepreneurship, has recently explored entrepreneurship in refugee communities across the Middle East and Europe.

Dr Alkhaled, who is of British and Syrian descent, said: “Talking to Syrian refugees, who live in urban and rural areas of Jordan, as well as the Zaatari Refugee camp, makes you appreciate how they essentially have no means of economic survival, as they have no work permits and international aid is being cut. They’ve been forcibly displaced and are effectively living in limbo, surrounded by more than half a million other Syrians in the country and the camps.

“But, incredibly, you see huge amounts of entrepreneurship amongst women. While the men are pressured to immediately find illegal work such as labouring or working out of sight in sweatshops or restaurant kitchens, the women told me they couldn’t just sit back and do nothing for their family, so they started making money by making and selling heritage craftwork and home-kitchen cooking.”

With families living on or below the ‘survival threshold’ – the ability to pay for basics such as rent, healthcare and food - these entrepreneurial women recycle whatever materials they have to hand and create craftwork to sell to friends and neighbours to survive.

Dr Alkhaled said: “These women are positive figures and role models for their children and those around them. On a national level, they should be valued as contributing to the local economy rather than just being seen as ‘burdens’ on the economy. What is fascinating is that entrepreneurship not only gives them the financial means to survive and feed their families but also increases their sense of empowerment, independence and belonging as individuals and a collective Syrian women refugee community.”

While women’s entrepreneurship may be undervalued in some countries, in contrast to others where women are actively supported to strengthen economies, there has been a rise in the number of women using their entrepreneurial identity and network as a platform for political change.

Another strand of Dr Alkhaled’s research explores the journey of empowerment and emancipation for female entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, a country close to her heart. She spent eleven years of her childhood immersed in its rich culture.

She said: “The modifications in the Male Guardianship Law in 2019, which allowed women to work and travel without male permission, has led to an increase in successful female-run businesses.

“But while the barriers to being a female entrepreneur, like the ability to rent, travel and drive, have been removed, the women argue that they still need more support from their families, society and government to reach their full entrepreneurial potential.

“And they are using their entrepreneurial platform and voice to lobby for policy changes, proving to be quite effective in a country balancing tradition and change.”

Keeping it in the family

Dr Allan Discua Cruz, himself a member of a successful multi-generational family business, believes family-run businesses like IKEA and Samsung can have a competitive advantage and create a context for entrepreneurship.

He said, “Studying many family businesses over the generations, it’s clear that close family relationships, well-established networks, and a shared vision, often with strong community links, give them a competitive edge over others.”

His research has provided a closer look into entrepreneurship driven by family aspirations, dreams and crises.

“Family businesses epitomise entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial ideas reflect not only a business rationale but also family objectives. These ideas are discussed in business offices and at home, around a family dinner or game. In doing so, family businesses allow the next generation of entrepreneurs to make sense of the chaotic journey of entrepreneurship and make it less intimidating.”

The long-term nature of family businesses and diversification into new or complementary sectors as different family members join the firm also help them succeed.

Dr Discua Cruz has also researched the importance of religion and how it not only brings a competitive edge but also helps the environment by promoting more ethical, sustainable decisions.

He said: “Family business leaders who integrate religious beliefs into their organisations have closer family relationships and a shared ethical vision which creates a unique work culture.

“The Christian faith, like many others, teaches people to sustain and preserve the natural environment. Businesses working on a principle of faith are more focused on this and have strong environmental, social and governance practices.”

He added: “Given the long-term nature of family businesses, there is typically a strong link between the place and the local community. Family firms want to support local people and preserve the environment where the business operates and the family and workforce live.”

With businesses often spanning many generations, succession is a hot topic of research for Dr Discua Cruz and his colleague, Dr Bingbing Ge.

While family business in television blockbusters like HBO's hit drama Succession may depict the handing down of a business as a battle of ultimate control, their research reveals that there are, in fact, many recipes for success.

Dr Ge, who has studied family businesses, has found that succession isn’t always planned and that future business success depends on how well knowledge is transferred from one leader to another.

Dr Ge said: “Some of the knowledge is explicit; it’s easily found in the contents of a company manual or product, but it’s the tacit knowledge that people aren’t aware of, the skills and knowledge gained through experience and leadership that is less easy to transfer.

“Participatory leadership styles, where successors can attend meetings and shadow the boss, perform better. So do those where the leader gives the successor access to their private knowledge or the knowledge of other key people.

“Grooming the successor might come naturally, particularly to those whose children have grown up in and around the business through the informal family sphere or working in the business. But gaining experience outside of the family business makes family firms thrive through innovation of products, processes, and organisation.”

She added: “Businesses need an action plan, one eye on succession and a knowledge tick list to ensure that when the baton needs to be passed on, the family and all the stakeholders understand what needs to be done.”

Like Dr Ge, Mr Brian Gregory, a successful fire safety entrepreneur turned Senior Teaching Fellow, believes sharing knowledge and real-world experience is key to successful entrepreneurship.

He has grown the University’s Entrepreneurs in Residence Network which links business leaders in different countries, industries, and markets with students to a worldwide phenomenon. The entrepreneurs help enhance classroom learning by bringing theory to life, offering insight into real-life challenges and experience from the front line of business, in markets all around the world.

Mr Gregory said: “When I took over, we had 40 members who were mostly white and all based in the UK, which is great, but I wanted our students to see entrepreneurship around the world and in people from different backgrounds.

“Entrepreneurs offer so much to our school and to other students around the world. They act as mentors, are sometimes there in lectures, and are on hand for the unique problems students face. Our entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily the stereotypical, polished business people you might imagine – it’s very much about their spirit and who our students will engage with.

“We now have 20 per cent of members from overseas with over 30 per cent from diverse backgrounds and last year we delivered 42,000 student hours to 5000 students and Year 11 pupils.”

Working in partnership with the Global Business School Network (GSBN), Lancaster’s Entrepreneurs in Residence network took to a global stage in 2021 in a bid to create a pool of entrepreneurs that could help students, researchers, lecturers and business in all corners of the globe.

Lancaster’s Entrepreneurs in Residence network has played a part in many students establishing their own businesses post-graduation and is strengthening links with schools and universities around the world including in Egypt, Pakistan, Finland, and Australia.

Meanwhile, researchers have launched a new Social Enterprise in Residence scheme in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS). The scheme is designed to enable social enterprises and academics to identify shared interests and expertise. Working together, they hope to develop new initiatives or explore funding opportunities. The social enterprises will host masterclasses and FASS student interns will be placed with each organization.

In 2024 and 2025, the University will host Advantage Africa, MADE for Health, and Deco Publique. Advantage Africa is a charity in East Africa that supports people affected by poverty, disability, and HIV to improve their education, health, and income. MADE for Health is a social enterprise working to improve healthcare buildings for patients, staff, and communities. Deco Publique is an art and culture company making original new work that animates coastal spaces, rural landscapes, and urban centres in the North of England.

Professor Charlotte Baker of Lancaster University’s newly-launched School of Global Affairs and FASS Associate Dean for Engagement said: “Social enterprises are businesses that positively impact society. Lancaster University does this locally and on a global scale, and we felt it was the perfect time to bring this work together and learn from some of the best social Enterprises out there.”

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