New Zealand has healthy entrepreneurial culture
New Zealand businesses have a positive attitude both towards expanding internationally and the support they get from
government agencies to do it, says a Victoria University professor.
David Crick, who was recently appointed Professor of International Entrepreneurship in Victoria's School of Marketing
and International Business, says limited domestic demand and New Zealand's distance from bigger markets have led to a
strong underlying entrepreneurial culture in business.
Professor Crick held senior academic positions in universities in the United Kingdom before coming to New Zealand and
has had extensive experience around the world researching and assisting businesses to become more internationalised.
While most of his work to date has focused on businesses in the United Kingdom, he has started interviewing New Zealand
companies as part of ongoing research. Professor Crick is examining the international competitiveness of firms in
overseas markets and evaluating overseas trade promotion by government agencies, such as New Zealand Trade and
Enterprise.
"Management teams in New Zealand are typically more positive about the support they receive from government than their
counterparts in the United Kingdom and many other countries," says Professor Crick.
"Domestic managers in particular feel that government agencies are working alongside them to help them go global."
Professor Crick will expand on his research findings when he delivers his inaugural lecture, titled "Seizing
Opportunities: Lessons From International Entrepreneurs", at Victoria on Tuesday 6 September at 6pm.
He will also discuss what works and what doesn't when businesses are looking to establish themselves in overseas markets
and how students studying business and entrepreneurship in universities are assessed.
"Typical forms of assessment are not the best way to prepare students to start on an international entrepreneurial
journey. For example, how often in the workplace would a person be asked to write an essay?"
In his programmes, he uses interactive teaching methods and real world case studies to ensure students gain skills that
are transferable to the workplace.
Professor Crick began his career in the defence industry. He studied at night school before going on to complete an MBA
at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and a PhD at the University of Wales in Cardiff. He held professorships at
universities in Leicester and Birmingham before taking up a role at Victoria last year.
Professor Crick has undertaken visiting professorships in Russia, Poland, Norway, Canada, Malaysia and the United
Kingdom. He also spent a month at Victoria University in 2006.