Page 57 - 1-Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development by Norman Walzer (z-lib.org)

46 Ron Hustedde

This investment has provided Fairfield with 3,000 new jobs and nearly $1
billion in equity. Local residents view their community as the “Entrepre-
neurial Capital of Iowa.”
Self-assessment surveys can also trigger new conversations and reflections
about attitudes, capacity, and the climate for entrepreneurship. The RUPRI
Center for Rural Entrepreneurship (2006) has several surveys in its toolkit for
Energizing Entrepreneurs: Charting a Course for Rural Entrepreneurs. The Rural
Community Entrepreneurship Survey and other tools have been posed to
elected leaders, economic development professionals, and social and busi-
ness entrepreneurs to foster different perspectives about the entrepreneurial
capacities of the community. Even a simple question such as “Where has en-
trepreneurship succeeded in our area?” or “Are we entrepreneurial-friendly?”
have engaged communities in soul-searching conversations about attitudes,
technical and financial assistance, infrastructure, and a range of other issues
associated with an entrepreneurial culture.

STRATEGY 2. WELCOME FRESH VOICES
AND EMBRACE DIVERSITY

A systems approach to entrepreneurship includes symbolic diversity—a
community-level orientation that inspires communities to engage in con-
structive controversy. Rural communities provide settings in which people
see each other in a variety of roles; however, rural communities tend to sup-
press controversy such as the need for a new landfill to avoid feeling un-
comfortable when meeting the person concerned at church or the bowling
alley. Absence of controversy can be as dangerous for communities as con-
flict.
Communities can depersonalize politics where controversy is accepted:
people can still disagree with one another but still respect each other. Sym-
bolic diversity can be stimulated by a focus on process rather than on win-
ning. It calls for a broader definition of group identity which expands the
“we” with fewer “theys” and with more permeable group boundaries (Flora
and Flora 1993).
The Washington Policy Center is an example of symbolic diversity. It co-
operated with 60 organizations, including the Washington State Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce, the PNW Black Chamber of Commerce, and the
Latino Business Association, to bring 350 diverse small business leaders to-
gether to discuss how to improve the state’s business climate. Discussion
guidelines created a safe space for various perspectives to be heard and to
reach consensus about small business issues such as regulatory uncertainty,
lack of government accountability, and actual or perceived antibusiness at-
titudes. After a 2003 conference, 5 small business recommendations and 15