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.