Entrepreneurship is the backbone of society, unifying our global community like a rubber band keeping a stack of cards in order. Yet, like a rubber band, its resilience is equal to its sturdiness and strength, able to adapt to unpredictable changes and stretch to its limits in the name of innovation. Embracing creativity and change, entrepreneurship is ever-evolving, historically providing prosperity and health to humankind at large. So, why are we calling for an entrepreneurial revolution?

If the COVID-19 crisis has revealed anything to us, it’s the inequities our reality is built upon. From gender inequity to racial injustice, it has become clear that we cannot move forward as a global community without taking our neighbors’ hands, ensuring that we all move forward. Only when we stand on equal ground by uplifting marginalized groups can we create a truly humane world. In viewing entrepreneurship and business from this lens, we can establish the “new normal” for society as human-centered, building upward together.

Statistically, according to the World Inequality Report 2022: out of all global labor incomes, women make only 35%, while men make 65%. Perhaps even more disturbing is that this number for women increased by only 5% from 1990–2020. Income inequality is not only apparent in the discussion of gender, but also social classes. As of 2020, the average income of the top 10% of people in the world was 38 times higher than that of the bottom 50%. Similarly to the dismally slow improvement in income-gender disparity, the share of income collected by the poorest half of the world’s people today is around half of what it was in 1820.

Essentially, with the legacy of global economic imbalance in the arrangement of world production between the mid-19th and -20th centuries, wealth is not being distributed fairly, causing marginalized groups to remain in the minority with less opportunity for self-betterment than those in power. Humane entrepreneurship aims to cultivate a world where these numbers even out—where we center economic prosperity to achieve equity for all.

The World Inequality Report 2022 continues by demonstrating how global income inequality is closely tied to climate change impacts. Although humans emit about 6.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita per year, the top 10% of emitters contribute to nearly 50% of all emissions, while the bottom 50% generate only 12%. Therefore, beyond humankind’s livelihood and fair living standards relying on a more equal distribution of wealth, so too is the wellbeing of our planet. As the health of both humans and our planet are innately intertwined, it is obvious that we must rethink and reshape our business practices to promote sustainability and equity; otherwise, there will be no future to plan for.

The world has changed suddenly and irrevocably within the past few years. However, it’s our responsibility as entrepreneurs to use our adaptability and resilience to provide economic prosperity to our global community. With equity between different social groups, and the health of our planet at the forefront of the entrepreneurial revolution, we can sculpt the ultimate humane future.

article by:

Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy

President & CEO, ICSB

Deputy Chair, GWSB, Department of Management

We are all playing witness to a 21st-century war in Europe—seeing its widespread effects on all aspects of society across the globe.

In his piece paper, “The history of business and war: introduction,” Dr. Erik Lakomma (2017)[1]  describes how there is a significant lack of formal research currently being done on war’s influence and effect on business, specifically entrepreneurship. The following explores war’s relationship to entrepreneurship and proposes a humane approach to both the generation and rehabilitation of the affected economies, focusing on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

The people of Ukraine are no strangers to struggle. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has ushered in an era of frugal innovation, as most habitats have endured three, if not four, national crises in their lifetimes. But today—with nearly two million Ukrainians internally displaced and over two million have already fled the country—it’s time to ask, what happens when people are pushed too far into scarcity? When there are not enough resources to survive, let alone continue conducting business?

Both Russian and Ukrainian entrepreneurs and small businesses feel the steep effects of a wartime economy. While the rest of the world sees rocketing natural gas and dwindling supplies of staples like wheat, the Russian and Ukrainian experiences with both are intensified. As a result, the worth of the Russian Ruble has fallen to a record low against the US Dollar, and corporations around the world have worked tirelessly to relocate business operations and withdraw any assets from Russia. In addition, on March 11th, the United States, along with G7 countries and the European Union, announced the implementation of national economic sanctions with an intended goal of “building on the unprecedented package of economic sanctions and export controls already imposed on Russia.”

With such sanctions, what is demanded and what can be supplied shifts during the war in general. Wartime realities require frugal innovation, locally and globally, and the impediments of conflict can spur industry in new ways. Historically, there is a myriad of examples of this. While the War of 1812 is known for having provided “an impetus to American textile production,” World War II is acknowledged for the growth of the electronic and aircraft industries. Around the globe, we are experiencing new grassroots and viral movements of support in support of Ukraine. People worldwide began booking Airbnb stays in Ukraine without traveling there and purchasing digital downloads from Ukrainian vendors on Etsy and eBay, all to push funds into the country. Companies such as BlaBlaCar have even found more tangible ways to support transporting Ukrainians to safety.

Just as war influences business and entrepreneurship, conversely, entrepreneurship influences war. Known as the military-industrial complex, the phenomenon refers to the influence of companies on the government towards “continued or increased military spending.” Demonstrated most frequently by the United States elected officials who remain dependent on military industries and vote for pro-war policies, the military-industrial complex benefits primarily those in weapons supply and military technology advancement. Today, however, we see information and media companies playing much more prominent roles in the complex by disseminating (mis)information and advertising and modern offensive practices, such as cyberattacks.

These powerful companies can influence the votes of Congress. Unfortunately, the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are most likely not being represented or heard. These more singular units of economic power are so interwoven into our societal blanket that we often forget to consider their needs. When aiding them during trying times, they significantly lose between individuals and large companies.

Yet these small units communicate to the world: when it is safe, what to buy, and from where. They are local guardians, and until Ukrainian and Russian small business owners can open their doors once again, the imperative must be to protect their importance. War is another “pre-existing condition” [2] to global disease. If this new normal can not be based on any consistent sense of external stability, let’s decide to center it on an approach that is always within reach. In applying energies toward creating human-centered relationships, policies, and structures, there is a fighting chance to equilibrate the balance so that we can live in a place that upholds equity for all.

ICSB’s goal is to help bring perspective and voice to the MSMEs and entrepreneurs across the globe, and now, especially within both Ukraine and Russia. In 2016 when Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy formulated a proposal for a United Nations Day for MSMEs, he intended to see a day in which all countries, stakeholders, and companies of all sizes might celebrate the importance of MSMEs as the core units of modern society. Furthermore, MSMEs Day would act as a platform from which the global community could build ideas, synergies, and initiatives to help MSMEs prosper and grow while swiveling international attention towards these smaller units.

The day itself, June 27th demonstrates the importance of MSMEs as indicators of a peaceful society. Hence, we picked June 27 as MSMEs Day. A constant reminder of the importance of MSMEs.

Our daily choice is empathy over judgment, equity over greed, enablement over denial, and empowerment over restriction. Created from observing how small businesses operate, Humane Entrepreneurship (HumEnt) seeks to uplift humanity through creativity and innovation to develop solutions that benefit everyone. The approach of HumEnt changes our priorities.

In days of war, the future might not seem as if it is being guided towards Humane Entrepreneurship, but take a moment and look around. The world is standing up and fighting to honor humanity. So when companies pivot their creative solutions to aid those suffering in any war, it is the correct way forward.

Last year, I asked you to envision a world built around the most vulnerable[3]. I requested that we center our energies on those who need them the most and then, from that place, work to create informed policies that generate a resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Our world has changed again, so I repeat my request. 

[1] Erik Lakomaa (2017) The history of business and war: introduction, Scandinavian Economic History Review, 65:3, 224-230, DOI: 10.1080/03585522.2017.1397314

[2] and [3] https://icsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020ICSBGlobalMSMEsReport.pdf

Article by:

Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy

President & CEO, ICSB

Deputy Chair, GWSB, Department of Management

As our society moves through Industry 4.0 and acclimates to manufacturing automation, this 4th Industrial Revolution is throwing our world into uncharted waters where cold, uncompromising technology meets the warmth and unpredictability of the human experience. 

Within the context of humane entrepreneurship, we understand that each entity has its histories, values, and cultures that inform how they do business and interact with their peers. However, any time we approach a different way of operating, there are new questions that arise. Chief among them, we must ask ourselves what the role is of humane entrepreneurship at this unfamiliar intersection of technology vs. the human experience and how we can consider the lessons we have learned from the past to embody the society we want to be in the future.

According to academic and researcher Ivea ZeBryte, we must keep sight of the human element in all that we do. ZeBryte says, “When teaching entrepreneurs, we should be working through a matrix where empathy is understood as the ability to put oneself into the place of another, to identify and be sensitive to others that we recognize as different from us.” Therefore, it is precisely the differences that challenge us to come together for the greater good. To move forward together into the next realm of entrepreneurship, ZeBryte lays out the road map to follow: reevaluate, or delineate what we value as humanity;  reimagine, or work out the plurality of futures ahead of us; and reset, or build a new system of value creation and exchange based on these agreed-upon ideas.

Meanwhile, taking a more micro-level view, we must also consider what influences entrepreneurs and their decision-making processes, both internal and external. Psychological factors include personality, mindset, and level of cognition, while non-psychological elements encompass affiliation to a group, religion, culture, and friends and family. Additionally, one could underscore three main orientations: entrepreneurial, emphasizing innovation; human resource, regarding empowerment; or sustainability, highlighting environment. “When taking all of these factors cumulatively, it creates a multi-dimensional construct that is humane entrepreneurship,” says Indu Khurana, Assistant Professor at Hampden-Sydney College. Without consideration for the individual and the society, including the influences behind our decisions, we lose the value of humane entrepreneurship.

In the meantime, it is essential to reconcile these humane concepts with new technology that is rapidly advancing this current industrial revolution. Take, for example, the travel industry. With tourism contributing USD 8.9 trillion to global GDP, it is closely linked to countries’ social, economic, and environmental well-being. The opportunities to make it even more innovative and efficient through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are endless. Still, it is essential to consider what cost they may come, particularly for these citizens for whom so much is at stake. As Dr. Jugho Suh, Assistant Professor at George Washington University School of Business, warns, “AI-based off of Big Data is not a panacea for all problems…AI can read patterns and behavior, but it cannot read attitude, values, or underlying motives for action.” Therefore, while it is essential to lift the travel industry in this current age of technology, we must not do so at the expense of human lives.

At its core, technological advances have brought us to the current era and given countless opportunities to those living today. However, we are experiencing an important crossroads right now, one with immense ramifications for future generations, and it is up to us the future we choose to orient ourselves toward. Although there will always be significant differences across cultures, we must find common values to move into the future that we desire together.

Watch the session below for more on the impacts of colonialism on Chile, religion in India, and AI technology on the travel industry.

article by:

Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy

President & CEO, ICSB

Deputy Chair, GWSB, Department of Management