MIKE B MSc. in Innovation, Knowledge and Entrepreneurial dynamics The Role of Entrepreneurs in Developing Economies: Case of Cameroon Master Thesis Spring 2020 Lambert Tardzeyuf BINLA Study Number: 20281710 Card Number: 170048 Jesper Lindgaard Christensen Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Management Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences Associate Professor, IKE Group Table of Contents List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. 5 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 6 List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................... 7 List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 10 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 11 Chapter One .................................................................................................................................. 12 1.1. General Introduction ...................................................................................................... 12 1.1.1. Enterprise in Cameroon .............................................................................................. 13 1.1.2. Motivation, Mission and Purpose ............................................................................... 14 1.1.3. Current Background of Cameroon’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem ............................ 16 1.2. Description of Cameroon, Entrepreneurial and Business Reforms ................................ 17 1.2.1. Post-Colonial Socio-Political History of Cameroon .................................................. 17 1.2.2. Post-Colonial Socio-Economic History of Cameroon................................................ 19 1.2.3. Legal Frameworks surrounding the Cameroon Business and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem ................................................................................................................................. 21 1.3. Problem Statement and Research Objectives ................................................................. 27 1.3.1. Leading Research Question ........................................................................................ 28 1.3.2. Secondary Question .................................................................................................... 29 1.4. Literature and Theoretical Framework of the Study ...................................................... 29 1.5. Detail Theoretical Frameworks ...................................................................................... 31 1.5.1. National Systems of Entrepreneurship ....................................................................... 31 1.5.2. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, EE .................................................................................. 34 1.5.3. Global Entrepreneurship Index, GEI .......................................................................... 39 1.5.4. Areas for further Research .......................................................................................... 43 Chapter Two.................................................................................................................................. 45 2.1. Entrepreneurial Ventures, Role and Importance of Entrepreneurs. ................................... 45 2.1.1. Definition of Concepts and Terms .................................................................................. 45 2.1.1.1. Who is an Entrepreneur? .............................................................................................. 45 2.1.1.2. Entrepreneurship .......................................................................................................... 45 2.1.1.3. What is a System? ........................................................................................................ 46 2.1.1.4. National Systems of Entrepreneurship, NSE ............................................................... 46 2.1.1.5. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, EE ................................................................................... 46 2 2.2. Types of Entrepreneurship Ventures ................................................................................. 46 2.3. Types and Functions of Entrepreneurs .............................................................................. 50 2.4. Role and Importance of Entrepreneurs .............................................................................. 52 Chapter Three................................................................................................................................ 59 3.1. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 59 3.1.1. Research Method ........................................................................................................ 59 3.1.2. Research Design and Philosophy ............................................................................... 60 3.1.3. Research Process ........................................................................................................ 60 3.2. Research Instruments: .................................................................................................... 61 3.2.1. Questionnaires ............................................................................................................ 61 3.2.2. Semi-Structured Interviews ........................................................................................ 62 3.2.3. Qualitative Document Analysis (QDA) ..................................................................... 63 3.3. Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 63 3.4. Reflections on delimitations, ethics and the role of the author ...................................... 64 3.4.1. Scope, Limitation and Delimitation of the Research .................................................. 64 3.4.2. Ethics and Role of the Researcher .............................................................................. 65 Chapter Four ................................................................................................................................. 66 4.1. Findings and Analysis of the Role of Cameroonian Entrepreneurs and Presentation of Cameroon Entrepreneurship Ecosystem ................................................................................... 66 4.1.1. Presentation of Cameroon Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in details ............................ 66 4.1.1.1. Actors/Formal Institutions in Cameroon Entrepreneurship Ecosystem.................. 66 4.1.1.2. Overall Cameroon Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Rankings including specific sub- rankings 68 4.2. Survey and Interview Assessements .............................................................................. 74 4.3. Survey Background Information .................................................................................... 77 4.4. The Role and Impact of Cameroonian Entrepreneurs on the Economy ......................... 79 Chapter Five .................................................................................................................................. 83 5.1. Conclusions and Recommendations............................................................................... 83 5.1.1. Challenges face by Entrepreneurs in perforing their role effectively ......................... 83 5.1.2. Recommendations for bettter Entrepreneurship Ecosystem so as to enhnace the role of Entreprenerus ........................................................................................................................ 87 5.2. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 92 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 94 3 Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 106 4 List of Tables Table 1: Various steps taken on the project in the putting place of a Center for Enterprise Formation and Creation in Cameroon……………………………………………………………..22 Table 2: Evolution of the Legal Framework and Regulations governing the putting in place of CFCE up to present…………………………………………………………………….23 Table 3: Business Reforms in Cameroon Appreciation by the World Bank Doing Business……24 Table 4: Structure of the new Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI)…………………………....41 Table 5: GEI 14 pillars with the Institutional and Individual variables Cameroon EE………….42 Table 6: 14 pilars of an Cameroon Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, reuqired increase in pillar and new efforts…………………………………………….……………………………….43 Table 7: Types of Ventures and their Characteristics…………………………………………...47 Table 8: Ranking of GEI of top countries from each Continent compared to Cameroon from 2015 to 2019……………………………………………….…………………………..69 Table 9: Global Entrepreneurship Index and Sub-Index Ranks and scores of Top 3 Countries in the world compared to Cameroon 2019………………………………………………..69 Table 10: The Global Entrepreneurship Index and Sub-Index