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Pacific Perspective

MICHAEL MORRIS

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On the road to
entrepreneurship
in Hawaii

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We live in the "E" age, and this does not refer to the electronic age. The Age of Entrepreneurship is sweeping the global economy, creating a revolution unlike anything before. The rate of new business start-ups is at an all-time high (and is highest for women and non-whites). The rates of innovation and new product introduction are at unprecedented levels. Never have more patents been issued. Entrepreneurial firms are creating more than 75 percent of the new jobs in the world today.

And what of the path being traveled by the state of Hawaii? Much is said about the troubles and travails of Hawaii when it comes to entrepreneurship.

Although the laundry list of complaints is indeed long, most of the concerns appear to fall into four general categories: economic structure (too dependent on tourism and government expenditure), the role of government (too much red tape, too much taxation), the costs and availability of resources (lack of a technically skilled labor pool, expensive costs of doing business), and culture (conservative values, collectivist orientation, aversion to risk and failure, concerns about growth).

These obstacles are troubling, especially the cultural conflicts. But the news is mostly good, not mostly bad. The entrepreneurial spirit requires that we focus on the opportunities, and recognize that entrepreneurship is booming in countries where the difficulties make Hawaii's unique challenges look like a cake walk. Hawaii has amazing resources, and there is a growing awareness that these resources must be deployed in new ways.

The first step in fundamentally changing the economic landscape of Hawaii is to stop thinking of entrepreneurship as something done by a small group visionary individuals. Rather, it must be a philosophy of government, of business and of life.

Our thinking must change in fundamental ways, including:

>>	from a paternalistic to an entrepreneurially empowering state government;
>>	from a mindset of "you can't" to a mindset of "what if?";
>>	from limited options for our youth to a philosophy of every Hawaiian child is an entrepreneur;
>>	from urgency when there is a major economic disruption to an ongoing sense of urgency;
>>	from a provider of tourism jobs to the leading exporter of tourism technology and systems management;
>>	from a home for the military to a home to hundreds of entrepreneurial suppliers to the military.

We must expect more from higher education. Every major U.S. high tech center is built around a hub of excellent universities that are integrally involved in entrepreneurship.

There is room to greatly expand the emphasis on entrepreneurship in our primary and secondary schools. Other key ingredients include more role models. Hawaii has a rich history of entrepreneurs from every ethnic group. They must be highlighted publicly and in our schools.

In the final analysis, Hawaii requires its own brand of entrepreneurship. It must be a brand built around the cultural richness, resources and spirit of our people.

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Michael Morris is the Harold and Sandy Noborikawa Chair of Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Information Technology and the academic director of the Pacific Asian Center for Enterpreneurship and E-Business at the University of Hawaii College of Business Administration. Reach him at Morris@cba.hawaii.edu.