THE RISE OF ENTERPRISE AND ENTREPRENEURISM IN COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS- How is it operating?

In our fast moving nation, where globalisation and the emerging information economy is changing the way we think and act, individuals everywhere are being encouraged to embrace new ideas and grasp the possibilities of being creative and innovative. This process of applying creativity and innovation to the way we tackle problems and new prospects is believed to result in the production of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurism and enterprise are words that are frequently used in our day to day lives and at this current point in time, thanks to globalisation, the doors to becoming an entrepreneur are opening wider than ever. So what exactly is entrepreneurship and how does it operate within and rely upon the communications and public relations field?

It is imperative to understand that enterprise and entrepreneurship can be interpreted differently by different people (Casson & Casson 2013). Simply defined, enterprise is the application of creative ideas and innovation to practical situations. It can also be defined in reference to a project or undertaking a business venture. Thus while enterprise is recognized as an actual business, entrepreneurism is a set of skills specifically required for the act of seeking out new opportunities in order to create value to a product or service (Hays & Sidlow 2010). These terms are commonly associated with ‘connotations of efficiency, productivity, empowerment and autonomy’ (Deuze 2009) however it is important to understand the extensive angles on entrepreneurism, as well as the simple definition. In the book Entrepreneur in History; From Medieval Merchant to Modern Business Leader authors Mark Casson and Catherine Casson (2013) stress the idea that there are many different perspectives on entrepreneurship that must be understood in order to fully develop an idea on how enterprise and entrepreneurism operate within society. The authors make note that the ‘the entrepreneur’ can exist in many different fields of work. By using the example of ‘the entrepreneur as an artist’ they bring forward the qualities of artists such as being creative and liken this to the connotations associated with entrepreneurship, such as the perspective that ‘entrepreneurs are creative too’. ‘Artists…see the world differently from other people. This fits with the notion that entrepreneurs can recognize opportunities that other people may miss’ (Casson & Casson 2013). They also move on to highlight how entrepreneurs can also be associated to scientists and philosophers and suggest how enterprise and entrepreneurs are emerging more often in ‘academic business and management literature, as strategists and agents of change’ (Casson & Casson 2013). Through these considerations, it is clear how entrepreneurship has developed and expanded into everyday life. Entrepreneurism should not be perceived as the act of constantly seeking out new ventures or exploiting opportunities but should be embraced as an act of being bold, creative and mindful. In the communications field, there are often times where one must attain and execute these traits. Entrepreneurism is becoming a multi-faceted driving force within modern society and it is etching its way into the workplace environment, enabling job opportunities and new experiences in all sorts of areas.

In examining enterprise, entrepreneurism and public relations, it is important to highlight that both can rely on one another. An enterprise may need to seek assistance from a public relations agency in order to generate public awareness, interpret public opinion and give entrepreneurs management advice. Where as a public relations agency must be able to adopt entrepreneurism in their work structure in order to seek opportunity and maintain a vision when tackling problems and new prospects. The possibility of whether or not the sector is public or private will of course impact the opportunity of enterprise as funds may be limited or needed to be expended else where. In the communications field, entrepreneurism is becoming a highly prominent concept as a way of thinking. In our fast paced working environment firms based in advertising, media, public relations and journalism need to be able to think like an entrepreneur by embracing creative angles and setting themselves a long term vision. Not only this, but with so many start up business’s evolving, this means more opportunities for jobs. It is important for every brand to have a voice and this is where public relations firms come into play. They can assist enterprises, in building and developing their start ups as well as help to ‘modify actions and attitudes’ of the public using persuasion (Hay & Sidlow 2010). Aside from liaising with the public and with media relations, public relations practitioners are skillful in creating a message for a brand such as on their website, ensuring that communications are clear with all stakeholders. The growth of technology has enabled the communications field to expand, ultimately resulting in change in the industry. Over time the public relations sector has had to ‘reconfigure’ in order to ‘fit with contemporary conditions in ways that can globally catalyze human enterprise’ (Jain & Ahluwalia 2008). As a result of this, entrepreneurism is now prominent in the communications field and may be a possible game changer for the future of communications and public relations.

In any area of business whether it be in a public relations firm or an accounting firm, it is important to be able to zoom out and see the business as a whole, but also zoom in to particular areas of a company to determine potential problem areas, competitors, possible opportunities and new ideas. Having a sense of creativity and innovation in one’s ability to make connections in ways that others can’t is the key to entrepreneurship. In Marcus Powe’s writing on The Entrepreneurial Process (2009) he addresses a way in which businesses can achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions in a chaotic, quick-moving environment that is filled with competitors. The process involves ‘zooming out’ using the PESTTG analysis that is comprised of Political, Economic, Societal Technological, Mega Trends and Globalisation Driving Forcing’ (Powe 2009). If you are able to zoom out and determine the driving forces that will impact your organisation, you stand a better chance than your competitors for future business success. If communications and public relations firms can step back and review these success factors which are all connected, such as understanding societal trends and complying with employment rules and regulations, they are likely to maximize their overall performance in creating opportunities and destroying unnecessary complications.

Whilst the concepts may seem complex, enterprise and entrepreneurism are important terms to understand. Through much discussion, it is evident that these concepts are making a large impact in the world as a result of technological, social and cultural advancements. In terms of how they operate, it is emphasized that an enterprise can rely on the skills of those based in the communications field, and vise versa. Those based in the communications field must learn to adopt their enterprise skills if they are not doing so already. The growth of entrepreneurship is rising and in order to evolve with this growth, it is important that public relations professionals support the act of entrepreneurism within their own industry in order to enable its their own growth and success.

REFERENCE LIST

Casson, M & Casson, C 2013, Entrepreneur in History From Medieval Merchant to Modern Business Leader, Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK.

Deuze, M 2009 ‘The Media Logic of Media Work’ Journal of Media Sociology, vol. 1, Nos 1/2, pp. 22–25.

Hays, BA & Sidlow, F 2010, ‘Student Interest in Studying and Engaging in Public Relations Entrepreneurship’, Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, vol. 23, pp. 709–718.

Jain, GR & Ahluwalia, R 2008, Marketing Communications Industry: Entrepreneurial Case Studies, Sage, India.

Powe, M 2009, ‘Chapter 2 Industry Critical Success Factors in The Entrepreneurial Process’ in The Entrepreneurial Process, 2nd edn, AUS, pp. 12–19.