Public intervention in the entrepreneurial process : A study based on three Norwegian cases

In this paper we discuss three Norwegian cases of public programmes aimed at enhancing entrepreneurship at the regional/local level. The cases provide insight into a wide range of public initiatives implemented by the authorities such as education, consultancy, and financial stimuli. The programmes have been subjected to relatively comprehensive evaluations. In these evaluations, and also in most other evaluations of public means aimed at stimulating entrepreneurs, some important questions related to the effects on business creation and on the long term social impact of the interventions still remain to be answered. In order to overcome the problems, future research should apply longitudinal and comparative studies and use unobtrusive measures. We also discuss a theoretical framework in which entrepreneurship programmes can be interpreted and applied as a tool to improve such initiatives. Central elements in this framework are the concepts of human, social and financial capital.