Re-Engineering Entrepreneurship Development through Corporate Branding Culture Concepts for Sustainable Development in an Emergent Economy

Abstract

The present economic structure of Nigeria creates a scenario depicting a direction of private sector driven economy. There is no doubt therefore, that the wish of every serious entrepreneur is to establish a viable business which he hopes to build while striving to maintain a business pattern that will outlive him as the owner–manager. To achieve this fit, it requires the entrepreneur to develop/build a corporate brand culture; not just for his products and services, but for its corporate or organizational image. This paper was aimed at drawing the attention of stakeholders in entrepreneurship development/education which include the business educators, business community, economists and policy makers to the emerging concept of corporate brand culture as an alternative desirable competency necessary for the sustenance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in our fledging economy. The paper placed much emphasis on the concepts of branding, place branding, economic and educational implications of corporate brand building culture to the entrepreneur. The paper concludes that given that various brand building propositions in entrepreneurial competencies exist, the future of business education should be geared towards corporate brand building as an entrepreneurship competencies component. It was recommended amongst others that business educators should be equipped with entrepreneurial/brand building competencies to make them become role-models for entrepreneurship development.

Keywords:Entrepreneurship Development, Corporate branding culture, Organizational Image, fledging economy.