ENTREnational: International Entrepreneurship as an Engine for National Identity

EntreNational investigates “How does the international entrepreneurship (IE) shape the development of national identity (NI)?” While it has been argued that the development of NI is related to nation building by both authorities and citizens, the behaviours of business actors, including those by enterprises, remain understudied. Our research approach entails historical process research and critical discourse analysis.

It is based on extensive case studies on six prominent international enterprises in three of Finland’s major industries (forestry, design, and ICT) over the period 1865–2024. The project will provide a multi-level, novel, and context-sensitive conceptualization of the role of IE in national identity development. The project has also societal value by making Finnish entrepreneurs and business leaders more aware of being part of the development of Finland’s NI. This is important for small countries with a large international presence, such as Finland.

Goals

The aim of the project is to create a completely new understanding of the role of socially significant companies as creators of nationall identity. Our practical goal is to use this to make Finnish entrepreneurs and leaders more aware of their role in the development of Finland's national identity. We aim to create a model that researchers from other countries can use to conduct similar research in their own contexts.