Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi

Increasing the supply of entrepreneurs and expanding the pool of entrepreneurial talent has become a key ingredient in promoting economic development, because without the entrepreneur a developing region or country stands little chance in promoting its economic growth. This paper is concerned with developing a "delivery system" which will increase the supply of small scale Malay (Wananchi) entrepreneurs. It argues that developing small-scale entrepreneurs involves reducing the role strain the Malay encounters when he makes a business decision in an environment whose social and cultural structure places little value on making correct business decisions. The research is based upon a similar program which was designed to promote entrepreneurial talent in the Appalachian region of the United States. The success of that program and its recognition of the vital influences the Appalachian culture has an entrepreneurial decision making prompted the MARA Institute of Technology in Malaysia to underwrite a similar research effort. The research results indicate that Malay entrepreneurs can be promoted by adopting a similar "delivery system" to the one developed for the Appalachian region of the United States.