Author: Robert    Mills

Major: International Affairs

Graduation Year: 2019

Thesis Advisor: Cynthia Isenhour

Description of Publication: This thesis analyzes the ways in which Chinese entrepreneurs have interacted with and responded to government policy. An examination of ethnographic research on the Shenzhen “Special Economic Zone” revealed that the forms entrepreneurship that emerged there during the early years of China’s economic reforms are rooted in the history and culture of the region. Analysis of modern policies, such as the 13th 5-Year Plan (2016-2020) and the Internet Plus doctrine, determined that the state strategy for encouraging entrepreneurship is now focused on empowering local governments, rather than individuals, as entrepreneurial agents. The city of Hangzhou’s “Dream Town” creative cluster is proposed as a potential site for future ethnographic research to determine whether the incentives offered by the local government are aligned with the motivations of the individual entrepreneurs.

Location of Publication:

URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/498/