Towards an 'Integral' View of Entrepreneurship*

Anecdotal evidence collected from speaking with Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation students who undertake subjects within the Master of Strategic Foresight program at Swinburne University suggests that Futures Studies as a domain of activity has something to offer entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial action. Direct experience in the classroom has shown us that a foresight perspective can be of assistance to students of entrepreneurship; in particular, the ability to "see things differently" by using "futures thinking" is something they report as very attractive and useful. A great deal of research has been undertaken on entrepreneurs and on attempting to understand the ways they recognise opportunities as well as the attributes that are required for an entrepreneur to be successful (e.g., Alvarez, 2005; Ma & Tan, 2006; McKelvey, 2004; McMullen & Shepherd, 2006; Ucbasaran, Westhead & Wright, 2001; Yamada, 2004). Some of these attributes are considered "natural" or inherent in that they are aspects of personality that may not easily be learned or