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Though by many Israel might rightfully be named "The Startup Nation" there is a wide consensus that this flourishing is not shared by all parts of the Israeli society. While previous studies (e.g. Brikk, 2014) reveal differences between Jewish and Arab small business owners whose origins are both cultural (e.g. conservative business operation) and subjective (e.g. exaggerated sense of skills for sales, under-investment in production means and under -appreciation of the importance of a business plan) there is a large gap regarding marketing awareness of small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Israel. A survey using a sample of 75 SMBs operating in northern Israel revealed relative poor marketing awareness of all SMB's in the sample and especially poor conceptual distinction between marketing and promotion, and poor understanding of marketing management constructs of Arab SMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of Israel's success in recent years not only in realizing some of the most renowned Startups but also in creating an astounding number of entrepreneurships it is somewhat surprising that this bourgeoning is not shared by all parts of Israeli society. Following Brikk (2013), an exploratory quantitative study was conducted among 30 small business owners in northern Israel. The findings suggest that Arab entrepreneurs are more inclined to be more conservative with regard to the business operation with regard to the economic branch, family ownership, family members' share of the workforce and especially the role of women. Furthermore, Arab entrepreneurship is more a product of pursuing personal aspirations rather than a product of business or economic rational. They further do not support significant differences between Arab and Jewish entrepreneurships with regard to the entrepreneurs' background, experience and managerial perspective except for an exaggerated sense of skills for sales and over-investment in new services of Arabs. On the other hand, under-investment in production means and under appreciation of the importance of a business plan also exist. Furthermore, there is no evidence for infrastructural or regulatory opportunities differentiating between the sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is almost unanimous that the Israeli economy is a success story, often referred to as "the Start- up nation", producing more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK. However, this flourish is not shared by all, as almost a fifth of its 7.5 million citizens -- the Arab minority -- are lagging behind the Jewish majority. The majority of Arab families live in rural villages in the northern part of the country. Most practice traditional occupations (e.g. agriculture, commerce, traditional industry and free professions) or have turned this expertise into a tourist attraction, following a strict traditional community hierarchy in which family heads are responsible for household provision obtained from work in near proximity to residency and low participation of women in the workforce. Accordingly, only a small proportion of the Arab sector, both in general and with relation to the Jewish majority, turns to entrepreneurship, with notable exceptions (large, celebrated Arab wholesale family businesses). Considering the vast budgetary investments of Israeli authorities, especially in the last two decades, and the fact that under Israeli rule the Muslim sector enjoys unparalleled economic welfare, it is very surprising that the research regarding Israeli Arab business innovation and entrepreneurship is so scarce. The current pilot study addresses this problem using a qualitative analysis of interviews held with two managers of a public northern entrepreneurship center located in north Israel. Issues for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]