ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: THE ACTIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL ENTREPRENEURS OF CAXIAS DO SUL, BRAZIL (1950-1970)

The entrepreneurship brought by the Italian immigrants in the 19th century to the city of Caxias do Sul (Brazil) originated in diversified manufacturing industries, leading this city to host today the second largest metallurgy and metal-mechanic pole in Brazil. This research aims to analyze the action of those entrepreneurs from Caxias do Sul who contributed to the economic and the social development of the Northeast Region of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), for the decades of 1950-1970. The socioeconomic conditions that affected the region's economic formation for entrepreneurial actions were identified; the existence of the correspondence of the actions of entrepreneurs with the regional economic development policies was verified and collective and individual actions of entrepreneurs were described as elements for the construction of regional economic development. A qualitative analysis methodology was used with an exploratory approach. The data were collected through recorded guided interviews with the industrial entrepreneurs, to highlight the local entrepreneurial actions that defined the history of the region. A data analysis was made through a content analysis procedure, which handles the narratives of the entrepreneurs on the conditions of regional development. The results demonstrate that individual and collective actions of the entrepreneurs of Caxias do Sul strongly determined the socioeconomic development of the region