Entrepreneurial competency developed through entrepreneurship education is increasingly in demand from policy-makers and practitioners (OECD 2011; World Economic Forum 2011), with high expectations placed on entrepreneurship education to improve students skills and abilities in new venture creation and research commercialisation.
Entrepreneurship education has shown a trend towards an emphasis on business and financial planning (Mwasalwiba 2010). However, several researchers have questioned the efficiency of this pedagogical approach, arguing that it is insufficient in delivering the knowledge for how to act entrepreneurially in general, and more specifically, how to create new firms (Gruber 2007; Honig and Samuelsson 2012; Karlsson and Honig 2007).
Entrepreneurship courses at universities have taught the topic traditionally focusing on the development of students’ knowledge about entrepreneurship. In recent years, researchers have suggested a more action-based education (Rasmussen and Sørheim 2006), encouraging students to generate experience in entrepreneurship in order to develop their skills and abilities (Cope and Watts 2000; Lackeus and Williams Middleton 2011; Mwasalwiba 2010).
While an action-based perspective on entrepreneurial education emphasises “learning through entrepreneurship” rather than “learning about entrepreneurship”, there is a need to bridge theories concerned with informal entrepreneurial learning and more formalised education-based learning theories (Politis 2005; Rae 2006).
This leads to questions regarding how educational design for entrepreneurial learning can be created and implemented, understanding the key components of how design and delivery contributes to learning, as well as how learning outcomes are accessed and communicated for both educational and more “real-world” purposes. An education emphasising “real” entrepreneurial action needs a context within which this action can be realised. In what way do the structures and organisations in and around an education influence the potential for entrepreneurial action, and as a consequence, how do they influence the possibility for students to develop their entrepreneurial skills and abilities?
This special issue aims to improve the link between entrepreneurship research and education, to develop pedagogies on how to advance entrepreneurial skills and abilities, and to explore how context influences the possibilities for action-based entrepreneurship. We hope for contributions by entrepreneurship researchers and educators alike.
The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at the NFF conference’s entrepreneurship education track, but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.
References:
Cope, J. and Watts, G. (2000), "Learning by doing: An exploration of experience, critical incidents and reflection in entrepreneurial learning" International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 6, 3, 104-124.
Gruber, M. (2007), "Uncovering the value of planning in new venture creation: A process and contingency perspective" Journal of Business Venturing, 22, 6, 782-807.
Honig, B. and Samuelsson, M. (2012), "Planning and the Entrepreneur: A Longitudinal Examination of Nascent Entrepreneurs in Sweden" Journal of Small Business Management, 50, 3, 365-388.
Karlsson, T. and Honig, B. (2007), "Norms surrounding business plans and their effect on entrepreneurial behavior" Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, 27, 22, Article 1.
Lackeus, M. and Williams Middleton, K. (2011), Venture Creation Programs: entrepreneurial education through real-life content. Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference. Syracuse, NY.
Mwasalwiba, E. S. (2010), "Entrepreneurship education: a review of its objectives, teaching methods, and impact indicators" Education + Training, 52, 1, 20-47.
OECD (2011), Entrepreneurship at a Glance 2011, OECD Publishing.
Politis, D. (2005), "The Process of Entrepreneurial Learning: A Conceptual Framework" Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 29, 4, 399-424.
Rae, D. (2006), "Entrepreneurial learning: A conceptual framework for technology-based enterprise" Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 18, 1, 39-56. Rasmussen, E. and Sørheim, R. (2006), "Action-based entrepreneurship education" Technovation, 26, 2, 185-194.
World Economic Forum (2011), Unlocking Entrepreneurial Capabilities to Meet the Global Challenges of the 21st Century: Final Report on the Entrepreneurship Education Workstream. World Economic Forum Global Education Initiative. World Economic Forum.
Examples of themes include:
- Evidence-based entrepreneurship education
- Current entrepreneurship research-inspired educational designs such as courses based on effectuation, bricolage, bootstrapping, lean start-ups, etc.
- Action-based entrepreneurship education design and pedagogic approach(es)
- Entrepreneurial learning environments – simulations, venture laboratories, field studies
- Entrepreneurial identity construction and behaviour development through practice
- Entrepreneurial education’s contribution to entrepreneurial ecosystems (building community of practice)
- Teaching, coaching, mentoring and facilitating methods stimulating entrepreneurial learning
- Balancing collaborative, team and individual learning in entrepreneurship education
- How can education be structured in order to improve not only students’ knowledge about entrepreneurship but also their entrepreneurial skills and abilities?
- How can education prepare students for entrepreneurial action?
- What are suitable pedagogical tools for the instruction of, for example, effectuation, bricolage, lean-start-ups, ideation and research commercialisation?
- How can organised environments be used to enable (or not disable) entrepreneurial learning?
- How is the action-based part of education integrated into knowledge development?
- How can and should the effects of entrepreneurial education be evaluated?
Important Date
Submission deadline: 31 October, 2013
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