Entrepreneurship Training Program Research Articles

Entrepreneurial Training: A Comparative Study across Fifteen European Countries

This paper arises from the contents of the Lisbon Strategy, a set of cooperation policies stressing the role of education and training. The findings from a comparative study of the influence that entrepreneurial training – classified as formal or informal – can have on start-up expectations are analysed. The study covers fifteen European countries and uses data derived from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) website. The results of a logistic regression model show significant differences across Europe: in some countries, start-up expectations are influenced only by participation in formal entrepreneurial training programmes; in others, they are affected only by participation in informal entrepreneurial training activities; in yet others, such expectations are induced by both formal and informal entrepreneurial training. Regarding the current status of entrepreneurial training, it appears that although the fifteen European countries are following the correct path there is still much to do to achieve the overall objectives established by the Lisbon Strategy. Some recommendations for policy makers and the implications for future research are suggested in the concluding section of the paper.

Balancing European SME Managers’ Training Contents: Perceived Importance & Training Needs

Abstract Background: Given the limited available time of in-service professionals, the balance between the perceived importance of the course content and training needs is essential for the acceptance and attractiveness of training courses aimed at them. Objectives: The goal of the paper is to contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and business training programs for European SME managers. Methods/Approach: In six European countries a survey focusing on SME managers’ views on the importance of individual items from a list of potential course content items, and their training needs was carried out, and followed by an analysis using exploratory and multivariate techniques. It was aimed at identifying homogeneous groups of managers with common training needs and perceptions of content importance. Results: Homogeneous groups of managers who assign the same importance to certain competences and who have common training needs are identified. Conclusions: Results of our research could help training institutions to develop courses aimed at SME managers. The balancing approach proved to be an interesting method of combining conflicting requirements for the training course curriculum development.

Inducing entrepreneurial creativity, innovation and opportunity-finding skills

A generally accepted definition of an entrepreneur is an individual with the ability to realise a specific vision from virtually anything, a definite human creative action. A differentiating factor defining the true entrepreneur is represented by the entrepreneurial skills creativity and innovation. The fundamental skill to "create", therefore generating an idea and transforming it into a viable growth-oriented business, forms an unconditional and integrated necessity in entrepreneurship training programmes. Many researchers in this field emphasise the need for and the lack of training models regarding this intervention.Courses offered by training institutions focus on training the traditional manager and not the entrepreneur. A lack of skills training for growth-oriented business is also evident. A critical deficiency in models directly addressing the Creativity, Innovation and Opportunity-finding issues, as part of entrepreneurship training, creates a situation of minuscule differentiation between a business idea and an opportunity in a training context. It is furthermore apparent that a lack of tools, textbooks and approaches to cultivate creativity exists in the field. The latter generates stifling pedagogical paradigms in teaching business and entrepreneurship.This study demonstrates a new action-learning approach and model, developed to increase creative and innovative behaviour and actions of the entrepreneurship learner. Three purposive samples were used, on the basis of an experimental design. Ratio data were obtained by means of a reliable measuring instrument (Chronbach's alpha on an acceptable levell). ANOVA as well as a discriminant analysis indicated statistically significant differences between the various groups.This study illustrates that the proposed training methodology that was used enhances the level of creativity and innovation skills of the entrepreneurship learner on this programme. Recommendations regarding future research in this exciting field of study are addressed.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Adult Entrepreneurship Training Programme

AbstractThe purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of an adult entrepreneurship training programme in a developing country such as Namibia. A cross-sectional research approach was followed with surveys distributed to a convenience sample of entrepreneurs (N= 102) who participated in the training programme. The results overall showed that the respondents benefitted to a large extent from the training programme. The training programme contributes amongst others to improved business performance and increased clients base for the respondents. The training methods used as part of the training programme are adequate and improved the respondents work attitude and overall entrepreneurial skills.

Behind the GATE Experiment: Evidence on Effects of and Rationales for Subsidized Entrepreneurship Training

Theories of market failures and targeting motivate the promotion of entrepreneurship training programs and generate testable predictions regarding heterogeneous treatment effects from such programs. Using a large randomized evaluation in the United States, we find no strong or lasting effects on those most likely to face credit or human capital constraints, or labor market discrimination. We do find a short-run effect on business ownership for those unemployed at baseline, but this dissipates at longer horizons. Treatment effects on the full sample are also short-term and limited in scope: we do not find effects on business sales, earnings, or employees. (JEL I26, J24, J68, L25, L26, M13)

Green community entrepreneurship 2.0

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate a second round of intensive green community entrepreneurship, a form of social entrepreneurship, by a set of environmental service organizations (ESOs) facing the loss of their largest revenue source (the ecoENERGY program), to see if it differed from responses to a similar funding cut five years earlier. In particular, the study compared green community entrepreneurship rates and types to those of the previous program (EnerGuide for Houses) cancellation and examined the perceived importance of various factors, including a social entrepreneurship training program offered by the national association.Design/methodology/approach– Interviews were held with executive directors who had led their organization through both periods of financial crisis. Information was collected on changes in revenue, staffing, residential energy evaluations conducted, service creation, and the perceived importance of organizational factors. The adaptation strategy undertaken by each ESO was classified as resilience, transition, or transformation focussed.Findings– First, green community entrepreneurship is accelerated when needs are heightened, such as when ESOs face funding cuts. Second, only some of the new services or activities launched were financially successful and remained viable over a five-year period. Third, green community entrepreneurship is an important initiative for ESOs to implement their adaptation strategy (resilient, transition, or transformation strategy). Fourth, a higher perceived difficulty of adaptation to funding cuts is associated with the launch of more new services by the ESO.Originality/value– The original contributions of the paper include the verification of repeated increases to the rate of entrepreneurship undertaken in response to sudden funding cuts, as compared to the rate of entrepreneurship during a stable funding period. This accelerated creation of new services can be directed to achieve various adaptation strategies from creating new services in the established area of energy expertise, to initiatives in new areas of sustainability services, such as water, food, or finance. The importance of collective innovation is highlighted with the use of both local and national networks.

Military veterans marching towards entrepreneurship: An exploratory mixed methods study

This study evaluates the effects of a community-based entrepreneurship training program on the entrepreneurial passion (EP) and networking frequency of military veterans. Pre-test and post-test surveys were completed by military veterans who received scholarships to attend a 10-week structured course. These veterans also participated in business mentoring sessions with local business entrepreneurs for an additional nine months. The results demonstrate that the program significantly improved the veterans' entrepreneurial passion scores, as well as raised the level of networking behavior. These findings provide additional validation for the EP survey instrument and contribute to the understanding of integrating military veterans into a civilian-based entrepreneurship ecosystem that provides access to business resources and in turn increases entrepreneurial passion.

The Effectiveness of Training Model for Women Entrepreneurship Program

The study highlighted the lack of training and education as a barrier to women entrepreneurs and how a training program could solve these problems. It is essentially an investigation into the nature and effectiveness of the Women Entrepreneurship Program (WEP). The principal aim was to make a valuable contribution towards the area of entrepreneurship training program. Therefore, this study addressed the training of entrepreneurs and reveals that education and training are crucial for the development and creation of entrepreneurs in Malaysia. The main purpose was inform other women entrepreneurs about the program and provide them training, more specifically to investigate and explore whether the training content of the WEP has an effect on women starting their own businesses. This study provided a framework for and discusses content of future entrepreneurship training program. The findings of this empirical study have helped to highlight the benefits derived by the WEP delegated and the new entrepreneurial, as well as business skills and knowledge, which they gained. This study has shown that entrepreneurship program can help create new businesses, grow existing ones and generate new jobs. Areas for future research are outlined and various recommendations made to guide current and prospective entrepreneurship training program developers, providers, funders and sponsors.

Bioentrepreneurship Education and Training Trends

Biomedical and health entrepreneurship continues to expand around the world. Driven by global pressures to optimize the allocation of scarce resources, life science bioentrepreneurs are creating innovative products, platforms, service and systems that deliver more value. As a result, the demand for biomedical and health professional entrepreneurial talent has increased and biomedical and health innovation and entrepreneurship education and training (BEET) programs are growing to fill the gap.This paper highlights 10 trends in bioentrepreneurship education and training

Training Adult Entrepreneurs in an Emerging Economy: The Case of Namibia

The training of adult entrepreneurs in emerging countries remains a challenge as there is no consensus as to the components that should be included in such training initiatives. This research investigates an adult entrepreneurship training programme in terms of its content, delivery methods and outcomes. Surveys were distributed to a convenience sample of Entrepreneurs (N= 102) who participated in the training programme. The results showed that the trainees benefitted from the knowledge base of training modules and that the training methods applied were effective in the transfer of relevant business knowledge. The results also showed that the training programme contributed to improved business performance, an increased client base, improved work attitude and overall entrepreneurial skills. This research advances the current knowledge in terms of training entrepreneurs effectively in emerging markets such as Namibia. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n3p298

Behind the Gate Experiment: Evidence on Effects of and Rationales for Subsidized Entrepreneurship Training

Theories of market failures and targeting motivate the promotion of entrepreneurship training programs and generate testable predictions regarding heterogeneous treatment effects from such programs. Using a large randomized evaluation in the United States, we find no strong or lasting effects on those most likely to face credit or human capital constraints, or labor market discrimination. We do find a short-run effect on business ownership for those unemployed at baseline, but this dissipates at longer horizons. Treatment effects on the full sample are also short-term and limited in scope: we do not find effects on business sales, earnings, or employees.

Students’ entrepreneurial regulation and intention to become an entrepreneur: A comparison between public and private universities

Motivation and ability to orient ones’ knowledge, thought and behavior to accomplish entrepreneurial goals and tasks has recently termed as entrepreneurial regulation. Entrepreneurial regulation strongly affects the whole process of new venture creation and specifically entrepreneurial opportunity exploration that is the first step in the entrepreneurship process. However, few researchers examined the construct particularly among potential entrepreneurs such as university students. This study aims to measure self-regulation (promotion focus), entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention to become an entrepreneur among university students. 722 students from both public and private universities were randomly selected as the participants based on the assumption that entrepreneurship education and training programs and university environment highly influence the development of entrepreneurial regulation, self-efficacy and intention in students. Analysis of the data revealed a significant relationship between students’ promotion focus, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, students from public universities had significantly higher entrepreneurial regulation and intentions than their counterparts from private universities. We discuss the implications of the findings for entrepreneurship research, theory development and education.

How Cities Can Nurture Cultural Entrepreneurs

Since the Great Recession, North American mayors and city councils have boosted investments in arts and culture as creative placemaking to improve the quality of life, to attract residents, managers and workers, and to welcome visitors. Many city leaders are newly aware that artists bring income into the city, improve the performance of area businesses and creative industries, and directly create new businesses and jobs. Because of extraordinary levels of self-employment, artists often choose cities of residence based on factors other than job and employer locations. Their innovative challenges differ greatly from those faced by scientists and engineers. Artists and related cultural workers tend to fall through the cracks in traditional workforce and small business development programs. As a result, American cities have explored new ways of supporting artists that include space provision, artist-targeted websites and marketing projects, incorporating artistic work into city enterprises, and entrepreneurial training programs tailored to the realities of arts and design as occupations. This policy brief summarizes reasons for and variations in new initiatives to spark cultural entrepreneurship, sampling bottom-up experiments and providing a menu of options for cities of all sizes and character. The brief also counsels city leaders to focus on what is distinctive about their cities, rather than replicating generic strategies elsewhere (e.g. large, expensive arts venues). Via references for further reading, it directs city leaders to various resources for exploring place-appropriate creative entrepreneurship policies.

Heroic and humane entrepreneurs: identity work in entrepreneurship education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the identity work of postgraduate students participating in an entrepreneurship training programme for life sciences. The paper aims to analyse what kind of entrepreneurial identities are constructed and in what ways in the context of the programme. Design/methodology/approach – The paper relies on learning diaries and other written materials harvested from seven participants. Drawing on a social constructivist analysis, the materials were analysed by drawing attention to the kind of identities created, the contradictions that surfaced and how those were resolved in the written materials. Findings – Two distinct entrepreneurial identities were constructed by the participants: the heroic and the humane. The first is the stereotypical role prototype that the participants experiment with. For the male participants this seems acceptable and normal. If they were in possession of more information, knowledge and skills they could identify with this heroic entrepreneurial identity. However, the female participants constructed an alternative identity; the humane entrepreneur running a low-tech firm with modest business goals or acting as an intrapreneur in an existing organisation. Research limitations/implications – Future research should consider entrepreneurship programmes as arenas for (gendered) identity work. Practical implications – Entrepreneurship training should not only provide the participants with business knowledge and skills but facilitate their entrepreneurial identity work. Originality/value – The paper contributes to understanding entrepreneurship education as a context for entrepreneurial identity construction and extends the understanding of the expected outcomes of entrepreneurship education programmes. The study demonstrates how entrepreneurial identity construction processes in the context of entrepreneurship training are gendered.

Entrepreneurship Training Programme in Universities and Graduates’ Productivity in South-South Nigeria

Entrepreneurial training programme has to do with acquiring relevant skills in which an individual has to be sensitized, motivated and guided to achieve self-reliance and self employment. The paper examined the relevance of entrepreneurial training programme in the universities to graduates’ productivity. Three null hypotheses were formulated. A sample size of 1200 graduates was randomly selected from the South-South Geo-Political Zone in Nigeria. The instrument used for the study was Entrepreneurial Training Programme in the Universities and Graduates Productivity Questionnaire (ETPUGPQ). The instrument was validated with the help of three experts in vocational education. The corrected version was subjected to the test of reliability using Cronbach Alpha, and the reliability co-efficient stood at 0.85 justifying the use of the instrument. The data obtained were analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression at 0.05 alpha levels. It was found that entrepreneurial training programme in the universities is significantly relevant to graduates’ productivity. Therefore, it was concluded and recommended that the government and National University Commission (NUC) should make it compulsory for faculties offering professional courses to encourage students participation in practical works. Also it was recommended that Entrepreneurship Education curriculum should be developed to cater for the vast changing needs of the labour market.

Accelerating into Control

confident than non-entrepreneurs. While it may help entrepreneurs persevere in the face of potential business failure, we cannot mistake their confidence for always knowing what to do with their business idea. Entrepreneurs in fact seek out mentors and other useful connections to help them succeed throughout the growth of their businesses, particularly at the start. Many entrepreneurs seek advice informally and in a piecemeal manner, but some seek more formal assistance through structured or semi-structured entrepreneurship programs. Indeed, we currently are witnessing the rise of the “support ecosystem,” which offers a plethora of entrepreneurship education and training programs. These programs vary in their design and operation; some, for example, are run by universities and colleges, some are offered by nonprofits or the government, and others are offered by for-profit entities. They might operate just a weekend in length, or last several months or years. The scope of a program’s intervention and how closely it works with each entrepreneur or startup varies widely. With this increase in the number and scope of program offerings, we wonder if adoption is outpacing evidence of their effectiveness. In this article, we examine various types of programs, with a primary focus on the accelerator, provide some context for current research and research concepts in this area, and discuss some implications of collecting data for program operators and policymakers. We begin by defining the accelerator: Accelerators are organizations that provide cohorts of selected nascent ventures seed-investment, usually in exchange for equity, and limited-duration educational programming, including extensive mentorship and structured educational components. These programs typically culminate in “demo days” where the ventures make pitches to an audience of qualified investors. For the purpose of this article, we distinguish between accelerators and incubators. While some use the two terms interchangeably, we see them as distinct categories. Incubators lack a mentoring component and have been around for much longer than accelerators. Like other education and training programs, accelerators are also on the rise. We argue that research is lacking in entrepreneurship education generally, and specifically on accelerators, which means from a research perspective we cannot say many definitive things about this type of program. We don’t have concrete evidence of their value. This does not mean we seek to deride accelerators or other

청년창업자의 기업가정신과 내적 통제소재가 창업성공 가능성에 미치는 영향

창업자의 기업가정신과 심리특성은 창업성공을 위한 매우 중요한 요인이다. 이와 같은 중요성을 인식하고, 본 연구는 창업자의 기업가정신과 심리특성이 창업성공에 미치는 영향관계를 고찰하였다. 이를 위하여 중소기업 진흥공단에서 설립 운영하는 청년창업사관학교에 입교한 청년창업자를 대상으로 조사한 설문지 122부를 실증 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 창업자의 진취성, 위험감수성, 자율성으로 구성된 기업가정신과 심리 특성인 내적 통제소재가 모두 창업성공에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 이와 같은 연구결과에 따라, 다음과 같이 이론적 실무적 시사점을 제공하였다. 첫째, 창업성공 관점에서 기업가정신의 중요성을 인식하고, 창업을 구상하는 예비창업자들은 자신의 기업가정신을 가름해 보고 의사결정 하는 것이 바람직할 것이다. 둘째, 청년창업자들의 기업가정신을 고취시키기 위한 보다 효과적인 창업교육이 될 수 있도록 심혈을 기울여야 한다. 따라서 창업 보육기관들은 '기업가정신 훈련 프로그램'과 같은 교육과정을 개발해 나갈 필요가 있다. 셋째, 기업가정신이나 심리적 특성은 유 소아기 부터 형성되기 때문에 가정의 역할 또한 매우 중요함을 인식해야만 한다. 넷째, 창업자 스스로도 기업가정신을 강화시키기 위한 노력이 필요하다. 마지막으로, 창업자의 내적 통제소재를 강화시켜야 한다. 따라서 창업자 자신은 물론 창업 보육기관에서도 이에 대한 깊은 관심을 가져야만 한다. Entrepreneurship of a founder and psychological characteristics are very important factors for the start-up success. To understand the importance like this, this study investigated effect relationships of the entrepreneurship and psychological characteristics on the start-up success. For this, 122 copies of the questionnaire were empirically analyzed for the youth entrepreneurs who entered the youth founder academy which is founded and managed by the Small and Medium Business Corporation. According to results of analysis, both the entrepreneurship consisting of proactivenss, risk taking and autonomy, and the internal locus of control, the psychological characteristics were found to have positive effects on the start-up success. Therefore, this study suggested theoretical and practical implications, as below, according to the results. Firstly, we must be aware of the importance of the entrepreneurship from the perspective of a successful establishment, and, prospective entrepreneurs, who are planning to the start-up, have to judge their entrepreneurship and, only then, make a decision. Secondly, we have to put our best efforts into developing more effective education on start-up, which deals with improving youth founder's entrepreneurship. Therefore, education institutions for start-up are needed in order to develop educational programs such as "Entrepreneurship Training Programs". Thirdly, we must recognize that the role of family is important because most entrepreneurship and psychological characteristics are formed in a person's childhood. Forth, the entrepreneur, themselves, must realize that they has to make an effort to improve their entrepreneurship. Lastly, youth founder's internal locus of control has to be enhanced. Thus, greater attention is required from both the entrepreneur themselves, and educational institutions for start-up.

Youth employment and entrepreneurial skills development in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District of Ghana

In order for the people of a country or district to achieve their individual aspirations and collectively contribute toward development they need to be entrepreneurial. This requires some form of training and education in order to develop the relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes requisite for meaningful employment. Using descriptive statistics, this paper examines the links between unemployment situation and youth enterprise in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District (AEED) in the Central Region, one of the four poorest administrative regions of Ghana. It found that majority of the youth had at most secondary education, and were unemployed, under-employed or self-employed in informal micro-enterprises. Though entrepreneurial opportunities existed in the District, the youth were adequately involved in the requisite entrepreneurship training programmes that would enable them to take advantage of the existing opportunities in order to reduce youth unemployment or under-employment. It concludes that though the youth have entrepreneurial potentials, their low educational attainment has been a challenge to training. It has therefore been suggested that the District Assembly encourages training and educational institutions that incorporate entrepreneurship in their curriculum in order to provide trainees with the needed knowledge, skills and competencies for employment.KEY WORDS: Entrepreneurial skills, education and training, youth employment, micro-enterprise development, community development

Enacted Experiences: Analysing Drama in Entrepreneurial Training

This paper identifies and interprets enacted experiences in drama workshops organized as part of an entrepreneurship training programme. The authors argue that drama is an effective tool in entrepreneurship training offered to practising entrepreneurs. Drama exercises, by providing ‘enacted’ experience, can contribute to creating, reinforcing or complementing different forms of entrepreneurial experience. The results are encouraging for those who advocate using drama in training programmes for entrepreneurs. Drama sessions provide powerful experiences that might otherwise be out of reach of the participant. The paper contributes to the entrepreneurship training and entrepreneurial learning literatures by showing how enacted experience in drama workshops is a form of experience that, together with mastery, vicarious and social experience (Erikson, 2003), is connected to entrepreneurship development. Methodologically, the paper illustrates how visual material can be applied in research.

Kalamazoo's Promise: Exploring the Violence of Economic Development

AbstractLike many cities in the Midwestern United States in recent years, Kalamazoo, Michigan has experienced profound social and economic restructuring, resulting in significant job losses, poverty, homelessness, hunger, and racialized inequalities. Despite these conditions in Kalamazoo, many are attempting to improve social conditions by engaging in a wide range of activities such as downtown development projects, investments in education, living wage movements, entrepreneurial training programs, anti‐racism advocacy, among many other initiatives. In this paper, we analyze these well‐intended efforts by drawing upon Slavoj Žižek's (2008, 2009) insights on violence in today's world. We suggest that the focus on what is perceived to be reasonable, or realistic, is maintained by and helps to maintain, the normal workings of capitalism which appear as inevitable, natural, or altogether invisible. In other words, relations of exploitation remain in the realm of the REAL.