Illuminating the black box of entrepreneurship education programmes: Part 2

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a justified, legitimate and validated model on entrepreneurship education programmes (EEPs), by combining recent research and scholarship in leading edge entrepreneurship education (EE).

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review of recent EE research and scholarship is followed by an empirical study to develop a model of EEPs. This was adopted by employing an emergent inquiry perspective incorporating participatory action research, using frame analysis and NVIVO to develop and analyse themes.

Findings

This research identified three unique dimensions currently excluded from the theoretical and scholarship of EEPs, being distinct contextualisation, entrepreneurship ecosystems and recent content innovation in entrepreneurship. It also identified updates to current EEPs dimensions, such as online technologies, authentic alignment, causation, effectuation and bricolage, technology transfer the entrepreneurial university.

Research limitations/implications

The discussion and model presented in this paper may be a starting point for future empirical studies on EEPs, by developing additional validation, justification and legitimisation.

Practical implications

The study indicates that EEPs are integrative and dynamic, and always limited to contextual and contemporary inferences; providing guidance to developing such programmes. Hence, the applicability to update the original framework developed by Maritz and Brown (2013) as Part 2 of illuminating the black box of EEPs.

Originality/value

This paper provides a first of its kind empirical study in the development of EEPs frameworks and models, deepening the theory, scholarship and development of such models.

Citation

Maritz, A. (2017), "Illuminating the black box of entrepreneurship education programmes: Part 2", Education + Training, Vol. 59 No. 5, pp. 471-482. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-02-2017-0018