Citation
Matlay, H. (2014), "International perspectives on entrepreneurship education", Education + Training, Vol. 56 No. 8/9. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-09-2014-0113
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
International perspectives on entrepreneurship education
Article Type: Guest editorial From: Education + Training, Volume 56, Issue 8/9.
The current double Special Issue marks the 15th annual publication of a long and successful series of specialised articles to appear in Education + Training. As its Guest Editor, I rejoice at the completion of yet another exciting publication season and, in writing this opening feature for Issues 8/9 2014, I celebrate a unique achievement in the long and eventful history of this distinguished academic journal, spanning more than five decades.
My connection with this journal, however, goes back much further that 2000, when the first double Special Issue appeared and continued to be published thereafter, each consecutive year, without interruption. I first encountered Education + Training during the early 1980s, when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Warwick Business School (UWBS). I used to regularly visit the Education Library located at its Westwood Campus, in anticipation of the publication of the next issue of this much respected journal. Its articles, debates and book reviews inspired me to change the direction of my studies and undertake an intermediate MEd in Vocational Education and Training (VET). Later on, after a prolonged period in industry and commerce, I returned to embark upon my doctoral studies, in the Department of Continuing Education and Training, which was located at the Westwood Campus, next to the large Education Library. My PhD focused upon VET in the Small Business Sector of the British economy. It linked empirically, for the first time, competitive and strategic aspects of VET to successful small business growth and development.
My own opportunity to contribute to this excellent journal did not materialise until 1997 when, as an early stage academic, I commenced my publishing career in Education + Training. To my delight, in 1999 I won my first Best Paper Award, for the second paper to appear in this journal (Matlay, 1999). In the autumn of the same year, I met Dr Rick Holden, the then Editor of the journal, at an international conference on training and human resource development (HRD), where we discussed the possibility of a double Special Issue on topics related to education and training in small businesses. The first “national” double Special Issue was published in 2000 and, following in the wake of its notable success, we decided to publish a second, “international” feature in 2001. The same year, I was offered and accepted the editorship of a newly acquired Emerald publication, the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development (JSBED). It was agreed that I should continue publishing the yearly double Special Issue in Education + Training, for as long as there was a demand for high-quality, empirically rigorous articles in this area of academic endeavour.
During this period I published two further “cornerstone” articles in this journal, which focused on conceptual and contextual aspects of enterprise and entrepreneurship education, respectively (see Matlay, 2005, 2006). These highly cited papers opened the way to a demand driven, strategic shift towards empirical research in various aspects of enterprise and entrepreneurship education. More articles on these topics were also published in other Emerald journals, ensuring organic growth as well as critical mass, which contributed to increased interest in entrepreneurship education and related topics (see Matlay, 2008, 2009, 2011). As a result, we received a large number of high-quality articles that focused on enterprise and entrepreneurship education in a variety of contexts and geographical locations. In turn, this led to a decision being made, at editorial level, to refocus future Special Issues upon this rapidly growing aspect of enterprise research. Beginning with 2008, a new theme was established for these Special Issues and we focused on themes that reflected innovative developments in enterprise and entrepreneurship education, both in national and international contexts.
This strategic move proved very successful and the latest issue is the seventh to incorporate papers on various aspects of entrepreneurship education. Many of the papers submitted are international in origin, reflecting a growing stakeholder awareness of the socio-economic and political value of enterprise and entrepreneurship education. This applies not only to industrially developed and developing countries, but also to many of the nations in transition. While entrepreneurship is considered a mature and well-established topic of research, entrepreneurship education is still perceived, by many researchers and educators, as an emergent subtopic in need of a reputable publishing outlet. We are pleased to be the first amongst mainstream journals to provide a regular, empirically rigorous outlet for emergent research in this fast growing area of academic endeavour. All our Special Issues are available in digital form, and enjoy great success amongst enterprise educators as well as practitioners and policy makers, both in the UK and elsewhere.
The 15th double Special Issue in Education + Training comprises 13 papers which, individually and collectively, offer a critical as well as empirically rigorous perspective on diverse aspects associated with enterprise and entrepreneurship education. The Special Issue is convergent in nature and seeks to make a significant contribution to the development of conceptual, contextual and practical aspects of a fast moving topic of applied research. In planning, organising and delivering this double Special Issue, I have benefited from the commitment, expertise and assistance of a number of individuals. I wish to thank all contributors, referees and advisors for their hard work and commitment. Thanks are also due to Martin McCracken, the current Editor of Education + Training, for his continued support and to Sophie Barr, Managing Editor, for her assistance during the final stages of the submission process.
Professor Harry Matlay
University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton, UK
References
Matlay, H. (1999), “Vocational education and training in Britain: a small business perspective”, Education + Training 1999 Vol. 41 No. 1, pp. 6-13
Matlay, H. (2005), “Researching entrepreneurship and education, part 1: what is entrepreneurship and does it matter?”, Education + Training, Vol. 47 Nos 8/9, pp. 665-667
Matlay, H. (2006), “Researching entrepreneurship and education, part 2: what is entrepreneurship education and does it matter?”, Education + Training, Vol. 48 Nos 8/9, pp. 704-718
Matlay, H. (2008), “The impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial outcomes”, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 382-396
Matlay, H. (2009), “Entrepreneurship education in the UK: a critical analysis of stakeholder involvement and expectations”, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 355-368
Matlay, H. (2011), “The influence of stakeholders on developing enterprising graduates in UK HEIs”, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 166-182