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Article
Publication date: 15 May 2009

Harry Matlay

This paper aims to explore stakeholder involvement in, and expectation of, entrepreneurship education in UK higher education institutions (HEIs).

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore stakeholder involvement in, and expectation of, entrepreneurship education in UK higher education institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal telephone surveys were conducted annually over an eight‐year period (2000 to 2007) to document and analyse 336 respondents' involvement in, and expectation of, entrepreneurship education in UK HEIs.

Findings

The results indicate that stakeholder involvement in entrepreneurship education is explicit, widespread and linked to ongoing educational developments that have radically transformed management structures and accountability at all levels of the UK educational system. Stakeholders' expectations are equally complex and varied, reflecting a heterogeneous range of individual, group and community needs.

Practical implications

The findings provide valuable insights into entrepreneurship education for students, university staff, policy makers and other stakeholders. Government could use the results of this research study to ensure that relevant policies and initiatives reach the targeted sector in a focused and cost‐efficient manner.

Originality/value

This study provides an original and empirically rigorous insight into stakeholder involvement in, and expectation of, entrepreneurship education in UK HEIs. It provides valuable longitudinal data for a wide range of stakeholders involved in entrepreneurship education in the UK.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 March 2011

Harry Matlay

This paper aims to explore the influence of primary, secondary and tertiary stakeholders on developing enterprising graduates in UK higher education institutions (HEIs).

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the influence of primary, secondary and tertiary stakeholders on developing enterprising graduates in UK higher education institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal telephone surveys were conducted annually over a ten‐year period (2000 to 2009) to document and analyse a total of 331 stakeholders' influence on developing enterprising graduates in UK HEIs.

Findings

The findings highlighted a number of interesting trends relating to their involvement in, and impact on, entrepreneurship education provision in UK HEIs. A wide range of stakeholders can influence the development of enterprising graduates. Primary stakeholders, such as students, teaching and research staff, managers and administrators emerged as most influential in the development of enterprising graduates. Their influence, representing both the demand and supply sides of entrepreneurship education, was significant and directly relevant to the development of enterprising graduates in UK HEIs.

Practical implications

The results emerging from this longitudinal research study provide valuable stakeholder perspectives into the development of enterprising graduates in UK HEIs. Policy makers should use these findings to inform relevant entrepreneurship education policies and initiatives, focus them on the specific needs of UK students and ensure that scarce resources are targeted efficiently to develop successful graduate entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

This study provides an empirically rigorous insight into stakeholder involvement in developing enterprising graduates in the UK. It provides valuable longitudinal data relating to the influence of a wide range of stakeholders on the development of enterprising graduates in UK HEIs.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 December 2021

Giustina Secundo, Gioconda Mele, Giuseppina Passiante and Francesco Albergo

The paper aims to contributes on the debates about University Idea Incubation by investigating the role and the engagement of different University's stakeholders in the process of…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to contributes on the debates about University Idea Incubation by investigating the role and the engagement of different University's stakeholders in the process of opportunity recognition in an entrepreneurship education program targeted at students with an interdisciplinary background.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a longitudinal case study methodology, the Contamination Lab at University of Salento (Lecce, Italy), the learning approaches and the knowledge process to create an entrepreneurial awareness, mindset and capability in students with different educational background are presented.

Findings

The findings demonstrates the crucial role of stakeholders' engagement for business idea presentation, open innovation challenge, contamination workshop on specialized topics, enterprise projects are important vehicle for effective students' business ideas and innovative projects development in a multidisciplinary environment. The close interaction among students, academia, companies and institutions creates a favourable environment that enables opportunity identification, idea generation through a deep contamination of knowledge, skills and experiences.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the need to generalise the results even if this limitation is typical of the case study methodology. Other research is necessary for an in-depth analysis in deep of the other Contamination Lab in Italy and to derive the “invariance traits” of this environment according to the features of the local entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Practical implications

Implications for practices include recommendations for designing innovative programs where the interactions between University-Institutions-Industry are realized.

Originality/value

A conceptual framework is proposed by defining all the entrepreneurial knowledge process and knowledge creation within the Contamination Lab, highlighting the contribution of the stakeholders in each phase and learning initiative of the program.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 26 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2007

Harry Matlay and Charlotte Carey

This paper sets out to critically evaluate contemporary entrepreneurship education initiatives in the UK. The authors seek to compare and contrast various entrepreneurship…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper sets out to critically evaluate contemporary entrepreneurship education initiatives in the UK. The authors seek to compare and contrast various entrepreneurship education methods, approaches and curricula as well as relevant outcomes, in the UK context.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal case studies were used, over a ten‐year period (1995‐2004), to analyse in‐depth qualitative data relating to the development and implementation of various approaches to entrepreneurship education, in a sample of 40 new and established universities in the UK.

Findings

A number of interesting findings have emerged from this longitudinal study. It appears that conceptual and contextual as well as design and delivery factors can impact significantly upon entrepreneurship education courses developed in UK HEIs. Furthermore, a number of actual and perceived barriers needed to be overcome or mitigated in order to facilitate a better understanding of stakeholder needs and contributions.

Practical implications

Measuring the outcomes of entrepreneurship education in the UK is still proving ellusive. This study provides a longitudinal overview of current entrepreneurship education initiatives in order to gain a better understanding of the scope and limitations of this type of educational programme.

Originality/value

This paper presents an empirically rigorous, longitudinal case study approach to a rapidly growing aspect of higher education in the UK. The richness of the emergent data offers a valuable insight into pertinent aspects of entrepreneurship education and stakeholder needs and contributions.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Maksim Belitski and Keith Heron

The creation of start-ups using knowledge provided by universities has been identified as an important source of knowledge spillover and regional economic development…

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Abstract

Purpose

The creation of start-ups using knowledge provided by universities has been identified as an important source of knowledge spillover and regional economic development. Entrepreneurship ecosystems in education have become the most important and efficient mechanism of business community engagement and knowledge transfer within university-industry-government framework creating value to society and regional economy. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study undertakes in-depth synthesis of eclectic literature on entrepreneurship ecosystems and knowledge spillover of entrepreneurship, examining the critical success factors and enablers of entrepreneurship ecosystems in education.

Findings

This study proposes entrepreneurship education ecosystems as an alternative unit of analysis when it comes to considering the role of university-industry-government collaboration in knowledge commercialization. The authors recommend key entrepreneurship education ecosystem enablers for knowledge commercialization and engagement with entrepreneurial communities.

Originality/value

The authors propose a framework for the creation of an entrepreneurship education ecosystem as a unit of analysis when considering the role of university-industry-government collaboration. It requires different approaches to teaching, research and business outreach, some of which have not yet been discovered or yet need to be created.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 May 2019

Sumita Srivastava, Kanika Satsangi and Nandita Satsangee

The purpose of this paper is to identify the elements of education and training intervention that facilitate occupational transition intentions of undergraduates and encourage…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the elements of education and training intervention that facilitate occupational transition intentions of undergraduates and encourage them to opt for entrepreneurial pursuit.

Design/methodology/approach

The study, conducted in India, employed the nominal group technique (NGT) – A systems science technique – which considers that users are experts and they must participate in the decision-making process. The application of NGT involved a workshop format; 15 domain experts participated in the workshop. Throughout the process, a democratic process was followed to avoid individual dominance and premature focusing on a single idea.

Findings

The study obtained 63 responses from experts for effective entrepreneurship education in India. The responses were reduced to seven elements after a few thematic iterations. These elements were then segregated into content (knowledge, skills and attitude) and learning interaction on the basis of experts’ responses. An initial draft of the course based upon the elements identified through NGT is presented in this paper.

Originality/value

This study is unique and different from previous research on entrepreneurship education in several ways: It takes cognizance of multiple stakeholders; It provides a theoretical framework along with empirical groundwork; It suggests curriculum contents that have contextual as well as universal relevance. This paper contributes to the emerging dimensions of entrepreneurship literature, which implies a shift from understanding a well-established Western context of entrepreneurship research to transitional societies from the East.

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2017

Simon Bridge

In entrepreneurship education there are different interpretations of entrepreneurship which leads to considerable confusion. The purpose of this paper is to consider whether it is…

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Abstract

Purpose

In entrepreneurship education there are different interpretations of entrepreneurship which leads to considerable confusion. The purpose of this paper is to consider whether it is the word entrepreneurship itself which is the source of this problem.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper seeks, not to examine the different meanings of entrepreneurship in an education context, but instead to explore the confusion those different meanings can cause.

Findings

The word entrepreneurship is used as a label for what sometimes are essentially different things. But, even when a difference is acknowledged, the application of the same label implies a misleading commonality. A result is that false parallels can be drawn and differences among the requirements of funders, providers and consumers of entrepreneurship education can go unrecognised and not addressed. Attempts to restrict the label “entrepreneurship” to some uses and to use the label “enterprise” for others fail because it is only partially done and the two words are still often used interchangeably. Therefore, because the label “entrepreneurship” is the source of this problem, it is suggested that its use should be dropped.

Practical implications

Dropping the word entrepreneurship would force the various stakeholders in entrepreneurship education to specify more clearly what they want and/or expect to get from it. That could lead to clearer debate and better resolution of misunderstandings.

Originality/value

Possibly because we are accustomed to using the word entrepreneurship in different ways we fail to see and address the confusion that causes. This paper suggests a change.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 59 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2006

Harry Matlay

This paper is the second in a series of conceptual, contextual and empirical contributions that, individually and cumulatively, seek to analyse, develop and link two important…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper is the second in a series of conceptual, contextual and empirical contributions that, individually and cumulatively, seek to analyse, develop and link two important fields of research: “entrepreneurship” and “entrepreneurship education”. Part 2 aims to provide a critical evaluation of entrepreneurship education and its impact upon graduate entrepreneurship in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review and a structured evaluation of current knowledge on topics related directly and indirectly to “entrepreneurship education” in the UK.

Findings

It appears that conceptual, contextual, design and delivery differences can have a considerable influence upon entrepreneurship education courses delivered in the UK. There are significant definitional as well as conceptual and contextual issues affecting the design of relevant programmes and the delivery of the chosen curriculum. Consequently, a number of actual and perceived barriers need to be overcome in order to facilitate a better understanding of stakeholder needs and learning patterns.

Research limitations/implications

The evaluation and interpretation of relevant research results represent the author's own perception and experiences, and should therefore be viewed with caution. It is suggested that the content of this paper is subject to the usual bias and singular perspective generally attributable to “viewpoint” articles.

Practical implications

The paper measures the outcomes of entrepreneurship education is still proving difficult and inconclusive. More in‐depth research is needed on current UK entrepreneurship education provision and initiatives in order to gain a better understanding of the scope and limitations of a wide range of entrepreneurship education programmes.

Originality/value

This paper provides a critical evaluation of entrepreneurship education in the UK.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 48 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2019

Emma O’Brien, Thomas M. Cooney and Per Blenker

Entrepreneurship education has moved from an elitist view focussing on a start-up and picking-the-winners philosophy towards a broader enterprising behaviour approach; recognising…

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Abstract

Purpose

Entrepreneurship education has moved from an elitist view focussing on a start-up and picking-the-winners philosophy towards a broader enterprising behaviour approach; recognising entrepreneurship as an activity of relevance for everybody. The purpose of this paper is to extend this development and identify how university entrepreneurial ecosystems can be expanded to support communities that are under-represented in entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an integrative literature review (Torraco, 2005), this paper draws together and synthesises literature from the field of entrepreneurship, higher education studies and under-represented communities in an integrated fashion, leading to the development of a new conceptual model.

Findings

This paper challenges the traditional role of universities in supporting entrepreneurship as focussing mainly on economic growth and new venture creation, and identifies how universities are also positioned to provide greater civic support to entrepreneurial learning amongst under-represented communities. Through a critical analysis of the literature, the conceptual model proposed identifies six key considerations in the expansion of university entrepreneurial ecosystems for under-represented communities.

Practical implications

There are currently 96.6m people at risk of poverty and social exclusion in the EU (OECD, 2017) and an estimated 43.1m Americans (US Census Bureau, 2017). This paper explores how university entrepreneurial ecosystems can be expanded to support minority and disadvantaged communities who are under-represented in terms of entrepreneurial activity.

Originality/value

Given that there is little research regarding how universities might activate inclusive entrepreneurship initiatives amongst under-represented communities, this paper expands existing knowledge as it identifies the key considerations encompassing university-led community collaborative enterprise support.

Article
Publication date: 16 October 2018

Elimma Ezeani

This paper aims to investigate the challenges faced by Nigerian university graduates youths, in finding suitable employment or in embarking on entrepreneurship ventures.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the challenges faced by Nigerian university graduates youths, in finding suitable employment or in embarking on entrepreneurship ventures.

Design/methodology/approach

The research investigates the barriers to graduate employment and entrepreneurship in Nigeria starting from the hypothesis that there are other factors besides scarcity of jobs responsible for unemployment in Nigeria. Data from two qualitative research activities were analysed and the results tested, to determine the extent to which the research findings supported the initial hypothesis.

Findings

The findings confirm the researcher’s hypothesis that there are a number of factors, the two main ones being poor government policy and investment in education and low skills and technical incompetence of graduates, which constitute barriers to employment and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

Practical implications

The findings are clear on the urgency to revisit the Nigerian education and skills curricula and its capacity to facilitate employment and entrepreneurship, and government policy-making in this regard.

Originality/value

This study bases its recommendations for addressing Nigeria’s high graduate unemployment on empirical direct engagement with the primary stakeholder, that is, the Nigerian graduate. It clearly identifies that it is not merely scarcity of jobs but a myriad of factors requiring the urgent attention of both public and private sectors that constitute barriers to graduate employment and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

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