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Preferable process of Preferable process of entrepreneurship training and entrepreneurship training and
e-mentoring for business start-up: e-mentoring for business start-up: A case study of the CReBUS projectA case study of the CReBUS project
Dr.paed.Dr.paed. Svetlana Surikova Svetlana SurikovaDr.habil.paed.Dr.habil.paed. Irina Maslo Irina Maslo
University of LatviaUniversity of Latvia
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be
held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
The International Conference “Entrepreneurship Education - A Priority for the Higher Education Institutions – CReBUS”
October 8-9, 2012, Bucharest, Romania
Empirical research purpose
To identify students/graduates and young entrepreneurs’ learning and support needs in order to develop e-mentoring system of business start-up for CReBUS e-Learning Community.
Research stages and sample
– research preparation stage(December 2010 January 2011);
– data collection stage (February 2011);– data processing and analysis stage –
(March 2011).
The total research sample size was consisted of 109 students/graduates and 49 entrepreneurs from Romania, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Latvia.
Theoretical background
• study of important support needs of students for business start-up and factors of negative influence to business start-up (Kailer, 2009);
• case studies of mentoring and e-mentoring of young entrepreneurs and students in environment of networking and peer learning (Deakins et al., 1998; Cull, 2006; Zhang, Hamilton, 2009; Colvin, Ashman, 2010; Stewart, McLoughlin, 2007)
• studies of experience-based learning by doing, reflecting, networking (Deakins et al., 1998; Neck, Greene, 2011; Zhang, Hamilton, 2009; Oganisjana, 2010)
• previous surveys on entrepreneurial issues (EC reports, GEM study, VITA project, INTERACT project, WOMEN@BUSINESS project, etc.)
Proposed definition
Entrepreneurial environment is a dynamic system of causally interrelated entrepreneurial opportunities of learning/support/mentoring and barriers as challenges for discovering new opportunities.
Importance of the learning ways for students/graduates and entrepreneurs
Empirical finding 1
3,13
3,22
3,51
3,65
3,13
3,2
3,5
3,64
3,12
3,24
3,55
3,67
2,8 3 3,2 3,4 3,6 3,8
networking
self-directedlearning
experience-basedlearning
learning by doing
Entrepreneurs
Students/graduates
Total
Understanding of entrepreneurship education and training (by students/graduates)
Empirical finding 2
The most frequently mentioned categories of students/graduates’ understanding of entrepreneurship education and training were the following: – entrepreneurial potential (n=93), – practical skills (n=46)– opportunities of practical experience
(n=44).
Optimum proportion (in %) between theory and practice in a course of
entrepreneurship education (students/graduates and entrepreneurs)
Empirical finding 3.1
The comments of students/graduates and entrepreneurs regarding the theory and practice in a course of entrepreneurship education
Empirical finding 3.2
• Universities already offer economics courses – we need practice.
• Doing the practice you learn the theory.• I think that practice is more important
than theory.• It would be useful if the theory is
always supported by real and concrete examples.
• It’s essential to know the theory, but if is not related with a lot of practice, theory means nothing. Theory is something general, but practical things bring the real challenge.
• Theory is necessary to understand how practice works and what the differences are between theory and practice (and practice can be linked with theory).
• It's almost impossible to learn how to be an entrepreneur from books. 90% of time you will need to learn new things just to keep your business going.• Educational system has to give theoretical training and facilitate access to practical experiences out of the educational system.
For entrepreneurs
For students/graduates
Opinion about an e-mentoring activity
• The e-mentoring activity as value, good idea, good solution had been mentioned the most frequently (n=85) both by the entrepreneurs and students/graduates. However, there were 39 responses throwing doubt upon the effectiveness of e-mentoring.
• About 83% (n=91) of students/graduates were interested in attending an e-mentoring activity for those interested in entrepreneurship, but about 17% (n=18) were not interested.
• About 90% (n=98) of students/graduates were interested to learn from an experienced entrepreneur, but about 10% (n=18) were not interested.
• About 65% (n=32) of entrepreneurs were interested in e-mentoring of a youngster who wanted to start a business, but about 35% (n=17) were not interested.
Empirical finding 4.1
Hours of e-mentoring activity per week
Empirical finding 4.2
For entrepreneurs
For students/graduates
Conclusion 1
According to the empirical findings of the CReBUS project research the most important way of learning both for students/graduates and entrepreneurs is learning by doing. Entrepreneurial potential, practical skills and opportunities of practical experience are the most frequently mentioned categories of students’ understanding of entrepreneurship education and training. Italian respondents preferred more practice in a course of entrepreneurship education than respondents from Austria, Romania, Latvia and Spain.
Conclusion 2
The students/graduates were more interested to learn from an experienced entrepreneur how to start their business than entrepreneurs were interested in e-mentoring of a youngster who wanted to start a business. The e-mentoring activity as value, good idea, good solution had been mentioned the most frequently both by the entrepreneurs and students/graduates.
Conclusion 3
The following characteristics of preferable process of entrepreneurship training and e-mentoring for business start-up were identified: optimum proportion between theory and practice (e.g. 30% of theory and 70% of practice), preferable attending hours per week (e.g. two hours per week), efficiency and effectiveness of the process, providing of the opportunities of practical experience and learning from successful experienced entrepreneurs.
Conclusion 4
Efficient and effective process of entrepreneurship training and e-mentoring is a necessary component of entrepreneurial environment. The main objective of the entrepreneurship training and e-mentoring is providing the opportunities of developing entrepreneurial potential and motivation.
