Entrepreneurship education and training

introducing entrepreneurship into non-business

disciplines
Briga Hynes
Department of Management and Marketing, University of Limerick, Ireland

Entrepreneurs or the move

towards self-employment is,
and will continue to become,
an increasingly important
element of economic growth
and development. It is now
recognized that small firms in
Ireland are net creators of
jobs while the large firm
sector is a net shedder of
jobs. To ensure that a sustained increase in selfemployment continues, it is
critical that the correct infrastructure is in place to facilitate this development. One
critical aspect of this infrastructure is the creation of an
enterprise culture which will
encourage and entice individuals to take the risk of starting a business. Examines one
of the core components of an
enterprise culture, which is
education, and how the various educational programmes
can incorporate entrepreneurship as a subject area
which will foster the interest
in enterprise. Focuses on how
a process model for enterprise education can be used
to target various student
groups in an interdisciplinary
manner, and emphasizes the
need to teach entrepreneurship to non-business students, who in many instances
are the originators of ideas,
but unfortunately do not have
the business knowledge to
develop the idea further.

Journal of European Industrial

Training
20/8 [1996] 1017
MCB University Press
[ISSN 0309-0590]

[ 10 ]

Introduction
Entrepreneurship is not new, and during the
past number of years it has gained increased
interest and research. This increased interest
has emerged for a number of reasons, namely
the recognition of the contribution of the
small firm sector to economic development
and job creation. Much of the economys,
ability to innovate, diversify, and create new
jobs comes from the small business sector.
It is now recognized that development agencies, government departments, educational
and training institutions are facing the challenge of how to create an enterprise culture
which will further foster the development of
small firms. Many initiatives are in place by
development agencies and government institutions which provide valuable and much
needed assistance to the start-up firms in
terms of advice and financial assistance.
However, if new firm start-ups are to continue
to increase, it is necessary to encourage and
foster enterprise at an earlier age. This can be
effectively actioned through the promotion of
enterprise through education.
This article will concentrate on the topic of
entrepreneurship education, with specific
emphasis on how entrepreneurship education can be promoted and fostered to nonbusiness students. It will provide an understanding of the components of both education
and training, to clarify the distinctions that
exist, which is important for the design,
development and delivery of programmes.
The article will then discuss the growing
need to teach and foster entrepreneurship
education, and how entrepreneurship can be
best taught. This will be achieved by proposing a process model for enterprise education.
Finally this model will then be applied to a
specific case of teaching entrepreneurship to
non-business students.

Defining enterprise training and

education
It is important to understand at this stage
what the author understands by enterprise
education, and indicate the differences that

exist between the often confused areas of

education and training.
Enterprise education is the process or
series of activities which aims to enable an
individual to assimilate and develop knowledge, skills, values and understanding that
are not simply related to a narrow field of
activity, but which allow a broad range of
problems to be defined, analysed and
solved[1]. Education can be on a formal or
informal basis.
Enterprise training can be defined as a
more planned and systematic effort to modify
or develop knowledge, skills, etc., through
learning experiences to achieve effective
performance in an activity or range of activities[1].
Education is often perceived as the prerequisite for training as it provides the basic
skills and ability. The author will concentrate
in this article on education, as enterprise
education will provide the introduction to
entrepreneurship which is the foundation
stone on which new businesses are developed.
To understand training and education it is
important to examine the factors which are
similar or common to both. Both activities
are concerned with learning and contribute
to the progression of the individual or the
organization. As Truelove[2] observes, education, training, and development are interlinked and interdependent rather than
sequential and hierarchical.
An understanding of the similarities is
important in the design, development and
delivery of any entrepreneurship
programme. It is also critical to be aware of
and understand the differences that exist.
These distinguishing features are highlighted
in Table I.
Entrepreneurial education incorporates
both informal and formal methods. The methods used, content, and delivery modes will
vary depending on the student group. The
formal aspects of entrepreneurship education
focus on providing the theoretical and conceptual frameworks which underpin entrepreneurship. This theory is delivered through
didactic methods such as lectures and suggested readings. The educator acts as an
expert by instructing and facilitating the
learning process. These methods are assessed

Briga Hynes
Entrepreneurship education
and training introducing
entrepreneurship into
non-business disciplines
Journal of European Industrial
Training
20/8 [1996] 1017

by formal examinations which test knowledge and aptitudes. The informal aspects of
entrepreneurship education combine and
integrate with the formal aspects of education. The informal aspects of entrepreneurship education focus on skills building,
attribute development and behavioural
change. To achieve these objectives inductive
and discovery methods which include case
analysis, company visits, brainstorming,
team projects, simulation, etc. are used.
These delivery methods allow the students to
integrate and apply the theory learned
through the more formal means.
Entrepreneurship education needs to avoid
the mechanistic approach of business

Table I
Distinctions between entrepreneurial training and education
Comparison factor

Training

Education/formal

Focus on activity

On knowledge skills,
ability and job
performance
Can be specified clearly

On structured
development of individual
to specified outcomes
Objectives stated in
general terms
Specified period
Emphasis on
breakthrough
Structured or mechanistic

Clarity of objectives
Time scale
Values which underpin
activity
Nature of learning
process
Content of activity

Methods used

Outcomes of process
Learning strategy used

Nature of process
Role of professional
trainer
Document trainer
philosophy

Process of evaluation

Link with organization

mission and strategies

Short term
Assumes relative stability,
Emphasizes improvement
Structured or mechanistic
Knowledge, skills and
attitudes relevant to
specific job, basic
competences
Demonstration, practice,
feedback
Skilled performance of
tasks which make up a job
Didactic tutor-centred

Outside in, done by

others
To instruct, demonstrate
and guide
Instrumentalism:
transferring knowledge
using formal methods
and measuring results
Evaluation against
specific job performance
standards
Not necessarily linked to
organizations mission
and goals

Imposed and specified

curricula

Lectures, guided reading,

debate, self-managed
learning
External specified
outcomes
Combination of didactic,
skill-building and
inductive strategies
Largely outside in, done
by others
Act as an expert, instruct,
facilitate and guide to
learning resources
Combination of
instrumentalism and
existentialism
Evaluation in terms of
pass/fail levels
Not necessarily linked to
organizations mission
and goals

teaching, which often conveys the image of

business as being about systems or
techniques, and ignores the motivation and
personal competency components which are
essential for enterprise development.
The article will concentrate on the topic of
education and how the above factors will
need to be incorporated when designing
entrepreneurship education programmes.

Why is there a need for enterprise

education?
Enterprise education is becoming, and will
continue to become, an integral element of
any future academic programmes in schools,
universities and colleges, where it will
expand into an established and ultimately
accepted field of academic inquiry[3]. Ronstadt[3] argues that fundamental socioeconomic forces will propel this expansion.
Recent surveys support this view. Scott and
Twomey[4], based on data collected from
English students, reported that 25 per cent
had a business idea, and that 41 per cent
aspired to self-employment. Figures by Harrison and Hart[5] revealed that 47 per cent of a
sample of Northern Ireland students
expressed a positive desire to run their own
business. Curran and Stanworth[6] report
similar findings from another survey of English students. Attitudes towards enterprise
and small business are positive. Karr[7]
reports that 46 per cent of college students
consider a business of ones own an excellent way to get ahead. Sandholtz[8] reveals
that of the 1,000 MBA students surveyed at the
University of Pittsburgh, 44 per cent wanted
to become an independent entrepreneur. Hill
and Welsh[9], in a survey of almost 2,000 students, found that 80 per cent expressed an
interest in taking one or more courses in
entrepreneurship. This desire for entrepreneurial careers is reflected in the growing
number of universities and colleges that have
added courses and programmes on entrepreneurship to their business curriculum.
The changing structure in the western
economy, downsizing by larger companies
changing business patterns, movement to
different markets, plus the developing market
economies in eastern Europe which have
entrepreneurship at the centre of their development, all increase the emphasis on enterprise.
Essentially we see the emergence of an
SME economy, which leads to the need to
prepare and educate potential entrepreneurs
to identify opportunities in the environment,
and provide them with the knowledge and

[ 11 ]

Briga Hynes
Entrepreneurship education
and training introducing
entrepreneurship into
non-business disciplines
Journal of European Industrial
Training
20/8 [1996] 1017

[ 12 ]

skills necessary to capitalize and manage

these opportunities.

Can entrepreneurship be taught?

The most fundamental issue relating to enterprise education is addressing the question of
whether entrepreneurship can be taught.
Vesper[10], in a survey of American professors, found that 93 per cent of respondents
indicated that it could. Hills[11] in his
research survey of 15 leading university
entrepreneurship educators, found that their
main educational objective was to increase
the awareness and understanding of the
process involved in initiating and managing a
new business. Fleming[12] indicated from
research undertaken that education
increases awareness and by so doing facilitates the entrepreneurial process further.
It is often argued that enterprise culture is
developed naturally; however, due to the
changing environmental conditions we cannot solely rely on this passing on of knowledge, resulting in the need to provide interventions to promote this culture. Education
can be viewed as an important intervention.
Various studies[13,14] suggest that the entrepreneurial role can be culturally and experientially acquired, and therefore influenced by
education and training. This prompts the
question, does the present educational
system encourage the concept of an enterprise culture? Grant[15] referred to the concern of a number of educationists that the
educational system places too much emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge and the
ability to analyse. Not enough is placed on
helping students acquire particular skills and
to use knowledge. McMullan and Long[16]
suggest that instructional methodology is not
well suited to aspiring entrepreneurs; therefore the curriculum should acknowledge this.
When education is linked with desirable
behavioural outcomes, then some very close
parallels can be drawn between it and entrepreneurship[17]. The environment of the
entrepreneur is different from conventional
large organizations. The entrepreneur is
concerned with the present and the future,
and finding ways of creatively avoiding problems, or even anticipating them. Understanding is derived from personal experience, and
learning is obtained through doing.
McMullan and Long[16] argue that in order to
provide effective entrepreneurial education,
students should deal with ambiguity and
complexity. They must learn how to find problems as well as how to design solutions, and
should have substantial hands-on experience
working with the small firm sector.

McMullan and Long[16] note that because

few ventures begin with a functionally differentiated structure in place at the outset, it is
uneconomical to hire functional specialists.
Management educators teach the functional
format, finance, marketing, personnel, as if it
were equally applicable to all ventures at all
levels of development. Early stage ventures
have the most problems; therefore they argue
that entrepreneurship education needs to be
differentiated more by stage of venture development, rather than by department or functional expertise.
While it is perceived that entrepreneurship
can be taught, it is critical to ensure quality
teaching is implemented, and in doing this be
aware of the barriers that exist. To understand how entrepreneurship can be taught,
the author will examine a process model for
entrepreneurship education.

Process model of entrepreneurship

education
This model was developed by the author in
the context of experience at the University of
Limerick plus observations from other educational and training institutions (Table II).
The model provides multiple alternative
structures and learning mechanisms to
ensure the correct learning takes place. It
provides for the transfer of conceptual and
theoretical knowledge into practical application and the development of skills. The role of
the educator is critical, as he/she needs to
strive for a balance between the academic and
practitioner perspective.
To achieve the objectives of any entrepreneurship programme, careful goals should be
set for knowledge, skills and attribute learning. Distinctions need to be made between
learning what (insightfully), learning how
to and learning who with.

Key elements of the module

Inputs
Entrepreneurship programmes should not be
assumed generic in nature but rather take
into consideration the requirements and
needs of students. Examination of the various
antecedent criteria allow us to customize
content, assessment, teaching methodologies
more specific to student requirements.

Process
Content focus
This describes the variation of topics which
are incorporated into an enterprise
programme, which again will be varied
according to student profile. More specific

Briga Hynes
Entrepreneurship education
and training introducing
entrepreneurship into
non-business disciplines

Table II
Process model of entrepreneurship education

Journal of European Industrial

Training
20/8 [1996] 1017

Prior knowledge
base
Motivation
Personality
Needs/interests
Independence
Attitudes
Parental influence
Self-esteem
Values
Work experience

Inputs
Students

Process
Content focus

Teaching focus

Outputs

Entrepreneurship
defined
Intrapreneurship
Innovation
New product development
Idea generation
Market research
Feasibility of idea
Finance
Production
Regulations
People management
Teamwork
Business
Marketing
Management

Didactic (reading/
lectures)
Skill building (case
studies group discussions,
presentations, problem
solving, simulations,
teamwork, projects)
Discovery (brainstorming,
personal goalsetting,
career planning,
consultancy)

Personal (confidence
communication)
Knowledge (enterprise,
initiative, self-employment,
business, management and
market skills, analytical,
problem solving, decision
making, communication,
presentation, risk taking)
Career (improved knowledge,
broader career options,
broader less structured
career perspective)

Note: Environment includes local learning environment and broader macro environment
detail on these subjects areas can be obtained
in the final section of this article.

Teaching focus
Didactic methods. The use of didactic methods
such as lectures, provision of selected readings, text books, and seminars allows for the
provision of new information which achieves
the cognitive objectives of the programme.
The use of didactic methods helps students to
become accustomed to using immediate data,
analysis and interpretation of these data.
Skills building methods. These methods are
used to generate increased effectiveness in
the behaviour of students, which result in
existing skills enhancement and the development of new skills. Active case studies, group
discussions, brainstorming, etc., are used to
achieve the objectives of these methods.
Discovery methods. Discovery methods
encourage learning through discovery and
experiential learning. This involves learning
by doing, by involving students in problem
solving in real-world situations including the
solution and action component. Contact with
external organizations provides a greater
opportunity for the building up of networks
which have potential for career enhancement. Students also work on a consultancy
basis in teams with small firms which is very
effective in providing hands-on experience
with the small firm sector.

Outputs
The outputs can be assessed on a tangible and
intangible basis. The tangible effects are the
development of products, prototypes, drawings etc. It is critical to ensure behavioural

and skills outcomes also exist in the context

of personal skills, behaviour and career outcomes.

The environment
The environment incorporates the physical
and learning conditions that exist internally
in the relevant educational establishment,
and also the external general environment
which will impact on the career choices available, and will influence entrepreneurship in
both a positive and negative manner. It is
important that educators and facilitators
ensure the immediate environment (learning
environment) is conducive to learning. This
will involve ensuring that facilities and
resources are available and accessible to
students. The larger external environment
which includes the broader work, economic,
social, and technological environment needs
to be understood, to provide students with the
necessary skills to be successful in this environment.

Entrepreneurship and non-business

students: the University of Limerick
experience
It is argued that enterprise education can be
effectively fostered in universities and colleges in the business domain. The author will
now examine this topic further by examining
the potential and need to educate non-business students in entrepreneurship.
Engineering or other science disciplines
are no different from other professions, such
as marketing and accounting, in that they all

[ 13 ]

Briga Hynes
Entrepreneurship education
and training introducing
entrepreneurship into
non-business disciplines
Journal of European Industrial
Training
20/8 [1996] 1017

operate on the margins and within business.

However, to individual and professional detriment, all too frequently, non-business professionals fail to see their contribution in the
fuller business context.
This will need to change, as it is all too often
that technical students develop good ideas
which are ignored, because they are not educated in the skills of advocacy, questioning, or
idea development. Students require a
broader, qualitative approach, which promotes lateral thinking and initiative. Universities and colleges, in appraising careers and
work situations in which graduates embark,
indicate requirements in terms of ability to
work in teams, sense of rapport, and shared
responsibility that team working brings.
Initiative and the ability to bring new ideas to
the workplace are also important requirements from industry.
The University of Limerick developed an
entrepreneurship module for non-business
students based on the process module. The
module is called Product Design and Development I and II.

Rationale
The Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering was evaluating existing
standard curriculum in an appraisal of the
careers on which young engineers embark,
and the ways in which both they, and the
companies which employ them, wish to
develop their capabilities. In the main, findings from the evaluation indicated that students were graduating with a very narrow
and theoretical degree which reduced their
flexibility to work in different areas of the
organization. This resulted in the department
approaching the Department of Management
and Marketing to design a module for their
students which would encourage lateral
thinking and the development of initiative.
Other reasons, perhaps more fundamental,
included the development of skills and knowledge base, to create improved job opportunities, and allow individuals with ideas to
transfer them into viable projects, an emphasis on creating campus companies.

of prior knowledge and exposure to entrepreneurship.

Semester two consists mainly of action
learning, where the students are applying in
a very practical basis the knowledge that they
have learned in semester one. An interesting
aspect of the semester is the integration of
business studies students with the non-business students. Teams are developed which
consist of four students, equally comprising
two business studies and two non-business
students. These teams work together to
develop the idea generated by the non-business students. This results in a very important learning experience for all students, as it
provides them with an insight into how the
various functional areas of a business need to
communicate and work with one another.

Participants (inputs)
Semester one involves students from production management, materials engineering, and
mechanical engineering all fourth year
students. At this level, students adopt a
mature approach to the subject, as they are
close to graduating and are looking towards a
career and jobs.
An entry questionnaire completed by the
students generally indicates that their prior
exposure or awareness of the term entrepreneurship or self-employment is extremely
low. Students do not consider self-employment as a career option but are rather
focused towards employment in an organization. Students generally have a very limited
knowledge of finance and no knowledge of
marketing or research. This information has
a major impact on how, and at what level,
teaching is aimed.
Semester two sees the inclusion of third
year business studies students who are participating in the Enterprise Minor Option
Stream. The profile of these students is obviously different, in that their prior knowledge
and exposure is much higher in the area of
entrepreneurship. This mix of students initially posed a challenge in module design and
delivery, and achieving the correct level and
mix of content and teaching methods.

Content (content focus)

Description
Product Design and Development I and II is a
two-semester module, each semester consisting of 13 weeks. Semester one involves an
introductory module creating awareness and
understanding of entrepreneurship. It provides the very necessary theory which assists
in the successful development of a new business. This class consists of non-business
students which allows us to customize the
module to meet their specific needs in terms

[ 14 ]

Semester one serves as a foundation module,

providing an introduction into the topic of
entrepreneurship, providing the theory and
knowledge necessary to implement entrepreneurship and start a business. This semester
involves examination of the issues
highlighted in Table III.
Examination of the above topics by using
didactic and inductive methods, ensures
students gain the necessary knowledge and
skills to start a business. Understanding and

Briga Hynes
Entrepreneurship education
and training introducing
entrepreneurship into
non-business disciplines

Table III
Learning outcomes from entrepreneurship module

Journal of European Industrial

Training
20/8 [1996] 1017

Entrepreneurship defined
The emergence of entrepreneurship
Intrapreneurship
Enterprise in Ireland
The need to foster and develop enterprise in Ireland
Innovation and new product development
Idea generation
Screening and evaluation of ideas
The product life cycle
Researching your idea
Market research
Financial analysis
Production research
Completing the feasibility study
Legal issues in forming new business
Financing the start-up
Application of funds for the start-up business
Sources of assistance available for the start-up
Evaluation of state initiatives
Managing the small firm
Management
Marketing
Finance
Production
Start up business failure
How business failure can be minimized

Topics examined

knowledge in the above topics should reinforce innovation, creativity, flexibility, selfdirection, and self-expression, to identify and
respond to different market opportunities.
On completion of semester one, students
submit a ten-page idea proposal which constitutes 25 per cent of their assessment. The
remaining 75 per cent is assessed through a
formal examination which requests students
to analyse the new information obtained
through the semester.
Semester two is organized on a workshop
basis, which requires the student teams (business and non-business) to apply in a practical
way the theory learned in semester one. Student teams work on their projects with the
assistance of a tutor from both the business
and engineering faculty. This semester is
characterized by continuous assessment
which involves progress reports and presentations during the term.
The written and oral presentation of the
project is to a panel of faculty from both the
engineering and business schools. The exhibition is the culmination of the semester. The
exhibition involves student project teams
exhibiting their ideas, prototypes, etc., to
invited guests and the public. They are
encouraged to be innovative and enterprising

Conceptual

Learning obtained
Skills

Attributes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

in their presentation skills. The exhibition is

extremely successful and provides us with
tangible evidence of the success of the
module.

Implementation (teaching process)

When all elements are in place a briefing
document is provided to students which indicates the subject areas, content, objectives
and assessment methods. Semester one
involves the following types of teaching strategy.
Didactic methods involve structured lectures which transfer the knowledge and theories of entrepreneurship. These lectures are
supplemented by workshops and tutorials
which involve smaller numbers (20 students).
The tutorials emphasize skill building and
discovery methods, which involve interaction
and participation by students.
Each student attends two tutorials per week
which involve brainstorming sessions, problem-solving sessions, case studies, guest
speakers, and business simulations. The
combination of the above techniques provides
an interesting and dynamic aspect to the
subject.
On completion of semester one, students
are organized into teams of two, have an idea

[ 15 ]

Briga Hynes
Entrepreneurship education
and training introducing
entrepreneurship into
non-business disciplines
Journal of European Industrial
Training
20/8 [1996] 1017

developed, and are ready to complete the

feasibility study for it.
Semester two is workshop-based, involving
skills building and discovery methods. The
role of the educator/facilitator in this semester is critical to ensure the correct infrastructure is in place to achieve results. Staff from
both the engineering and business faculty are
involved. External practitioners are also
involved to provide another perspective. The
main issue in this module is the effort
involved in getting the business and nonbusiness students to work together. The main
focus is on action and experiential learning,
which is encouraged through group discussions, case analysis, guest speakers, business
simulation, etc.

Assessment and evaluation

Assessment methods are focused on understanding which has the strongest influence
on conceptual learning. During the two
semesters the following assessment techniques are used:
1 Examination of set reading/lecturing material. This involves the completion of a structured written exam on pre-assigned texts,
readings and case studies designed to sample the students diligence and appreciation
of the fundamentals and concepts which
underpin enterprise. This occurs at the end
of semester one.
2 Project proposal submission, involving the
formation of teams. Evaluation is undertaken on the means and processes the
teams use in working together to generate
and screen product, service ideas, and the
final choice of an idea for further development. Marks are awarded at this stage not
on the validity of the idea, but on the
process of generating and evaluating ideas.
3 Team project. Evaluated on the following
criteria:
how successful teams worked together;
logic applied to project;
analysis of marketing/marketing
research;
financial analysis;
production feasibility;
ability to sell their idea;
ability to justify information provided;
written presentation and layout of project.
4 Project presentation and discussion. This
involves a 15-minute oral presentation of
the project to tutors and invited guests from
the local development agency (Shannon
Development) and a local business practitioner. A written report is also submitted
and evaluated. The presentations are evaluated on the following:
professionalism of presentation;
use of visual aids;

[ 16 ]

clarity of presentation;
ability to answer queries and defend
points developed.
5 Exhibition presentation. Examined on the
initiative and creativity displayed by teams
in designing and mounting their exhibition
stand. The ability to sell their idea to the
public and answer queries is also taken into
consideration.
The combination of assessment techniques
allows us to test the various elements/subject
areas taught more specifically; plus evaluate
the use of various learning instruments.
An overall evaluation is undertaken on a
broader basis to incorporate evaluation of
faculty tutors, resources, facilities, etc. This
evaluation is completed by students and faculty. Student feedback is undertaken through
the distribution of a questionnaire. Staff
evaluation is completed through staff meetings.

Evaluation process
The evaluation process involved an examination of the impact and level of satisfaction
that existed with the content, the teaching
methodologies, facilities, resources, learning
obtained, and the practical application of the
module. Overall results obtained from the
students were very favourable as it provided
them with a new and practical insight into
new business development. Feedback from
faculty was also very positive, resulting in the
module installed into their curriculum on a
continuous basis.

Outputs
The outputs or benefits obtained from the
module can be viewed under the following:
Personal. Resulting in personal development, confidence building, and clearer
personal and career objectives by students.
These personal outcomes improve the calibre of students who are embarking on a
career.
Knowledge. Improved knowledge in innovation, entrepreneurial process, marketing,
finance, innovation, management.
It is important to measure outputs in a broad
sense in terms of skills building, behavioural
change, and the development of a more entrepreneurial graduate. Outputs should not be
measured in the strict sense of business formation. Other more tangible outputs were
obtained in terms of national awards for
student projects, and the development of
business alliances with companies buying
rights to student projects.

Issues arising from module implementation

As this module was new to both departments,
a number of issues arose which affected the

Briga Hynes
Entrepreneurship education
and training introducing
entrepreneurship into
non-business disciplines
Journal of European Industrial
Training
20/8 [1996] 1017

implementation of the module. The main

issues related to the non-business students
having difficulties in adjusting to the less
numeric and less precise descriptive subject
areas. Lack of resources and facilities caused
problems at the early stages as they curtailed
student progression with projects. The above
issues have been addressed and will be overcome in future programmes.

Conclusions
This article highlights the growing need to
create an enterprise culture which will
encourage and foster greater initiative and
entrepreneurial activity.
Currently the focus and process of education is too mechanistic and does not promote
or encourage entrepreneurial behaviour.
Therefore a considerable challenge faces
educators and trainers to derive programmes
which are appropriate for preparation for
learning in the world outside.
It is important to distinguish between education and training to ensure the correct
objectives, focus content and teaching
methodologies are used. The process model
for entrepreneurial education facilitates this.
The process model provides for multiple
alternative structures and learning mechanisms to ensure learning is targeted to
accommodate students requirements. It
provides for an integrated approach to enterprise education.
Enterprise education should be incorporated into the non-business disciplines of
engineering and science where business/product ideas emerge, but are often forgotten or
ignored because students are not sufficiently
educated in the knowledge and skills required.
The process model provides an important
set of guidelines which can be used by educators when designing programmes to suit
different student groups.
It is critical that entrepreneurship education is adopted in an integrated manner
where interdisciplinary teams and project
work are encouraged. This allows
educational institutions to benefit from the
expertise and synegies that can be obtained
from cross-functional learning. This integrated learning by students will create an
improved awareness of the reality of working
in progressive organizations, but perhaps
more importantly it will provide students
with the awareness, interest, and preparation
for self-employment as a career alternative.
For education institutions to adopt this integrated approach it is critical that faculty

endorse it and are prepared to allocate

resources and time to ensure this enterprise
culture is evident in their institution.

References
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