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Title

Entrepreneurial education in the 21st century: evaluating the efficacy of models

Author(s)

Tanas, Janusz;  Gillin, Murray;  Dembeka, K.

Abstract

Entrepreneurship overcomes the barriers and obstacles of class, race and gender (Aldrich et al., 1983; Hyrsky and Ali, 1996). Widespread entrepreneurship is fundamental to the creation and stabilisation of democracy and is essential to the creation of a middle class and avoidance of extreme polarisation between rich and poor (Kowalik, 2001). It is a vital component of national economic growth and development (Acs, Audretsch, Braunerhjelm and Carlsson, 2005; Carree and Thurik, 2003). Entrepreneurship encourages action, promotes job creation, consequently, improving the overall well-being of the entire country (Bednarzik 2000; Keister 2000). Entrepreneurial undertakings are an art and a science (Kasarda, 1992; Bridge et al., 1998). It is holistic, dynamic, unique and sensitive to a number of antecedent variables (Hofer and Bygrave, 1992). Despite the lack of a consensus on entrepreneurship two alternative perspectives on entrepreneurial education can be distinguished: (i) the American and (ii) European views. In America, it is very common to concentrate training efforts on specific steps in the firm creation process. Contrary, in Europe, where researchers cannot agree on the concept or the objectives that this kind of education should pursue (OECD, 1999; European Commission, 2003), the main objective is often more general concentrating on developing entrepreneurial personality and a concept of enterprise (Acs and Audretsch, 1990; Wennekers and Thurik, 1999).

Publication type

Conference abstract

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Business and Enterprise. Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship

Source

Proceedings of Regional Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research 2008: 5th International Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship (AGSE) Entrepreneurship Research Exchange, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 05-08 February 2008 / L. Murray Gillin (ed.)

Publication year

2008

FOR Code(s)

150304 Entrepreneurship

Keyword(s)

Australia;  Entrepreneurship education

Publisher

Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology

ISBN

9780980332834

Publisher URL

http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lib/ir/onlineconferences/agse2008/papers.htm

Copyright

This paper copyright © 2008 The Authors. Proceedings copyright © 2008 Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship. Published version of this paper reproduced with the kind permission of the publisher.

Full text

Peer reviewed