Building an Entrepreneurship

EcosystemReference the guidelines and criteria for institutional

evaluation

Professor Pauric McGowan

Building an entrepreneurship ecosystem – a culture change

““There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things”than to initiate a new order of things” - Machiavelli

An entrepreneurship ecosystem

• One made up of a complex set of interdependent One made up of a complex set of interdependent relationshipsrelationships

• If one part is damaged or fails it has an impact on If one part is damaged or fails it has an impact on everything elseeverything else

• A healthy ecosystem is said to be a sustainable A healthy ecosystem is said to be a sustainable oneone

Pressures on HEIs, in current times

HEIs are increasingly under pressure:

• To be more relevant in society,

• To behave more entrepreneurially by government, business and society generally

• To reflect the new “world of work” for which graduates must be prepared

The advent of the entrepreneurial HEI

As with any enterprise, an HEI will be “entrepreneurial” because the people in it are entrepreneurial

Lessons from the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Front

Professor Jenny Boore, Emeritus Professor of Nursing. University of Ulster

Professor Alan Woodside, Professor of Engineering, University of Ulster

Building that ecosystem; Know your product

• Entrepreneurship is a process

• ““is not just about new companies, capital and is not just about new companies, capital and jobs. It’s also about fostering an ingenious jobs. It’s also about fostering an ingenious human spirit and improving mankind”. Timmons human spirit and improving mankind”. Timmons 20082008

Entrepreneurial people by their actions:

• Exploit the opportunity in innovative ideas• Challenge the status-quo• Make a difference• Add value• Display particular traits and competencies

Building that ecosystem; Know your market

For many within HEIs the concept of entrepreneurship with its associations with business development and its interest in the profit motive provokes,……..

“…“…an image of shady villainy, a fifth column gnawing away an image of shady villainy, a fifth column gnawing away at the basic values that define a university, a wolf at the basic values that define a university, a wolf masquerading as a milch-cow” masquerading as a milch-cow”

McNay 2002, p 2

Developing an entrepreneurial culture within an HEI – the big debate

• While for some the advent of the entrepreneurial culture within an HEI is a deformation of the traditional role of such an institution.

• For others it’s what such institutions are all about, the imaginative use of knowledge, preparing students for life of work

Overcoming resistance to an emerging ecosystem, encouraging buy-in

Resistance

•Ignorance and myopia about what entrepreneurship is and who entrepreneurial people are

•Pre-conceived notions about its associations with starting a new business and with the profit motive

•Pre-determined attitudes that agenda poses a threat to traditional HEI values

•The credibility of the subject vis-à-vis “real” academic subjects

•Perceived as a distraction from proper HEI work

Buy-in

•Make the entrepreneurship agenda relevant

•Embed it, don’t bolt it on

•Build awareness and encourage engagement

•Encourage ownership of the agenda, especially beyond Business and Management faculties

•Identify, support and reward champions

•Confirm credibility of entrepreneurship in research terms

•Develop a culture for entrepreneurship through celebrations of success and a “can-do” attitude

•Train the trainers

•Minimise the hassle-factor

•Personal selling

Building that ecosystem; elements already in existence

• Industrial placements• FUSION projects• Visiting faculty/lecturers/guest speakers• As members of Advisory/Management Boards• As Mentors/Business Angels• Sponsors of research• In research and case study development• As participants on educational and

PDP programmes• As event sponsors

Nurturing an entrepreneurial ecosystem within an HEIguidelines and criteria for institutional evaluation

• Leadership

• Culture/Staff

• Learning outcomes, defining them, embedding them and assessing them

Key players in developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem in HEIs

• An enterprise will be entrepreneurial because the people working in it are entrepreneurial

• Academic staff, as champions for the agenda, who need to be empowered

• Senior Management, empowering champions, key enablers

• Core issues within the guidelines and criteria for institutional evaluation

Identifying Entrepreneurial learning outcomesNational Centre for Entrepreneurship EducationReference the guidelines and criteria for institutional evaluation

• Entrepreneurial behaviour, attitude and skill development

• Creating empathy with the entrepreneurial life world• Key entrepreneurial values• Motivation and entrepreneurship career• Understanding of the process of business entry and

tasks• Generic entrepreneurship competencies• Key business know how• Managing relationships, (know-who)

Embedding and assessing ELOsReference the guidelines and criteria for institutional evaluation

Methodologies are:•Never a bolt-on•Rarely a discreet module•A complement to the core curriculum of the subject area•Encourage ownership

Methodologies are:•Consistent with national frameworks for the subject level•Valid and reliable, supported by clear, published criteria for marking and grading•Provide clear and timely feedback

Future trends!Building on the guidelines and criteria for institutional evaluation

• Promoting the agenda at PGT and PGR constituencies

• More multidisciplinary programmes, probably at Masters level

• Making entrepreneurial new venturing the new norm

• The engagement and training of more “pracademics”

Building an Entrepreneurship

EcosystemReference the guidelines and criteria for institutional

evaluation

Professor Pauric McGowan