ESF project Support to Researches in Education (Atbalsts izglītības pētījumiem) 2011/0011/1DP/ /11/IPIA/VIAA/001 ASEM

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1 The development of teachers' professional competence for the work in interdisciplinary study environment for linking studies to real life and promoting students' entrepreneurship ESF project Support to Researches in Education (Atbalsts izglītības pētījumiem) 2011/0011/1DP/ /11/IPIA/VIAA/001 ASEM

2 Entrepreneurial Study Environment and Learner Diversity: Challenges for Education and Training Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 25 June, 2013 Dr. Karine Oganisjana, University of Latvia

3 The aim of today s work To discuss what kind of educational and training challenges caused by learners diversity may be faced in entrepreneurial study environment and how to overcome them.

4 Three domains of learners diversity concerning the development of their entrepreneurship 1. Individual differences in learners : - personality traits, - experience, knowledge, skills and attitudes towards studies, work and the world in general, - cognitive power, - emotional stability, - capabilities, - needs and value systems, - learning styles, - educational background and the main domain of study discipline. 2. Entrepreneurial experience of learners families. 3. Belonging to different cultures.

5 1. Entrepreneurial studies and learners diversity caused by individual peculiarities

6 The holistic definition of entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is a dynamic system of an individual's causally interrelated personality traits, motivation, cognition, needs, emotions, abilities, learning, skills and behaviour, on the basis of which the individual interacts with the environment for identifying, generating and realizing opportunities into new values (Oganisjana, 2010).

7 The universal portrait of entrepreneurs?! Dominant, Considerate, Controlled, Reserved, Curious, Organized, Decisive, Persuasive, Energetic, Easygoing, Intellectual, Stable, Sincere, Modest, Logical, Loyal, Quick, Involved, Observant, Quiet, Confident, Bold, Understanding, Ingenious, Efficient, Diplomatic, Stimulating, Open-Minded, Perceptive, Practical, Painstaking, Serious, Persevering, Cheerful, Persistent, Idealistic, Friendly, Patient, Thoughtful, Calm, Dependable, Objective, Clear-thinking, Conscientious, Tactful, Independent, Forward-looking, Soft-spoken, Sensitive, Disciplined, Mature, Responsible, Analytical, Imaginative, Creative, Frank, Committed, Determined, Factual, Sympathetic, Enthusiastic, Realistic, Reliable, Thoughtful, Agreeable, Systematic, Cooperative, Intelligent, Adaptable, Warm, Tolerant, Mainstream, Scientific, Outgoing, Goal-oriented, Trouble-shooter, Effective, Conservative, Innovative, Gracious (Singer & Bloch, 1990).

8 Personality traits 4. Environment Motivation 10. Cognition 9. Needs 8. Capabilities Skills Emotions Learning 14. Behaviour 6. New value The holistic structural functional model of entrepreneurship (Oganisjana, 2010)

9 Challenges for higher education in the context of entrepreneurial studies Many successful entrepreneurs don t have any economic or entrepreneurial education or even are not educated at all in the traditional sense of it (ACEID, 1994; McKenzie et al., 2007; Bridge, 2005). The percentage of alumni from European schools who start their own companies is relatively small, only 10% (Wilson, 2007). The main cause is the academic character of higher education! Entrepreneurship knowledge has contextual character (Gibb, 2007).

10 How to make higher education more entrepreneurship oriented Instead of academic lecturing provide the opportunity for students experiential learning by doing. Motivate students to think about the practical outcomes of their learning. Make the teachers and students members of interdisciplinary international teams within research projects. Link the study content to real life and society s needs. Make university and business cooperation a norm.

11 The development of teachers' professional competence for the work in interdisciplinary study environment for moving studies closer to real life and promoting students' entrepreneurship ESR project within ASEM research network 5 Five secondary schools from all four regions and the capital of Latvia. October 2012 May 2013

12 Learner diversity related challenges which interdisciplinary mixed groups of teachers and students faced in entrepreneurial studies in the course of the project. Differences between teachers and students experience and skills. Differences in the sense of responsibility for the group work. Differences in communication style and conflict management. Differences in understanding the needs of the society and topicalities of modern life. Differences in abilities of breaking stereotypes and acquiring practical creativity techniques. Differences in identification of real life problems and solving them.

13 Is learner diversity weakness or strength? Is learner diversity a challenge or blessing? Is learner diversity a disadvantage or an advantage?

14 Complementary Team Theory (Adizes, 2004) According to the Complementary Team Theory within the New Paradigm for Management the best team consists of not similarly thinking individuals, but on the contrary, of people who have diverse knowledge, experience and skills but are united with the joint aim to achieve the goals set on the basis of mutual respect.

15 How to convert learners diversity into entrepreneurship promoting power? Promote regular collaboration among entrepreneurs, teachers, students and other specialists. Make problem based learning an indispensable part of the learning process. Come out of the school walls and go into the society with offers created based on knowledge, skills and experience. Create special entrepreneurial ethos and link studies with real life and needs of the society. Combine traditional separate-discipline teaching and learning with interdisciplinary projects.

16 THUS, To be entrepreneurial is possible for individuals or groups of individuals with a great number of different combination of various personality traits, motivational, cognitive, needs, emotional, abilities, learning, skills and behavioural elements. Therefore entrepreneurship is part of reality in different cultures! But cultural differences cause differences in the character of entrepreneurship and the innovative product created!!!

17 The research "Society Integration and Business: the Ethnic Dimension" (Baltic Institute of Social Sciences and Institute of Economics, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 2004) If "a typical "Russian" company is more dynamic and more risky, "Latvian" companies are said to be calmer and more humble.

18 2. Entrepreneurial studies and learners diversity caused by belonging to different cultures

19 Culture Culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes people included in one category from another (Hofstede 1989). Culture can also be viewed as a collective mental knowledge developed by a group of people exposed to a similar context (Geertz 1973; Reckwitz 2000; Schatzki and Natter 1996).

20 Howard Stevenson (2000) Research in history and culture of 40 countries over the last 2 decades Entrepreneurship flourishes in communities: where resources are mobile; where successful members of a community reinvest excess capital in the projects of other community members; in which success of other community members is celebrated rather than derided; that see change as positive rather than negative.

21 Global Leadership and Organization Behavior Effectiveness A 62 nation, 11-year study involving 170 researchers worldwide.

22 Nine critical cultural dimensions (House, 2009) Cultural dimension Definition 1. Performance orientation 2. Uncertainty avoidance The extent to which a community encourages innovation, high standards, excellence, and performance improvement. The extent to which a society, organisation or a group relies on social norms, rules and procedures to alleviate the unpredictability of future events. 3. In-group collectivism The degree to which individuals express pride, loyalty and cohesiveness in their organisations or family. 4. Power distance 5. Gender egalitarianism The extent to which the community accepts and endorses authority, power differences and status privileges. The degree to which a collective minimized gender inequality.

23 Nine critical cultural dimensions (House, 2009) Cultural dimension 6. Human orientation 7. Institutional collectivism 8. Future orientation 9. Assertiveness Definition The degree to which an organisation or society encourages and rewards individuals for being fair, altruistic, friendly, generous, caring and kind to others. The degree to which organisational, societal and institutional practices encourage and reward collective distribution of resources and collective action. The degree to which a collective encourages and rewards future-oriented behaviours such as planning and delaying gratification. The degree to which individuals are assertive, confrontational, aggressive in their relationship with others.

24 The research "Society Integration and Business: the Ethnic Dimension" (Baltic Institute of Social Sciences and Institute of Economics, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 2004) If "a typical "Russian" company is more dynamic and more risky, "Latvian" companies are said to be calmer and more humble.

25 Challenges to learning for entrepreneurship in international interdisciplinary groups of European higher education students Baltic Entrepreneurial Summer School 2013 within Erasmus Intensive Programme 1) members experience and skills, 2) communication, 3) problem solving and decision making, 4) conflict management, 5) leadership.

26 How to overcome intercultural and interdisciplinary challenges in entrepreneurial education? To make studies even more intercultural and more interdisciplinary!!!

27 Thank you for attention!