Teaching Entrepreneurship In Light Of The Triple Bottom Line

Transcription

1 Teaching Entrepreneurship In Light Of The Triple Bottom Line Sherry Robinson Penn State University, USA/Buskerud and Vestfold University College, Norway Hans Anton Stubberud Buskerud and Vestfold University College, Norway teaching entrepreneurship 1

2 Research question To what extent did students increase their skill levels during a two-week entrepreneurship course? Reports of the results of self-evaluations conducted by students at the beginning and end of the course Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 2 (10)

3 International, Interdisciplinary, Interactive --Collaborative International Norway USA Dominican Republic Denmark Vietnam --Content Entrepreneurial orientation Triple Bottom Line Interdisciplinary Business Engineering Law Visual communications HØGSKOLEN I BUSKERUD OG VESTFOLD PROFESJONSHØGSKOLEN 3

4 Entrepreneurial orientation Described by Three Elements (Bolton & Lane, 2012) Creativity and innovation - coming up with new ideas and improving on current ideas and others ideas (Amabile, 1997; Govindarajan, 2010; Gurteen, 1998; Ko & Butler, 2007) Risk-taking willing to take the risk of being wrong, silly, successful, willing to risk failure (Rentschler, 2010; Ko & Butler, 2007; Mainemelis & Ronson, 2006; Robinson, 2012; 2013) Proactiveness taking action, not just thinking and planning (Amabile, 1997; Govindarajan, 2010; Gurteen, 1998; Ko & Butler, 2007) Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 4 (10)

5 Triple bottom line (J. Elkington, 1997) People Social entrepreneurship Social aspects of creativity Planet Environmental sustainability Alternative energy Profit Entrepreneurship Intrapreneurship Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 5 (10)

6 Teamwork and Diversity Diversity emphasized in the topics, guest speakers and activities. Class activities/projects - part of an overall competition among teams team voting to determine results Teams were determined by a random drawing during the first day of class permitted to change teams after 48 hours Diversity Dividend Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 6 (10)

7 Projects Variety of projects provided teams a range of options from which to choose their final project New ideas Adapting and improving on others ideas Trade fair presented ideas to local business leaders, who invested in their favorite ideas Retired incubator manager as consultant Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 7 (10)

8 Methodology pre-tests - first day of class/post-test - last day of class. 25 students (21 usable sets of matched surveys) 6 from the American university 19 from the Norwegian university Survey included 12 skill areas and improved skills (learning) students were asked to indicate their perceived level of ability in each skill area using Likert scales 1=poor, 2=fair, 3=good, 4=very good and 5= excellent 1=strongly disagree.5=strongly agree Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 8 (10)

9 Results overview Ratings for improved skills ranged from 3.8 to 4.2 Students generally felt they had improved all skills Mean pre-test ratings ranged from 2.0 to 3.7 Mean post-test ratings ranged from 3.5 to 4.0 highest pre-test rating was only 0.2 higher than the lowest post-test rating Statistically significant differences for 7 of 12 skills HØGSKOLEN I BUSKERUD OG VESTFOLD PROFESJONSHØGSKOLEN 9

10 PRE-TESTS, POST-TEST AND LEARNING EVALUATIONS FOR SKILLS AND ABILITIES (1) Skill Pretest Post -test t P Improved skills To understand the * 4.2 concept of social entrepreneurship To understand the * 4.0 concept of intrapreneurship To think creatively To understand concepts regarding alternative energy To recognize a good opportunity To understand what it takes to start one s own business Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 10 (15)

11 Skill Pretest Posttest t P Improved skills To communicate ideas in English To work effectively in a team * * 3.8 To understand * 3.8 concepts about sustainability in business or products To take calculated risks To market a product * 3.8 To design something novel and innovative * 3.8 Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 11 (15)

12 Types of Entrepreneurship pre-test post-test improved Social entrepreneurship Intrapreneurship These two skills/abilities had the lowest pre-test ratings greatest increases between pre- and post-tests (1.5/1.7) highest improved skills ratings HØGSKOLEN I BUSKERUD OG VESTFOLD PROFESJONSHØGSKOLEN 12

13 Creativity and marketing «To think creatively» Highest skill in the pre-tests 3.7 Second lowest in post-tests 3.6 Improved skills 4.0 «to design something novel and innovative» - increased 1.0 between pre-test (2.7) and post-test (3.7) p< for improved skill «to market a product» - also 3.8 for improved skill - increased from 3.0 to 3.6, p< HØGSKOLEN I BUSKERUD OG VESTFOLD PROFESJONSHØGSKOLEN 13

14 Starting a business «to recognize a good opportunity» «to understand what it takes to start one s own buiness» «to take calculated risks» No statistically significant differences between pre-tests (3.3/3.4) and post-tests (3.6/3.7) Improved skills ratings 3.8/ HØGSKOLEN I BUSKERUD OG VESTFOLD PROFESJONSHØGSKOLEN 14

15 English and teamwork «to communicate ideas in English» «to work effectively in a team» Improved skills 3.9/3.8 Post-test rating 4.0 for both English pre-test 3.0 (increased 1.0) p<.001 Teamwork pre-test 3.6 p< HØGSKOLEN I BUSKERUD OG VESTFOLD PROFESJONSHØGSKOLEN 15

16 Alternative energy and sustainability «to understand concepts regarding alternative energy» Pre-test 3.0 Post-test 3.5, but not a statistically significant increase Improved skill rating 4.0 «to understand concepts about sustainability in business or products» Pre-test 3.4 Post-test 3.7 p<.031 Improved skill rating HØGSKOLEN I BUSKERUD OG VESTFOLD PROFESJONSHØGSKOLEN 16

17 Conclusions Course objective - to provide students a look at what it takes to be an entrepreneur including social entrepreneur and introduce students to the Triple Bottom Line Even if students decideded that they did not wish to start a business, creativity, risk-taking and proactiveness are valuable qualities in employees intrapreneurship The results show that the objectives of the course appear to have been fulfilled, at least to some degree improved skill ratings of no lower than 3.8 Post-test ratings no lower than 3.5 Teaching entrepreneurship slide nr 17 (10)