Anne M.J. Smith

Delivering enterprise: A collaborative international approach to the development, implementation and assessment of entrepreneurship

Purpose – Industry, government and funding bodies have long called for the inclusion of entrepreneurship and enterprise within education provision at all levels: engagement with enterprise develops entrepreneurial skills, which in turn will enhance both the employability of the recipient and contribution to the knowledge led economy. This paper seeks to examine an innovative approach to the development, implementation and assessment of enterprise and entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach – The authors were directly engaged with a Scottish Enterprise programme between November 2006 and 2008 inclusive. The observations drawn from this time are part of an ongoing study, which has adopted an action research approach, to assess and deliver transferable skills. Findings – The programme delivers skills and economic benefits within an international setting. Enterprise agencies, universities and employers have come together to deliver a programme that generates economic benefit while enhancing participant and client capability. It does so by combining and addressing business and technology connectivity, experiential learning and reflective practice. Practical implications – This paper examines the rationale behind such initiatives and links this to the direct experience of programme development, delivery and assessment; the aim being to “unpack” the programme in such a way as to allow others to access the experience. This should in itself encourage discussion around the academic and pedagogical underpinnings of such enterprise offerings. Originality/value – The authors hope that this paper helps inform the policy debate (within government, funding and enterprise agencies and representatives of industry and commerce) by addressing the question: how best to engage with practice in a meaningful and enterprise led manner?

The Clock is Ticking: Surviving Privatization and Deregulation by Utilizing the Running Time

Deregulation interrupts industry evolution, leading to failure or absorption of many once-proud, dominating firms. Privatization also radically changes the evolution of an organization, as it moves from a protected, state-aligned institution to life subjected to the harsh forces of private sector ownership and scrutiny. Yet, deregulation and privatization do not occur overnight. We identify a period in many regulated or monopolistic industries which affords incumbent firms and soon-to-be privatized organizations the time to ready themselves for a radically changed, competitive landscape. We identify this period as the running time. Companies that survive and thrive in a post-privatization and post-regulation era initiate strategic processes early in their running time. We present a four stage model of strategic survival processes during the running time. We illustrate the model by drawing upon an in-depth case study from the US banking industry.

Entrepreneurship in Vocational Education: A Case Study of the Brazilian Context.

Vocational entrepreneurship education is associated with specific techniques and teaching methods, including face-to-face student contact and knowledge alignment with labour market needs. The authors argue that entrepreneurship education provides particular benefits in different educational conditions and modes because it allows students to develop entrepreneurial behaviour for different vocations. This article presents the results of a study involving students enrolled on technical courses at a public institution in Brazil. The study investigates how vocational teaching and learning conditions, such as the entrepreneurial experience and profile of lecturers, affect students’ attitudes towards and perceptions of entrepreneurship education in a vocational teaching context.

Contextual influences on social enterprise management in rural and urban communities

The idea that difference exists between rural and urban enterprise activity is not new, the obvious comparators are measures such as social architecture, resource availability and accessibility. However, when the concept and practice of management in social enterprise is compared in these two contexts then there is opportunity to further our understanding of the contextual challenges encountered by social enterprise. In this paper six cases studies are compared and analysed: three cases are urban social enterprises and three classified as remote rural social enterprises. The urban cases are social enterprises located around Glasgow in the west of Scotland and are compared with three remote rural location studies, one on the Scottish mainland peninsula, the other in northern Scotland and the final case on a Scottish western island. We conclude that the main differences between remote rural and urban management of social enterprise are heavily nuanced by in-migration levels in both rural and urban locations, leadership and community needs and therefore deserving of context relevant policy.

An entrepreneurship toolkit for intensive skills development

This paper considers an innovative approach to entrepreneurship delivery by presenting a toolkit based on business and technology connectivity, experiential learning and reflective practice. It is applied within an intensive summer school programme entitled Encouraging Dynamic and Global Entrepreneurs (EDGE). International students are exposed to entrepreneurship through action learning projects. Portfolio software is used to capture activity-based learning and reflective practice is evidenced via blogs. EDGE is a complex system of connectivity which provides added value to what could be seen as discrete activities: internships, exchange programmes, careers advice, growth programmes, training and education. This connectivity is both the driver and vehicle for the associated teaching, learning and assessment strategies. This paper contributes to the entrepreneurship debate from both the policy and academic perspective by highlighting EDGE, encouraging discussion of the intensive school approach and offering a toolkit that contributes to the pedagogical development of entrepreneurship.

Wikis: building a learning experience between academe and businesses

This article represents the second article in a series evaluating wikis as an educational tool, having previously researched students’ perspectives of wikis as a learning tool. The aim of this second instalment was to evaluate the experience of not only MBA students but also entrepreneurs and academics of wikis as a learning tool. Throughout the research the participants were encouraged to reflect and discuss their learning experience with one another in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of wikis as an educational tool. Qualitative oral and written data gained during and after the teaching reflected this experience has been a positive one for students, staff and entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs have been particularly enthusiastic about the results, citing the educational and managerial benefits to their businesses. Evidence, however, also reveals that on reflection some of the processes and procedures need to be adapted and amended to gain greater initial student buy-in. The recurring criticism that academe and business too often fail to translate their relationships into practical outcomes can be rebutted through the development and application of wikis. Wikis offer different, but complimentary results for the various stakeholders. It is an innovative, low-cost technological tool that integrates entrepreneurial and experiential learning. It allows students and staff to understand and explore in real time issue(s) confronting small and medium enterprises, whilst business can access contemporary knowledge and practice at minimal cost.

Designing and Delivering Inclusive and Accessible Entrepreneurship Education

Abstract This chapter examines the development of an Entrepreneurship Education initiative (Triple E: Employability, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship) in the Higher Education context. The initiative is further contextualised by a dynamic policy framework concerning widening access as a major priority for the Scottish Government. In addition, the initiative is based on innovation in contemporary pedagogical design and further policy drivers supporting the development of graduates with an enterprising mind-set and graduate attributes (articulated by employers) and interpreted by academics and public sector stakeholders as relevant for graduate labour market competitiveness. The chapter examines Entrepreneurship Education literature and presents a case study which examines pedagogical design and normative assumptions, participant progression, (students and staff) and the engagement of external stakeholders. The case study describes and analyses the key design principles for inclusive and accessible Entrepreneurship Education within the context of widening participation policy. A discussion on the practice of achieving inclusive and accessible Entrepreneurship Education explores intra-institution policy, drivers enablers and cultural and resource constraints. The chapter concludes with a summary of the design principles on inclusivity and accessibility in Entrepreneurship Education and discusses attempts to mitigate the challenges presented by a widening participation policy.

Assessing the impact of ‘farming with dyslexia’ on local rural economies:

This viewpoint article discusses the contemporary yet hidden issue of ‘Farming with Dyslexia’. Of interest to policy analysts, researchers, and practitioners, the purpose of this discussion is to raise awareness of dyslexia at a time when there is increasing bureaucratisation of official farming support services. We discuss the issue from the perspective of local economic development and regeneration, as well as considering issues of economic empowerment within the context of wider social, political and economic change. With increasing pressure on farmers to become more entrepreneurial, navigating the effects of dyslexia on their daily farming routines and ultimately their often economically fragile fortunes demands that more attention is paid to the educational and social architecture that supports these rural communities.

What's in a name? Shifts in identity, delivery and impact in a national volunteer-led programme using applied drama to learn English

Creative English is a drama-based approach to building confidence in speaking and listening skills in five key areas: shopping, education, housing, aspirations (including jobs, volunteering, courses, etc.) and health. It was funded by the UK’s Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) between 2013 and 2015 as part of a wider initiative to pioneer new ways to teach English to adult migrants and support integration and community cohesion. The programme is based on soapopera style scenarios, with learners following a series of families to improvise responses to different scenarios. This helps to unlock emotional engagement with the characters, encouraging people to be less inhibited in using English. In contrast to traditional English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, Creative English is delivered to mixed-ability groups by trained volunteers from local faith communities and groups, or ‘hubs’, who can quickly establish rapport with learners. There was a financial incentive for hubs to meet milestones set by DCLG, such as the target number required to engage in the project, and the number required to complete 10 sessions. Three professionals were employed to train volunteers to deliver Creative English: Anne Smith, whose research into uses of drama to facilitate belonging and increased well-being for migrant and refugee communities led to the creation of the programme; Bobby Smith, an applied drama practitioner; and Sue Griffin, a former Secondary School teacher and ESOL specialist. Whilst the majority of people delivering Creative English were volunteers, there were some cases where paid members of staff from organisations supported volunteers in sessions. The programme was delivered across multiple London boroughs, as well as in cities including Bristol, Birmingham, Bradford and Greater Manchester. It is a grey, cold day in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. A group of volunteers delivering Creative English in the North West have assembled in a community centre hall and warm their hands with mugs of tea. Most of the volunteers present have been involved in Creative English for several months, and have previously attended a training day looking at using applied drama to support adult migrants to learn English. In this session we hope to build on this, considering how applied drama could help address the barriers migrants might face to belonging in their communities and accessing key services (such as visiting a doctor). We start with simple games, then move on to explore the role of the facilitator. We ask volunteers to sculpt each other into an

Book Review: Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Small Business

148 The book will make a stimulating companion for students and class facilitators alike. Each chapter offers a series of uneasy questions for prompting in-class discussion as well as personal reflection. More than a rapid summary of contents, these are the ‘tuners’ of conversations that will continue in the corridor after class. Provocative examples and references to worlds other than business (such as the fascinating cameo of Bob Dylan’s story of entrepreneuring) invite readers to observe how enterprise pervades society as a whole. Finally, each chapter is not just a ‘show-and-tell’ exercise, but pokes the intellectual curiosity of the reader by suggesting independent research to follow up the debate in other contexts. With regard to the latter, many might regard the invitation to refer to sources such as Wikipedia as blasphemy in an academic book. However, the author’s choice is not lightly made. Down does not overlook the importance of commonsense knowledge and how an aura of mythology pervades the discourse(s) of entrepreneurship. He understands that sources such as Wikipedia, IMBD and Facebook represent social and creative spaces in which meanings are interactively crafted and social myths are promoted. These spaces are where contemporary society co-creates and enacts discourse(s), and as such they deserve attention. Down understands his audience and writes for them, with relevant concepts and dialogical style. Entrepreneurship, Enterprise and Small Business is a beautifully crafted book, with strong narrative power and pristine clarity, and yet it is essentially a textbook, and a good one.