Frances M. Hill

Entrepreneurship education and training: can entrepreneurship be taught? Part II

Purpose – Despite a growing body of literature in the field, there is still considerable uncertainty as to whether entrepreneurs are born are made, which has led to an ongoing debate in the entrepreneurship academy about whether we can actually teach individuals to be entrepreneurs. With this in mind, this two‐part paper aims to address the question of whether or not entrepreneurship can be taught.Design/methodology/approach – Part I of the paper dealt with the importance of entrepreneurship in a modern and constantly changing environment; the various ways in which entrepreneurship programmes and courses can be categorised, and the objectives, content and delivery of programmes. The second part of the paper, which is presented in this issue, deals with the topic of determining and measuring programme effectiveness.Findings – Despite the growth in entrepreneurship education and training programmes, the paper reports that little uniformity can be found. Attention is drawn to the art and the science of entre...

Managing service quality in higher education: the role of the student as primary consumer

Discusses aspects of current service quality theory in the context of British higher education (HE). Focuses on the role of the student as primary consumer of HE services (a relatively recent conceptualization in this country), and the implications of this for the management of service quality in higher education organizations (HEOs). Briefly discusses an exploratory study which has monitored a group of students′ expectations and perceptions of service quality over time. Because of its limited scope, the findings of this study may not be generalized to the student population as a whole. However, it does serve to highlight the need for HEOs to gather information on students′ expectations, not only during their time at university, but at the point of arrival and before, to manage students′ expectations from enrolment through to graduation, in order to align them as closely as possible with what can be delivered by way of service quality, for the student evaluation process, or upward appraisal to be dealt wi...

E‐government: the realities of using IT to transform the public sector

This paper examines how electronic government is being used in the delivery and improvement of public services in the UK, and the actual and potential problems inherent in this. Although there have been examples of very creative use of electronic government in the public sector, there have also been numerous spectacular failures. This paper highlights a number of problematic issues surrounding its use. These include the fact that governments two central aims, namely high quality customer service and value‐for‐money, could potentially be in conflict; and the lack of evidence to support the claim that the use of technology in service delivery results in less bureaucracy and increased quality. Clearly these tensions and issues need to be much more fully explored so that a “government for people” can be created. The paper concludes by posing the question: Can e‐government produce truly innovative, responsive public services, or merely exacerbate electronically, existing shortcomings?

The Philosophy and Practice of Interpretivist Research in Entrepreneurship Quality, Validation, and Trust

Knowledge production in entrepreneurship requires inclusivity as well as diversity and pluralism in research perspectives and approaches. In this article, the authors address concerns about interpretivist research regarding validity, reliability, objectivity, generalizability, and communicability of results that militate against its more widespread acceptance. Following the nonfoundationalist argument that all observation is theory-laden, context specific, and that there are no external criteria against which to assess research design and execution and the data produced, the authors propose that quality must be internalized within the underlying research philosophy rather than something to be tested upon completion. This requires a shift from the notion of validity as an outcome to validation as a process. To elucidate this, they provide a guiding framework and present a case illustration that will assist an interpretivist entrepreneurship researcher to establish and demonstrate the quality of their work.

Quality Management in Education

Examines the applicability of total quality management (TQM) to education and summarizes its underlying theory and principles. Discusses the relationship between quality assurance and total quality management with reference to ISO 9000. Aligns educational institutions with a service organization model and outlines the resultant implications for the development of a TQM initiative. These issues include the expansion of the internal supplier/customer concept, a greater focus on the marketplace, the identification of customers, the pursuit of continuous improvement and the strengthening of feedback linkages from the environment. Mentions potential problems with the adoption of such service sector models in the context of scholarship, individuality and the team ethos, and the commercial quality terminology of “zero defects” and “right first time” thinking. Concludes that educational institutions are likely to reap significant benefits from an appropriate implementation of TQM, provided that there is considera...

The effectiveness of training for new business creation: A longitudinal study

In the last couple of decades there has been a growing interest in the role that small and new businesses can play in economic development. Despite this growth there is still a relative paucity of rigorous empirical research that attempts to assess the impact of initiatives, including those education and training programmes designed to support new business creation. In particular, the lack of longitudinal studies and studies employing control groups, has been noted in the literature. The research reported in this article, which was conducted in Ireland, represents an attempt to overcome such methodological deficiencies. The study presents some evidence that a range of qualitative and quantitative outcomes may emanate from training programmes directed at aspiring new business owners, which are worthy of further investigation. The limitations of the study are acknowledged, recommendations for further research are made and implications for policy makers and training providers are highlighted.

Desperately seeking finance? The demand for finance by women-owned and -led businesses

Abstract The study reported here addresses some issues on gender, entrepreneurship and finance that have been identified as problematic in the literature. For example, much of the research to date is based on the assumption of entrepreneurship as male entrepreneurship; few studies have controlled for structural characteristics that may impact on the relationship between owner gender and a ventures ability to raise finance; and women are less likely than men to seek growth and external financing. Through the conduct of in-depth semi-structured interviews, an attempt has been made to give ‘voice’ to womens intrinsically interesting experiences as the enactment of a situated practice, and not just in comparison with the assumed norm of male entrepreneurial activity. The findings suggest that when variables such as individual and firm characteristics are controlled for, generalizations found in the literature may not be supported. Further, the paper highlights that neither women entrepreneurs nor their businesses are homogeneous in nature and that greater heterogeneity in the study of female entrepreneurship in general, and access to finance in particular, is required.

Developing a Coherent Enterprise Support Policy: A New Challenge for Governments

The role and importance of entrepreneurship and new business creation to the economy have been the subject of increased attention in recent years. Indeed, it is now widely recognised that the promotion of entrepreneurship is not only necessary for a healthy economy, but also critical for sustaining prosperity and creating new jobs. The authors discuss the debate on intervention in the business creation process, and pay particular attention to one aspect of such intervention, namely entrepreneurship training. The issue of the effectiveness of this type of training is also addressed, and the results of a comparative study of eight enterprise training programmes in five European countries, are presented. In addition to the intercountry comparison of entrepreneurship training programmes, the research undertaken comprised a three-year longitudinal study of participants in one of these programmes (CCNEA). The combination of the analysis of the comparative study with the more in-depth case study, has highlighted a number of issues which should be of particular interest to enterprise policymakers throughout Europe. These include the need for early stage awareness-raising through the education system, and the importance of providing secure funding for programmes; for pre-programme screening; for evaluation; and the need to ensure wide access.

A study of the transition from ISO 9000 to TQM in the context of organisational learning

Investigates why some companies make a successful transition from ISO 9000 to TQM while others experience difficulty or failure. Identifies factors influencing a successful transition and their significance in the context of organisational learning. Methodologies employed include literature reviews, analysis of secondary data, interviews, and case studies. Key transition factors emerging from the literature include executive mindset, comprising understanding and motivation. These were incorporated into an assessment framework, the Quality Transition Framework, based on the Pyramid of Organizational Development. Empirical research revealed additional factors as being significant. These expanded executive mindset to incorporate intent; in addition, a capacity and willingness to learn, and visionary or transformational leadership appeared to be of particular importance. Research conducted to date suggests it may have greater value as an explanatory model, but further empirical testing is required. Compares the proposed Model of Quality Transition with Kanji’s Process Innovation Framework. Proposes that another area of investigation is the possible synthesis of the two models.

The positioning of BPR and TQM in long‐term organisational change strategies

The paper reports some findings generated by a postal survey of Northern Ireland’s top 100 companies. The aims of the survey included: gaining some insight into levels of awareness, understanding and use of business process re‐engineering (BPR) in the province; examining the positioning of BPR in long‐term organisational change strategies; and exploring the relationship between incremental improvement and radical innovation as approaches to change management. The findings include: more widespread reported use and understanding of BPR than anticipated; some evidence of integrated use of BPR and total quality management; and that both are quite widely perceived as being significant elements of organisational change strategies for the foreseeable future. Follow‐up case studies have been undertaken to explore relevant issues in greater depth.