Introduction: "Illuminating enterprise and entrepreneurship education

Citation

Matlay, H. (2013), "Introduction: "Illuminating enterprise and entrepreneurship education", Education + Training, Vol. 55 No. 8/9. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2013-0101

Introduction: "Illuminating enterprise and entrepreneurship education"

Article Type: Guest editorial From: Education + Training, Volume 55, Issue 8/9.

The current double special issue is the 14th in a long and successful series published in Education + Training. The first double special issue appeared in 2000 and it has since been published, to great acclaim, every year. It aims to critically examine and empirically evaluate a range of important aspects related to the fast growing topic of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education. Following suggestion from both long standing and new readers of, and contributors to, our annual special issue I have decided to incorporate the term “Illuminating:” in the title, as an illustrative metaphor that best describes the concerted efforts that Editors and Guest Editors of academic journals expand in the process of facilitating the dissemination of relevant, innovative and empirically rigorous research on a given theme. Alternative expressions, such as “shedding light on”, or “focusing upon”, this important topic of academic endeavour fell short of demonstrating adequately the growing importance that researchers, educators, students, parents, entrepreneurs, business and community leaders as well as policy makers and economic observers attribute to enterprise and entrepreneurship education.

Those readers, who are familiar with my pioneering work on stakeholder perspectives on enterprise and entrepreneurship education, would note that I have listed above some of the primary, secondary and tertiary interests that promote, participate in and benefit, directly and/or indirectly, from a multitude and variety of enterprise and entrepreneurship courses and modules on offer in the UK and elsewhere in industrially developed and developing countries (Matlay, 2009). Each group of shareholders claim a legitimate interest in, and contribution to, a range of inputs into this specialised form of compulsory and post-compulsory education as well as benefit from various outcomes attributable to it (Matlay, 2011). Most importantly, however, it is the individuals who seek out and engage in enterprise and entrepreneurship education that are the main beneficiaries of this type of education specialist, learning and knowledge development (Matlay, 2008; Draycott and Rae, 2011; Rae and Woodier-Harris, 2012).

Outside the relatively narrow, but none-the-less complex and often dogmatic academic debate, terms such as “entrepreneur”, “enterprise” and “entrepreneurship” have entered common parlance and are used in such diverse contexts as to lose their intended meaning and impact. In addition, a recently discovered “live entertainment” value has created an artificial approach to entrepreneurship, which caters largely to a contemporary demand for popular “reality game shows”. These often masquerade as pseudo educational, informative and “true to life” depiction of what is involved in setting up and managing a small enterprise. Other mass media forms and outlets were quick to cash in the growing demand for enterprise-related entertainment features, including recent as well as long running soap opera story lines about what authors and directors believe that entrepreneurs should or could be doing, scheming and planning. While there could be some merit in widening mass access to entrepreneurial themes and related activities, none of these populist ways of depicting entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship carry any real meaning or contribute to the development of entrepreneurial mindsets. Fictional and/or out of context “make believe” stories cannot convey the full impact that entrepreneurship can have on the real lives of individuals, their families and employees. In my opinion, much more important to the development of current and future entrepreneurs are the academic and practitioner articles that appear regularly in designated journal and also in a wide range of other publications.

As the UK economy is slowly recovering from the ravages of one of the deepest and most protracted recessions in modern socio-economic history, stakeholder attention is gradually turning towards the skills and competencies needed to boost and maintain competitive edge during periods of economic recovery and growth. Interestingly, however, while optimism about the UK economic outlook amongst owner/managers of both manufacturing and service firms is increasing, conflicting claims about perceived as opposed to actual levels of output tend to suggest a cautionary approach to investment. This view conflicts directly with the more predictable fast-growth strategies advocated by small business commentators. Business observers have also noticed a growth of “re-shoring” tendencies amongst manufacturing firms that had previously outsourced or moved production abroad. Such strategies are perceived as positive moves to consolidate small national gains in the manufacturing sector as well as boosting economic confidence locally. Nevertheless, most investments in the UK small business sector remain focused on new technology and premises, with scarce resources being targeted narrowly at capital investments rather than vocational education and training. Based on previous experience, I can confidently predict that as soon as recovery and growth are well under way, endemic skill shortages will materialise in the UK economy, to undermine the expansion strategies of smaller businesses operating in new and lucrative domestic and/or international niche markets.

In this context, it appears that once again, UK education in general and universities in particular, have come under the scrutiny (and criticism) of various stakeholder groups. There is, of course, nothing new in either the cyclical nature of prevailing economic conditions or the criticism emanating from diverse interest groups in relation to the role of universities or the work readiness of their graduates. As someone who has been involved in vocational education and training (VET) for a long time, I have grown accustomed to employer demands and official attempts to provide short-term policy fixes to endemic and/or systemic skills shortages. Therefore, I was not entirely surprised to read, in a recent report published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), that there are too few short university courses with relevant business links or that graduates are poorly equipped for the rapidly changing and fast moving world of work. Career advisers are also criticised for their weak approach to provide more vocational routes into work for their students. At the same time, a number of studies have highlighted that prospective students are wary of high undergraduate degree costs and incurring education related debts. In addition, many undergraduate students view master level education as risky, unaffordable or not worth the high upfront fees and larger debts to be incurred. Perhaps there is a compromise to be achieved between employer demands and post-compulsory educational outcomes, one that would involve employer/industry investment and support for individual choice within a demand rather than supply-driven economic reality.

The 14th double special issue incorporates 12 articles that provide a critical perspective on various aspects linked to enterprise and entrepreneurship education. This topic is a rapidly expanding field of research and its range of outputs is not only of interest, but also relevant to a large and varied group of stakeholders. Individually and cumulatively, these papers illuminate both the growth and the variety of concepts, contexts and methodologies covered in this area of specialised education. The special issue is meant to be convergent rather than divergent and makes a significant contribution to the development of conceptual, contextual and practical aspects of a fast moving and practice-based topic of academic endeavour. A great deal of research is still needed to fill the gaps, consolidate previous finding and bridge the chasm that prevails amongst various schools of thought. I remain confident in the future impact of this series of special issues on enterprise and entrepreneurship education. As Guest Editor, I look forward to facilitate the dissemination of a rich and diverse body of empirically rigorous articles and further contribute to the growth and development of our chosen area of research.

In planning, organising and delivering this special issue, I have benefited from the commitment, expertise, goodwill and assistance of a number of individuals, too many to mention by name. Sincere thanks are due to all contributors, referees and advisors involved in this special issue, for all their hard work and continuous commitment. Thanks are also due to Martin McCracken, the Editor of Education + Training, for his support and facilitation of this series. I would also like to thank Sophie Barr, for her patience during the final stages of the publishing process.

Professor Harry Matlay
Birmingham City Business School, Birmingham, UK

References

Draycott, M. and Rae, D. (2011), “Enterprise education is schools and the role of competency frameworks”, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 127-145
Matlay, H. (2008), “The impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial outcomes”, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 382-396
Matlay, H. (2009), “Entrepreneurship education in the UK: a critical analysis of stakeholder involvement and expectations”, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 355-368
Matlay, H. (2011), “The influence of stakeholders on developing enterprising graduates in UK HEIs”, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 166-182
Rae, D. and Woodier-Harris, N. (2012), “International entrepreneurship education: postgraduate business student experiences of entrepreneurship education”, Education + Training, Vol. 54 Nos 8/9, pp. 639-656