Ethical education and its impact on the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competency
Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning
ISSN: 2042-3896
Article publication date: 23 August 2021
Issue publication date: 9 March 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of multidisciplinary training in the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence. By means of a sample of an ethics class, this study seeks to argue the relevance of new social entrepreneurs having a broad training, beyond the knowledge they receive from the business area.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a quantitative analysis methodology. Based on the application of a validated questionnaire measuring the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence, a longitudinal measurement was carried out at two points in time, at the beginning and at the end of an ethics course, in a sample population of 132 undergraduate students. Based on these results, a multifactorial diagnosis was made using a Z-test.
Findings
Overall, the sample results did not show a significant improvement in their level of perception of students' development of the social entrepreneurship competence. However, the individual results of the perceived development of sub-competences that make up this competence did reflect some development, especially the sub-competence of social innovation. Thus, this study demonstrates that there is a measurable impact of the contribution of other disciplines, in this case the ethical education, in the training of new entrepreneurs, arguing the importance of multidisciplinary training.
Practical implications
The results of this study contribute to the work of universities in developing social entrepreneurship competence. Based on its findings, institutions will be able to recognize the relevance of multidisciplinary training in the generation of new social entrepreneurs, valuing other disciplinary areas, such as humanities and social sciences, beyond training based exclusively on business knowledge. A key point to capitalize on in training practices for social entrepreneurship is “social innovation”, due to the sense of transcendence and impact that universities should seek, precisely because of their social responsibility to create value.
Originality/value
This research provides empirical evidence of the impact of ethics education on social entrepreneurship education. It argues the importance of reflecting on multidisciplinary education as a complementary element in the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence in students.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is a product of the project, “OpenSocialLab: linking experiential learning to scale levels of mastery in social entrepreneurship skills,” with funding from the NOVUS 2019 Fund. The support of Tecnologico de Monterrey for educational innovation projects is appreciated (Agreement: Novus 2019). The authors would like to acknowledge the technical support of Writing Lab, TecLabs, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico, in the production of this work.
Citation
Vázquez-Parra, J.C., García-González, A. and Ramírez-Montoya, M.S. (2022), "Ethical education and its impact on the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competency", Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 369-383. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-01-2021-0012
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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