Teaching About Entrepreneurship Versus Developing Entrepreneurs :Teaching About Entrepreneurship Versus Developing Entrepreneurs Dr Christopher Barlow Director of Experiential LearningUniversity of Illinois – Chicago


Entrepreneurship – Wonderful to Describe!! :Entrepreneurship – Wonderful to Describe!! Interesting and valuable economic and social phenomenon Cool stories and interesting people (cases) Great arguments about definitions and dynamics Plenty of funding to facilitate its development But how does this help an entrepreneur succeed?


Deliberate Development :Deliberate Development Natural and deliberate entrepreneurs might be different. Supporting the natural entrepreneur might be different than developing the deliberate entrepreneur. But development efforts may increase the success of those who chose to be entrepreneurs


“Null hypotheses”: :“Null hypotheses”: Opportunities are constantly emerging from shifts in markets, technologies, etc. Entrepreneurs discover and deliver them through talent and/or luck The Evolutionary Perspective: nothing we do or teach affects their success, but if we get enough to try, they can’t ALL fail!


The issue is completeness :The issue is completeness Each enterprise opportunity requires different: Character Competencies Connections Nobody starts from zero. Each entrepreneur starts with different: Character Competencies Connections This is why entrepreneurship programs are so different from one another!!


Every program is different :Every program is different Engineers and doctors need basics of business What do business students need? Chicago vs Bahrain vs South Africa


Alternate approaches :Alternate approaches Solo hero organizing and managing the efforts of others to achieve coordination and synergy Leader with partners who work together to organize, adapt, coordinate, synergize First must be/know everything, second must assemble and lead partners


Slide 8:It was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation Might satisfy his mind. The first approached the Elephant, And happening to fall Against his broad and sturdy side, At once began to bawl: "God bless me! but the Elephant is very like a WALL!" The second, feeling of the tusk, Cried, "Ho! what have we here So very round and smooth and sharp? To me' tis mighty clear This wonder of an Elephant Is very like a SPEAR." The third approached the animal, And happening to take The squirming trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, the Elephant Is very like a SNAKE. The fourth reached out an eager hand, And felt about the knee "What most this wonderous beast is like Is mighty plain," quoth He: "Tis clear enough the Elephant Is very like a TREE!" The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said: "E'en the blindest man Can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an Elephant Is very like a FAN!" The sixth no sooner had begun About the beast to grope, Than seizing on the swinging tail That fell within his scope, "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a ROPE!" And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long, Each in his own opinion Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong! The Blind Men and the Elephant


Followup materials and handouts at: :Followup materials and handouts at: http://cocreativity.com/greenwich