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Educating entrepreneurs in modernising economies
Educating Entrepreneurs Modernising Economies
in
edited by Peter Rosa, Michael G. Scott and Heinz Klandt, Avebury, Aldershot, 1996, E32.50 (hardback), ISBN 1 85972 184 The topic of this book, based on a selection of the best papers presented at the 4th Internationalising Entrepreneurship Education and Training Conference, is Entrepreneurship Education and Training (EET). It deals with this issue from two main aspects: first, EET and its relationship to modernization, and second, how to carry out and how to evaluate EET in modernizing economies. The fitst aspect is contained in the following questions: If so much entrepreneurial activity arises from appropriate macroeconomic change, is there much of a role for EET? (p. 2). Are not market forces and conventional fiscal and legislative polities by govemments more likely to be effective in increasing entrepreneurial vigour in the economy than direct education and training? (p. 1). Underlying
666 1edmovaiio11Vol.17N0.10
these two policy-type questions is the issue of whether underdevelopment is the result of a lack of entrepreneurial socialization or due to structural limitations on natura1 entrepreneurial drive (p. 2). These issues are explored in 14 papers based on experiences in EET in ‘modemizing economies’ which in this case include Africa (Western Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka), centra1 and eastem Europe (Slovenia, Bulgaria, Russia), India and Bangladesh. Such a diverse sample of experiences indicates the of existente indigenous entrepreneurship which develops even under very repressive situations. The diverse set of countries indicates also the existente of indigenous entrepreneurship parallel to absente in the same country. This implies that EET is needed because of the different levels of development of different types of entrepreneurship. A second aspect of the book is more practica1 and deals with the issue of what is appropriate to EET and how it can be evaluated and be more effective. The authors come to the conclusion that if EET is to be effective it should itself be an
indigenous effort. The effectiveness of non-adapted training packages is low and several papers provide interesting examples of their own EET developments. Proving the effectiveness of EET is much more complicated as the link between EET and outcomes is rather complicated, with their immediate, intermediate and longterm effects being intermingled. In summary, the book demonstrates the complexity of the relationship between EET and modemization. It poses interesting questions about the relationship between EET and development but it does not delve very far into their analysis due to the fact that the book is a compilation of selected conference papers. However, when it comes to the practicalities and evaluation of EET, this book should be very useful to al1 those involved in organizing and carrying out EET. A wide range of experiences of how EET is being practised in different countries provides a good basis for making comparisons.
SPRU,
Slavo Radosevic University of Sussex April 1997
in
edited by Peter Rosa, Michael G. Scott and Heinz Klandt, Avebury, Aldershot, 1996, E32.50 (hardback), ISBN 1 85972 184 The topic of this book, based on a selection of the best papers presented at the 4th Internationalising Entrepreneurship Education and Training Conference, is Entrepreneurship Education and Training (EET). It deals with this issue from two main aspects: first, EET and its relationship to modernization, and second, how to carry out and how to evaluate EET in modernizing economies. The fitst aspect is contained in the following questions: If so much entrepreneurial activity arises from appropriate macroeconomic change, is there much of a role for EET? (p. 2). Are not market forces and conventional fiscal and legislative polities by govemments more likely to be effective in increasing entrepreneurial vigour in the economy than direct education and training? (p. 1). Underlying
666 1edmovaiio11Vol.17N0.10
these two policy-type questions is the issue of whether underdevelopment is the result of a lack of entrepreneurial socialization or due to structural limitations on natura1 entrepreneurial drive (p. 2). These issues are explored in 14 papers based on experiences in EET in ‘modemizing economies’ which in this case include Africa (Western Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka), centra1 and eastem Europe (Slovenia, Bulgaria, Russia), India and Bangladesh. Such a diverse sample of experiences indicates the of existente indigenous entrepreneurship which develops even under very repressive situations. The diverse set of countries indicates also the existente of indigenous entrepreneurship parallel to absente in the same country. This implies that EET is needed because of the different levels of development of different types of entrepreneurship. A second aspect of the book is more practica1 and deals with the issue of what is appropriate to EET and how it can be evaluated and be more effective. The authors come to the conclusion that if EET is to be effective it should itself be an
indigenous effort. The effectiveness of non-adapted training packages is low and several papers provide interesting examples of their own EET developments. Proving the effectiveness of EET is much more complicated as the link between EET and outcomes is rather complicated, with their immediate, intermediate and longterm effects being intermingled. In summary, the book demonstrates the complexity of the relationship between EET and modemization. It poses interesting questions about the relationship between EET and development but it does not delve very far into their analysis due to the fact that the book is a compilation of selected conference papers. However, when it comes to the practicalities and evaluation of EET, this book should be very useful to al1 those involved in organizing and carrying out EET. A wide range of experiences of how EET is being practised in different countries provides a good basis for making comparisons.
SPRU,
Slavo Radosevic University of Sussex April 1997