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Introduction
This paper seeks to answer two basic questions via the development of evaluative criteria and models of potential institutional practice in universities. First, what are the strategic approaches or models that could be adopted by higher education institutions (HEIs) to support and develop enterprise education? Second, given these potential models which of these offer effective options for the long-term development of enterprise education within HEIs? The paper deliberately avoids the wider philosophical and political debate of whether enterprise education should be a part of a modern university and whether the university itself should be more entrepreneurial ([3] Clark, 1998, [4] 2004). This debate is explored elsewhere ([26] Smilor et al. , 1993; [10] Gibb and Hannon, 2007). Instead we are interested in an operational and strategic question at the level of individual institutions once they have chosen to introduce enterprise education, or indeed, once some aspects of it have begun to emerge from within. Due to this focus our application of the term enterprise education is used broadly to include educational activities focused on the development of entrepreneurial capacities; behaviours; skills; knowledge; mindsets; and experiences, as defined by its use within the practice of the individual institution. The definition, being broad, also allows this paper some scope to put to one-side the variety of conceptual and operational concerns and confusion over educational practice, teaching methods, and debates about the actual nature of enterprise or entrepreneurship in the context of education ([11] Gorman et al. , 1997; [23] Pittaway and Cope, 2007). This is valuable because we seek to conceptualise the potential organisational structures, processes and means for supporting the educational activities and do not, in this paper, explore the specificities of what those educational activities should be.
The paper will progress by first considering and developing some evaluative criteria drawn both from the evidence base and from experience as to what appears important in establishing durable institutional mechanisms for encouraging long-term sustainability in enterprise education. The paper will then introduce some models of institutional practice, based both on insights from existing approaches and from abstract conceptualisation. Each model will be reviewed in detail and the evaluative criteria applied. Finally, the paper will draw some conclusions from the analysis of the institutional models. The models...