Quick Stats On Leadership Qualities
De Wikifliping
In a world where ideas drive economies, it's no wonder that innovation and entrepreneurship will often be seen as inseparable bedfellows. The governments throughout the world are starting to understand that as a way to sustain progress and improve a country's economy, the people have to be encouraged and trained to think out-of-the-box and be constantly developing innovative goods and services. The once feasible ways of doing business are no longer guarantees for future economic success!
In response to this inevitable change, some governments are rethinking the way the young are educated by infusing creative thinking and innovation in their nation's educational curriculum. Within the same vein, they are putting much emphasis on the need to train future entrepreneurs through infusing entrepreneurship components in the educational system, especially at the tertiary level.
Some countries took this initiative to a larger level by introducing entrepreneurship education at elementary schools and encouraging them to be future entrepreneurs once they are of age. In a series of survey funded by Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, it was found that nearly seven out of 10 youths (aged 14-19) were serious about becoming entrepreneurs.
Being an entrepreneur is now the choice of the new generation in comparison to the preferred career choices of yesteryears for example being a physician, lawyer or possibly a fighter pilot. In a recent visit to the bustling city of Shanghai in China, an informal survey was accomplished among Chinese youths by the author. The outcome of the survey established that becoming an entrepreneur, especially in the field of computer and e-commerce, is regarded as a 'cool' profession and is an aspiration for many Chinese youths Prior to the 'opening up' of modern China, being an entrepreneur was regarded as the outcome of one's inability to hold an excellent government job and those that dared to venture, were often scorned at by their peers. Times have indeed changed.
With this change in mindset and also the relative knowledge that entrepreneurs bring forth increased job creations, the awareness and academic studies of entrepreneurship have also heightened. In many tertiary institutes, many courses of entrepreneurship and innovation are being developed and offered to cater to the increasing demand. The term "entrepreneurship" has also evolved with numerous variations. The proliferation of jargons such as netpreneur, biotechpreneur, technopreneur and multipreneur are coined to keep up with the ever-changing times and business conditions that surround us.
In view of these changes, it is important that the definition of entrepreneurship be refined or redefined to enable its application within this 21st century. To put it succinctly, "Good science must start with good definitions (Bygrave & Hofer, 1991, p13)." Without the appropriate definition, it will be laborious for policymakers to develop successful programs to inculcate entrepreneurial qualities in their people and organizations within their country.
The paper will offer a summary of the definitions of entrepreneurship provided by scholars within this subject area. The writer can even expand on among the definitions by Joseph Schumpeter to generate a far better understanding of the definition of the term "entrepreneurship" as applied in today's business professional community.
