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Practical learning for entrepreneurialcompetence. A study on learning activities

and competencies of entrepreneurs ininnovative horticulture

Martin Mulder, Thomas Lans, Jos Verstegen, Harm Biemans & Ypie Meijer

chair group Education and Competence StudiesWageningen University

Social Sciences Group bode 68PO Box 8130

NL-6700 EW WageningenNetherlands

Phone: + 31 317 484181

Mobile: + 31 6 50238268Fax: + 31 317 484573

Email: martin.mulder@wur.nlInternet: http://www.edu.wur.nl

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The competence train is riding and everybodywants to ride along

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Many educational experts are very curiousabout competence development

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Some are a bit ignorant

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Workplace learning aimed at employees

Low skilled workers(Raemdonck, 2005)

Policemen (Doornbos, 2006)

Nurses (Berings et al., in press) What about employers

entrepreneurs?

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Field of study

Horticulture underglass in NL

15% growth rate from

2001 to 2005 N of holdings 7,060 in

2001; 5,650 in 2005

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Trends

High tech

Knowledge farming

Diversification

Internationalization Entrepreneurship

Scale enlargement

Cluster approach

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Research questions

evaluation of competencies that are relevant

for entrepreneurship by entrepreneurs, internal co-workers (employees) and external consultants?

present competence strengths and weaknesses of

entrepreneurs as perceived by entrepreneursthemselves, their co-workers and consultants?

learning activities that entrepreneurs perform and how

are they related to the entrepreneurial competenciesneeded?

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Theoretical context

Entrepreneurship

Chandler and Jansen, 1992 Gartner, 1988

Man et al, 2002

Shane, 2003

Gielen et al, 2003

Lans et al, 2005 Competence

Mulder, 2001

Biemans et al, 2004

Mulder and Weigel, 2006

Weigel and Mulder, 2006 Wesselink, 2006

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Participants in the study

Entrepreneurs Committee Members

Agriculture and HorticultureOrganizations Netherlandsz about twenty of these

committeesz about 200 members of

these committees in total

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Research group

1 or 2 committee members were nominated Competence assessment

z Entrepreneurs self assessment

z

Assessment by an internal expertz Assessement by external expert

Data of 10 entrepreneurs collected

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Assessment instrumentation

Assessment, a questionnaire

z general questionsz 22 competencies (Man et al, 2002)

z Statements

Answering categories per itemz Level of development of competency

z Extent to which there is possibility for development

Two five-point scales

z 1 = very limitedz 5 = to a very high extent

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Competencies

Learning orientation

Self management

Planning

Market orientation

Result orientation

Networking Leadership

Problem analysis

Organizing

Conceptual thinking Negotiating

Persuasiveness

Vision

General awareness

Management control

Value clarification

Judgement Team work

Strategic orientation

HRM/HRD

International orientation

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Average Competence Assessment

3.443.363.10Average

4.093.143.1410

3.682.863.739

3.734.093.058

3.383.502.8673.003.412.866

2.773.052.915

3.503.553.274

3.643.272.593

3.193.233.182

3.413.503.361

Av Scoreassessment by

consultant

Av Scoreassessment by co-

worker

Av Scoreself assessment

Entrepreneurs

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0.100-0.0210.097Average

-.091.377.22510

.081-.377-.0509

.232.192.0698

.075-.275.0457

.204.493(*)-.0806

.556(**).245.2195

-.004.068.3264

.042.429(*).2253

.351.427.1372

.147.590(**)-.1431

Rs Coworker-consultant

Rs Self-consultantRs Self-CoworkerEntrepreneur

Spearman correlation coefficients

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80--------International

orientation

60------HRM/HRD

30---Strategic

orientation

03+++Planning

14++-++Self management

05+++++Learningorientation

N-N+10987654321EntrepreneursCompetencies

Top and bottom 3 strengths and weaknesses

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100.0106

2.83Acquiring knowledge through training

3.84Replication

3.84Holding onto a personal vision

4.75Asking a specific question

5.76Receiving feedback

5.76Conversation

8.59Discussion

8.59Checking information

10.411Performing occupational tasks

11.312Experiment

15.116Observation

19.821Reflection

%nEntrepreneurial learning activity

Frequency of learning activities

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Three portraits of entrepreneurs

Rudy the reflector Olaf the observer

Eric the experimenter

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100106Total

22Conceptual

55Commitment

910Relational

1819Technical-Occupational

2021Organizing

2021Opportunity

2628Strategic

%N oflearningactivities

Competence cluster

Learning activities by competence cluster

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Conclusions

Competencies are evaluated differently

Learning orientation as competence strength

Entrepreneurs are also good in self-management

International orientation weak Human resource management weak

Entrepreneurship is a rich, authentic and

powerful learning context

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Conclusions

Learning by looking at examples Need for role models

Mistakes can be learning sources

Sharing mistakes for mutual learning

Competence assessment + mapping learning

activities are powerful communication tools

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Conclusions

Helping combined evaluation from inside and

outside the company Learning from outside

Solving the paradox of inward and outward

orientation

Competence assessment: deeper self-

reflection + further performance improvement

Entrepreneurs were open to this

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Learning metaphors

traveling trekking exploring

entrepreneurial

learning asclimbing