Towards a conceptual understanding of entrepreneurial learning
David Rae and Mary Carswell
Derbyshire Business School, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB, UK
ABSTRACT
This paper summarises the conclusions from
research which explores how people learn entrepre-neurial behaviour. Although learning can be saidto have a critical role in entrepreneurial achieve-ment, the relationship is not well understood and,given the growing public policy emphasis whichaims to stimulate
Entrepreneurship through formaleducation, there is a need for a greater understand-
ing of how entrepreneurial capabilities are devel-oped through life and work. The primary researchmethod is through life story interviews with peoplewho have demonstrated entrepreneurial attainmentin running business ventures. In-depth interviewsexplored their stories of the learning they experi-enced during their careers and business ventures.
From the interpretation and analysis of these narra-tives, a number of signi®cant themes emerge whichsuggest how the respondents made sense of theirexperiences and developed their entrepreneurialcapabilities. From these themes, a conceptual modelwhich relates the development of entrepreneuriallearning to entrepreneurial achievement is pro-posed.
. Entrepreneurship can be understood as a processof identifying opportunities for creating orreleasing value, and of forming ventures whichbring together resources to exploit those oppor-tunities.
. There is a close relationship between learningand entrepreneurial achievement in whichlearning is the dynamic process which enables
entrepreneurial behaviour to be enacted. Entre-preneurial learning is concerned with howpeople construct new meaning in the process of
recognising and acting on opportunities, and oforganising and managing ventures.
. Enterprise education has been widely researchedbut there is a need for the study of how peoplelearn to work successfully in entrepreneurial
ways in the lifeworld of the business and themarket. Interpretive methods such as life storyresearch appear to have the potential to providesuch understanding.
. Narrative research suggests that people struc-ture their accounts of entrepreneurial learningthrough a series of ®ve broad `life stages', con-
sisting of early life, early career, engaging andentering a venture, growing a venture, movingout and on from a venture.
. A conceptual understanding of entrepreneuriallearning can be based on the relationshipbetween the two related clusters of achieving
and learning which are connected by the themeof con®dence and self-belief.
. The development and organisation of personaltheory appears highly signi®cant in entrepre-neurial learning, but has not been explored pre-
viously and merits further research;understanding personal theory and using it toachieve results seem to be closely connected and
may offer important insights into superior per-formance.
KEY WORDS
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