ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION Do we make a difference? Alex F. DeNoble, Ph.D. and Gangaram Singh, Ph.D. San Diego State University

The Big Picture Before they begin the program When they leave the program During the program

Who are the candidates for the program? Difference – to what? Who are the candidates for the program? KSAOs Behavior Entrepreneurial orientation Innovativeness Risk-taking propensity Pro-activeness Entrepreneurial intelligence (?) Entrepreneurial Mindset Entrepreneurial competence

Competency Approach Individual characteristics: Organizational success Demographics Psychological and behavioral characteristics Managerial skills Technical know-how Organizational success

Competency Approach in Entrepreneurship Serial Grow and sell Grow and keep Venture-backed model Lifestyle Franchise Individual characteristics: Demographics Psychological and behavioral characteristics Managerial skills Technical know-how Organizational success Start own venture Start in venture within an organization Consult on how to start and grow venture

Back to the Big Picture Before they begin the program When they leave the program During the program Outcomes: Achieving standards of competencies Impacts: Transfer of competencies and success of the entrepreneurial venture Process: Task or behavior leading to competencies Inputs: Antecedents of competencies Admission Curriculum Success

Entrepreneurial Compentency Competitive scope Opportunity, relationship, and conceptual Strategic and commitment Entrepreneurial competencies Success Organizing, relationship, and conceptual Organizational capability Adapted from: Man, T. and Chan, T. (2002). The competitiveness of SMEs: A conceptualization with focus on entrepreneurial competencies. Journal of Business Venturing 17: 123-142.

Before we depart from competencies though: General entrepreneurial competencies “Domain-specific” competencies Corporate Lifestyle Family Serial Franchise Social International …

Example: International Entrepreneurial Competencies … Intra-personal competence Meaning and spirit Learning and growth Self-knowledge Health Inter-personal competence Relationship (work and family) Communication Cultural awareness (own and others) Language Organizational competence Global and local integration Business and professional expertise Organizational design Organizational leadership Multicultural communication and cooperation Source: Hinckley, S. and Perl, V. (1996). The competence of the global manager. Global Management 1: 138-148.

Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Assessment (Evaluation)

Assessment: Before they begin the program Did we get those who are “capable” of acquiring the competencies? Tough question (what do you use right now?) If no, then “close that loop” – implications for admission … we should not set ourselves up for failure If yes, then how do they score on the competencies (base line) In reference to: General management cohort Business administration cohort  We need a control group at some point in time

Assessment: During the program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Program Each course Are the SLOs tied to entrepreneurial competencies? If no, then … If yes, then measure … An evaluator can help to track this information, especially to aggregate course SLOs, to program SLOs, and then to entrepreneurial competencies …

Assessment: At the end of the program Reaction: Did they like it? Necessary because can affect higher levels Learning: Take measure of competencies (as before the program) Compare before/after scores Compare before/after with comparison (or control) group Levels 1 and 2 Reaction and Learning

Assessment: After they leave the program Transfer: Did they transfer what they learned into practice? Results: Did it result in organizational success How about the control group? NOTE: For these levels, you need a tracking system Webportals with automatic trigger to complete Levels 3 and 4 Transfer and Results

Closing the Loop Corrective action Assessment should not be a onetime thing Some particularly exciting emerging issues … A better fit upfront (assessment and admission) Curriculum: Principles of excellence High Impact Learning Assessment and closing the loop Using technology to make assessment easier Our goal is to “make a difference”