Entrepreneurial learning and creativity in the moment Professor David Rae Lincoln Business School University of Lincoln

Professor David Rae Entrepreneurship researcher, educator & writer Career in small business, government & higher education Entrepreneurial learning: PhD & publications Director of Enterprise & Innovation, Lincoln Business School, University of Lincoln Editor, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research: ‘human & social dynamics of entrepreneurship’ Optimist, based on human creativity & potential for learning davidrae.org.uk ‘Warycat’ on Twitter

Recall a ‘special moment’ Think back to a significant moment in your experience of life, learning or work This may be anything memorable for you:  An event  A meeting  A conversation  An idea  A decision  A good or bad experience

Recall a ‘special moment’ Thinking of that significant moment…. What happened? How did you feel? What makes it special/memorable? How did it affect you subsequently? What did you do as a result? Share your story

Entrepreneurial Learning How Entrepreneurs learn and create new business opportunities The ‘moment’: A point in time when we experience conscious mental awareness of what is going on within our mind, or around us, and we are aware and able to remember our thinking and responses. Its meaning is related to the human experience and generation of meaning in a conscious attention span of subjective duration.

Moments: truth & lightbulbs…. Ernest Hemingway: The moment when the matador confronts the bull prior to the kill ‘ momento de la verdad’ (‘Death in the Afternoon’) ‘Lightbulb’ or ‘aha’ moment: Conscious realisation of creative inspiration

Why moments matter We focus much of the time on ‘the future’ or ‘the past’ Most decisions and actions happen ‘now’- often without time to think! We behave authentically in the moment: intuition & instinct  The ‘aha’ or ‘Eureka’ discovery moment  Recognising opportunities  ‘Moments of truth’ - interactions, customers, competitors Value created & captured by digital eye-brain interactions:  Twitter messages  Website visits  , social media, messaging Moments can become critical turning points in personal narratives of learning & identity ‘Momentary perspectives’ increasingly matter in understanding entrepreneurial opportunity recognition, behaviour & learning

A range of theoretical perspectives on the moment… Philosophy & time: Bergson, James, Husserl, Adam Literature & narrative: Polkinghorne, Sartre, Ricoeur Education & learning: Pillemer, Giordano, Bedeian Cognition & neuroscience: Banks & Isham, Damasio, Beeman & Kounios Organisational studies: Czarniawska, Shotter, Weick Entrepreneurship: Cope, Rae, Dew, Krueger, Kollmann & Kuckertz These are examples from a wide field of knowledge

Research framework Moment: ‘a point in time, an instant’; ‘a turning point in a series of events’. Q1: Is the moment significant in relation to processes of entrepreneurial learning and creativity? Q2: Can a useful model be developed to understand ‘momentary perspectives’ in entrepreneurial learning?

Entrepreneurial learning Enterprise & entrepreneurship are increasingly prevalent at all educational levels but hard to ‘teach’. Entrepreneurial learning is a natural & social process within both everyday practice and formal education. Centred on creating, discovering, recognising and acting on opportunities. Connects personal emergence (confidence & identity) and capability development (skills & behaviours). Moments of serendipity, ‘discovery’, ‘crisis’ & ‘decision’ fit well with a naturalistic approach to entrepreneurial learning

Enterprise and entrepreneurship education: Guidance for UK higher education providers Final version issued September

Entrepreneurial effectiveness

Research method Online survey of entrepreneurs & educators Questions Recall a ‘special moment’ from your experience This may be anything memorable, such as :  An event, meeting, conversation  An idea, seeing an opportunity, a decision  A good or bad experience Can you remember what happened? What makes it special/memorable for you now? How did it affect you at the time? What did you do as a result? Share your ‘special moment’

Quick survey: types of moments reported by entrepreneurs

Common types of entrepreneurial moments Creativity – inspirational association forming a new idea Innovation– application of idea to a practical situation Opportunity – potential or actual position of advantage Problem – disadvantage, mistake or setback Encounter– social interaction, meeting or social connection Insight – realisation of new knowledge Intuition– ‘knowing’ at a subconscious or ‘gut’ level Judgement – making a decision or choice Resolution – intention to act

Creative Idea Inspiration Opportunity Problem Future possibility Innovation Encounter Social interaction Meeting Discovery New knowledge Learning Innovation Entrepreneurial moments & responses Emotion Feelings Positive: liking, pleasure, trust Negative: fear, dislike Cognition Add to/draw on memory New knowledge Learning Identity Being: who you are & aspire to be Narrative: story you tell Action Knowing what & how to act Behaviour Impact & self- awareness Judgement! Incident!

Generating meaning Acting Perceiving Conscious attention Subconscious awareness Conscious awareness in the moment

Being in the moment Past recollections Future anticipations Narrative time How do past experiences help make sense of the moment? What is likely to happen? What future possibilities & opportunities are there? What action can I take? Experiential memory Prospective imagination Kairotic time: events Chronos time: linear Perceiving Meaning Acting

Being in the moment Past recollections Future anticipations Narrative time How do past experiences help make sense of the moment? What is likely to happen? What future possibilities & opportunities are there? What action can I take? Experiential memory Prospective imagination Kairotic time: events Chronos time: linear Perceiving Meaning Acting Social interactions BehavioursTalk Sensory perceptions Visual, hearing, touch taste, smell Subconscious Instinctive Intuitive Emotion Feeling Conscious Realisation Reflection Intention Instant Deferred Verbal Physical

Moments in teaching & learning Can educators create ‘special moments’? The value of learners reflecting on special moments & building these into their narratives: Enabling learners to capture, share, learn within & from special moments And to perceive, judge & act effectively in the moment? Using technology to share moments – twitter, blogs Building understanding of entrepreneurial behaviour through momentary perspectives

Conclusions Momentary perspectives can offer new understandings of entrepreneurial learning behaviour, creativity, & transformative action Connects with philosophical & cognitive science perspectives ‘Moments of truth’ are often turning points in learners’ narrative accounts Unconscious processes of intuition, instinct & emotion are significant in creativity, decision-making & opportunity recognition behaviours Educators can elicit & use momentary perspectives in entrepreneurship education

Entrepreneurial Learning Comments & questions welcome….. Research paper available at: Slides available from: