Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Engineers: An Integrated

Approach in Entrepreneurship education

Mohd Zukime Hj Mat Junoh

Center for Entrepreneurship & Communication Skills
Universiti Malaysia Perlis
Email: [email protected]
Tel/Fax:04-9798153/04-9798175

Abstract
Growth in educational programs focusing on entrepreneurship has been striking in
the last decade. At the end of the 20th century, entrepreneurship programs
continued to grow and gain legitimacy within the world of academics, although in
many places the programs struggled to find legitimacy as a respected subject of
study and research. The typical home for entrepreneurship programs has been in
schools of business and/or engineering colleges. Undergraduates and graduate
students studying business and undergraduates studying engineering have had
increasing opportunities to study topics related to the entrepreneurial career track
(as opposed to the corporate track). The entrepreneurship education they gain while
in college will enable them to be flexible and agile in the workplace. What is it about
entrepreneurship education in particular that helps students become leaders,
innovators and creative problem-solvers? This paper aims to provide an
entrepreneurship education framework using MAIR model.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship education

1. Introduction

The 21st century arena is characterized by a high space and level of education, low

patience and compliance with authority, close relationships with customers, and a

brisk speed of market. Continued changes due to global competition, environment,

technological advances, and population diversity are expected to be very rapid.

Generally, entrepreneurs see change as the norm and as healthy. But, and this

defines entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship-the entrepreneur always searches for

changes, responds to it, and exploits it as an innovative opportunity. Innovation is

the specific instrument of entrepreneurship as mention by Peter F. Druker (1993) as

below;

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Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the mean by which they exploit
change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service. It is capable
of being presented as a discipline, capable of being learned, capable of being
practiced. Entrepreneurs need to search purposefully for the sources of innovation,
the changes and their symptoms that indicate opportunities for successful
innovation. And the they need to know and apply the principles of successful
innovation.

Nowadays, very important aspect concerns the orientation of graduates towards

entrepreneurship and self-employment and the development of their capabilities in

this respect. This issue has received prominence in many countries because of the

inability to provide sufficient jobs for graduates in conventional employment sectors.

This has led to the development of activities both during higher education and

immediately after in respect of the process of transfer to work, particularly

graduate transition to entrepreneurship.

The aim of the paper is to provide a framework which will allow clear choices to be

made. To do this, it will seek to clarify some integrated approaches using MAIR

(Motivation & Confidence, Abilities & Skills Development, Ideas, and Resources)

model and make distinctions between engineers, manager and entrepreneurs (see

Table 1). This model has been used effectively to support

engineering/business/entrepreneurship students through the business start up

process. It shows the development of first idea through business creation and

presents a logical developmental approach. Lastly, this paper also highlights key

factors in the enterprise approach to entrepreneurship education and some

challenges to the various group for the range of programmes and approaches that

might be offered in Malaysia.

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Table 1: Differences in work done by engineers, managers and entrepreneurs

Characteristics Engineers Managers Entrepreneurs

Focus Technical/scientific People (talent, Vision, Desire to
tasks innovation, Create
relationship); Innovate, develop
resources(capital, and improve
knowledge, process,
know-how); Projects
(tasks, procedure,
policy)
Decision-Making Adequate Fuzzy information Imaginative, forward
Basis technical under looking, optimistic,
information with uncertainty(people goal orientated, risk
great certainty behaviour,customer taking
needs, market
forecasts)
Involvement Perform individual Direct work of Ideas people
assignments others(planning,
organizing, controlling)
Work Output Quantitative, Qualitative, less Qualitative and
measurerable measurerable, except Quantitative output
financial results when
applicable
Effectiveness Rely on technical Rely on interpersonal Multitasking,
expertise and skills to get work done problems solver
personal through
dedication people(motivation,
delegation)
Dependency Autonomous Interdependent with Development
others principally by on-job
training and
experience, high
autonomy
Responsibility Pursue one job at Pursue multiple Opportunity to learn
a time objectives concurrently from ones own
mistakes and
mistakes of others
through personal
networks
Creativity Technology People centered ( Technology and
centered conflict resolution, people centred
problem solving,
political alliance,
network building)
Bottom Line How What and Why Both operational and
(operational) (strategic) strategic How,
Who, What and
Why.
Concern Will it work Will it add value Lead changes
technically? (market share,

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 financial, core
technology, customer
satisfaction)?
Adapted and revised from P. Morrisson, Making Managers of Engineer. Journal of
Management in Engineering, Vol. 2, No.4, 1986.

2. MAIR Model Framework

The MAIR model presents the personal capacity required to start up the

knowledge, support, skills and confidence. From its origins, MAIR has been adapted

and developed and is now more relevant for under/graduates with limited work

experience, as it includes more softer elements, such as confidence to start up, as

well as the skills and knowledge of strategy and planning (See Exhibit 1). Together

these models provide a phased understanding of the skills required throughout the

business start up process. This understanding can then be placed in context of a

discipline, sector or subject centre to develop an approach to supporting

entrepreneurial skills.

These materials have been created to support enterprise learning within all subject

areas. The focus has been on skill development, and to support the understanding

that the creation of the business plan is not the only way to explore and assess

entrepreneurial skills. By recognising the business plan as only one elements of

learning, other areas of skills development, including softer skills of networking,

negotiation, promoting (pitching) and motivation are recognised as the key to the

business start up process. This allows students to gain confidence as they work

through a range of sessions and develop the full range of personal strengths

required.

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 Exhibit 1
Integrated Approach to Business Start Up

Discipline
or Motivation and Confidence
Sector or Abilities and Skill Development
Industry Ideas (in relation to market)
Resources
Strategy and Vision
Planning and Operations (tools)

IDEA
PROVEN IDEA
PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM SUPPORT
READY TO START Materials including Publications, Assessment etc.
Advisors and Expertise both individual and organisational
BUSINESS GROWTH Organisational and Individual Best Practice
MATURITY Networks, Linkages and Web sites
Workshops and Dissemination
EXIT STRATEGY Incubation and External Business Support / Grants
Source: Adapted from Business Start Up@ Leeds Met (2004)

This Exhibit 1 aims to show the importance of curriculum support, yet demonstrates

the other support elements which enhance this model of learning and awareness

building publications, external support, advisors etc. Curriculum development is

only part of the teaching supporting package and extra support for teaching can be

sought from local specialists, guest speakers and related support resources. This

matrix has been deliberately designed to reduce the influence of the business plan

seen by many to be the start and end point of business start up. This matrix aims

to reflect the journey of self development of an entrepreneur and reduce the fear

factor of the business plan through skill development (see Appendix I).

3. The Enterprise Approach to Small Business Entrepreneurship Education

The motivations, preferences and environment of owner-managers can arguably be

translated into educational approach likely to develop enterprising individuals. Such

an approach will embody the key components of the enterprise environment

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including: ownership, freedom, autonomy, responsibility, holistic project

management exposure, funding assistance, provision for learning flexibility, informal

and unstructured learning environment, allowing students to make and learn from

mistakes, allowing students to see through, and providing elements of uncertainty in

learning tasks. This enterprise approach is summarized in Exhibit 2. The

success of the enterprise approach to small business and entrepreneurship education

depends upon linking together four key elements, namely: the learner/student, the

enterprising teachers/lecturers, the enterprising learning/teaching environment, and

the enterprising learning mode (Using MAIR model). The learner and the element of

enterprise approach are concise in Exhibit 3.

Exhibit 2
Key Factors in the Enterprise Approach to Education

Provided Provided Freedom;

autonomy Ownership allowed control

Introduced to
Allowed to see uncertainty
things through element
STUDENTS

Given
Informal and Responbility
unstructured
learning Provided holistic Provided
environment project learning
management flexibility

Allowed mistake
making and to
learn from
mistakes made

Source: Adapted from Mohd Salleh Hj Din and Allan A. Gibb, Proceeding
International
Conference on Small and Medium Scales Enterprises, Volume 1.
1996

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 Exhibit 3
The Learner and the Elements of Enterprise Approach

Learner/students Enterprise
lecturer/teach
e

Enterprising
Learning Mode
ENTERPRISE
APPROACH
Enterprising learning
environment

Source: Adapted from Mohd Salleh Hj Din and Allan A. Gibb, Proceeding
International
Conference on Small and Medium Scales Enterprises, Volume 1.
1996

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4. Entrepreneurship Education: The Challenge to Malaysia

This paper also has auxiliary focus on the issue of motivating the graduate

population especially engineering/business/entrepreneurship students to make

entrepreneurship as a short and long term career strategy. It has argued that this

objective cannot be achieved merely by the delivery of the programmes aimed at

inculcating knowledge and skills necessary to run a business. This paper has

identified the importance of creating a total approach to entrepreneurship education

which has major implication for the role of the learner, the role of lecturer,

curriculum designing, pedagogy, the design of the higher learning institution and

their relationship with the environment, and specific model for learning chosen.

The challenge posed to the various group are summarized below:

For Students:

To assume greater responsibility in their learning with a shift from the approach

of teacher dependency to a wider role as independent learners;

To develop the ability to diagnose their own learning needs, assess and expand

their preferred learning styles;

Learning by doing problem solving tasks from the beginning until completion

giving them insights as well as knowledge through this process by carrying

through the tasks;

To continuously build up an entrepreneurial contact/network to maximize use of

the wider human and material resources available outside their present network

which are appropriate to their learning needs.

For Lecturer:

To continuously revise and update the curriculum;

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 To involve students in self-diagnosis of their learning needs, preferred learning

styles and to help them expand their learning styles;

To build up their own entrepreneurial network, contacts, and resources for

learning/teaching;

To have the ability to select and perform effective facilitator styles of support for

learning;

To facilitate student learning by focusing as much on the process of learning as

on the subject matter;

To help students to deal with conflicting situations and motivate them to make

independent decisions and translate them into actions under conditions of stress

and ambiguity;

To themselves take opportunities to work alongside entrepreneurs, doing

consultancy work for small businesses and even run their own business.

For the organizers of Higher Learning Institution:

To allow greater involvement of small business owner-manager and members of

the entrepreneurial network in the process of an enterprise approach to

education, providing role images and opportunities for students as well as

teachers to practise entrepreneurial attributes;

To allow institutional setting where teachers and staff are given the opportunity

to be enterprising and entrepreneurial, autonomy in teaching style, make

mistakes, experiment, have flexible time-tables and learning modes, and create

conditions of uncertainty;

To improve staff awareness of, understanding of and insight into the small

business start-up process;

To develop higher education institutions that are not bureaucratic and where

rewards and incentives are based on results, creativity and individual initiative to

motivate teachers;

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 To encourage a learning environment which is less structured and with better

informal communication channels;

For the learning mode:

To maximize the opportunity for project-based learning

5. Conclusion

This ideal model may demand major changes in approach and may represent a

radical a shift for many institutions. MAIR model is one of the appropriate approach

in teaching and learning mode, facilitating students in terms of learning by doing,

gaining insight as well as knowledge through problem solving tasks from the

beginning till its completion. Arguably, the long term goals of facilitating the

creation of more entrepreneurially qualified young people and ultimately growth

oriented entrepreneurs in Malaysia can be achieved by adopting the broad

components of the MAIR approach as one of several other approaches.

References

Peter Drucker F. (2006). Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Collins Business

Paul Windrum Per Koch (2008). Innovation in Public Sector Services:

Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Management. Edward Elgar Publication.

Fang Zhao (2008). Information Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Information Science Reference.

Mohd Salleh Hj Din and Allan A. Gibb. (1996). Small Business and
Entrepreneurship Education: An Innovative Approach. Proceeding
International Conference on Small and Medium Scales Enterprises,
Volume 1.

P. Morrisson, (1986). Making Managers of Engineer. Journal of Management in

Engineering, Vol. 2, No.4.

Ali, Juhary, Faoziah Idris, M. J,. Mohd Zukime (2002). The Role of Government in
Entrepreneurship Development: A Case in Malaysia. The First International

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 Conference on Entrepreneurship in Africa The Road to Freedom, October 3-4,
2002, Pretoria, South Africa. Pp. 87-94.

Mohd-Zukime M.J., Juhari A. (2005). Human Resource Development : ICT and

Advances Technology Adoption Amongst SMEs in the Industrial Sector.
International Proceeding on The 9th International Conference on Global Business
& Economic Development: Management Challenges in Times of Global Change
and Uncertainties. MAY 25-28,2005, Hanyang Institute of Technology (HIT),
Hanyang University, Seoul Korea.

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 Appendix:1
Matrix of Enterprise Approach to Entrepreneurship Education

Motivation Abilities & Skills Dvpt Ideas Resources Strategy Planning & Operations
1 needs Management 2 skills & 3
Personal Exit options External 4- network 5
Exit options 6
Exit options
communication skills

G. Exit Strategy Emerging strategy Idea generation

Triggers to start-up Idea generation Gap in the market Resources
development techniques

A. Idea

Drivers Self Knowledge Feasibility study Market information Market Segmentation Techniques

B. Proven Idea

Professional
Personal motivation Planning Skills Market analysis Strategy development Business plan
Expectations
C. Planning &
Development

Communication Utilising Professional Entrepreneurial

Personal needs Negotiation Practicalities
strategy resources Marketing

D. Ready to Start-Up

Personal needs & 5 year business

Management skills Market analysis Team Building Strategic growth
business needs planning

E. Business Growth

Market analysis - Stategy -

Need Development Management skills Staffing Benchmarking
development diversification

F. Maturity

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 PROSPECTIVE ENTREPRENEURS PROFILE A CONCEPTUAL MODEL

AUTHORS:

3. S.A.VASANTHA KUMARA
Associate Professor,
Department of Industrial Engineering & Management
Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore-78
Phone: 9448919078, E-Mail: [email protected]

4. Dr.Y. VIJAYA KUMAR

Professor & Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sri.Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College of Engineering, Bangalore.
Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT:

Questions as to why some people become entrepreneurs have interested researchers

for Decades. Growth of engineering colleges in India is exponential. Owing to
population explosion, technical institutions are bringing out large number of
graduates in all faculties. Viswesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum has more
than 150 technical institutions spread across the state of Karnataka. It is the
responsibility of universities to measure, rank and record students competencies and
skills. It is necessary to continuously inventory students attitudes, skills and
competencies for an entrepreneurial career and build up a database of prospective
entrepreneurs. The study helps for Entrepreneurship Trainer Motivators in designing
competency-based curriculum for Entrepreneurship Development Programs.
This paper explains technical education scenarios in detail. Polynomial regression
models have been fit for growth in number of institutions an also increase in intake
and outturn. Gender, location, employment status and related issues are reviewed,
emphasizing the need and importance of Continuous student research for outlining
prospective entrepreneurs profile (PEP). Review of research literature has been
detailed. As a research proposal, an empirical conceptual model for determination of
students entrepreneurial personality index (SEPI) has been suggested.
Continuous student research as a soil testing exercise, well planned training
program as sowing the right seed, along with conducive innovation eco system
reap rich harvest in entrepreneurship culture.

KEY WORDS: Student research, Prospective entrepreneurs profile, Competency-based

curriculum.

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