Competence development of young entrepreneurs through educational innovations

The questions regarding interactive methods of teaching, self-studying, active learning, as well as an implementation of a competency-based approach into study process, have been actively discussed by educational experts, authorities, scholars and teachingpractitioners during the last decade. Probably, the main issue is to encourage students to participate in classroom activities and to promote successful learner-tutor cooperation. The research was aimed to evaluate the progress in entrepreneurial competencies perceived by students, participating in a specific 2-days long entrepreneurship workshop. The workshop content and schedule was designed within the framework of the international project «Strategic Partnership for Innovation and Development of Entrepreneurship».The format of the organized workshops was created during the project by the partner organizations. It is a unique teaching instrument, encouraging entrepreneurial skills and innovativespirit among students. After the workshop, the participants (students and mentors)were surveyed, using the specially designed questionnaire. One of the question blocks involved the list of competencies, which were offered for evaluation according to the criterion «progress», using 5-point scale (1 –the level stayed the same; 5 –the level really increased). The results were processed, using the methods of frequency analysis and ranking. Thus, the main goal of the paper is to reflect the results of the conducted survey in order to test the quality and success of the specific teaching method. The results indicated the substantial perceived increase in such competences, as Collaborative working, Decision making & Problem-solving, Managing Performance, Commitment to Excellence, Speaking and Listening Skills, Presentation Skills, as well as Self-motivation. The obviousconclusion is that such kind of interactive teaching methods isthe most valuable in management teaching. However, additional peer consulting and evaluation block could be useful at the stage of the initial presentation of the business idea. The results of the research (and the idea of such workshop) can be useful for any academic staff member engaged into the study process and working with students of programmes «Entrepreneurship», «Management», «Business economics»and related ones.publishersversionPeer reviewe

A Review of the Monograph by T. Pimonenko, O. Lyulyov, N. Letunovska "Circular and Carbon-Free Economy: The Roadmap for Harmonizing National and European Standards for Energy Market"

Circular and carbon-neutral economic development are the topical areas of implementing the climate strategy in many countries. According to these concepts, the main basis for economic development is the growth of the renewable energy share in the structure of energy consumption. The fact that Ukraine has announced that in the future its evolution will be determined by the European integration vector of development means that a prerequisite for the transition to the next steps of development is the synchronization of the national energy policy in accordance with the strategic guidelines of the European region. To develop an effective roadmap for harmonising Ukrainian and European standards of energy market regulation, it is advisable to analyse the experience of implementing energy efficiency practices in the policies of other countries in the European region. The authors forecast the structure of energy production from renewable sources, based on empirical calculations. The development and implementation of modernized mechanisms for regulating the energy market in European countries is a prerequisite for the successful adaptation of the Ukrainian energy sector and the introduction of effective approaches to the management of local businesses and all industries that depend on energy resources

Entrepreneurs’ perception of outcomes from intellectual capital investments

Investments in intellectual capital, such as advertising, R&D, staff training and software, positively affect a company’s value. The aim of this research is to evaluate the perceived importance of expected results from intellectual capital investments by Latvian entrepreneurs and reveal the difference in perceptions caused by differing company profiles. Representatives of Latvian companies were surveyed using the questionnaire developed for the research. Respondents’ answers were evaluated within groups based on profile criteria such as the company’s age, size, financial performance, location and business sector. Data processing was carried out in an SPSS environment using analysis of frequencies, ranking and independent samples t-test

ADVANCED TEACHING METHODS FOR STUDENTS’ COMPETENCIES DEVELOPMENT

Competence-based approach to study process is frequently discussed topic among academicians, learners and government authorities due to its practical contribution to better graduates’ employment abilities. The aim of the given study is to identify teaching methods with the biggest contribution to development of students’ competencies. Bachelor level students of management-based study courses were surveyed in order to evaluate the progress in acquiring certain management competencies. Self-evaluation study was performed before and after the course. The acquired data was processed and the contribution of analysed teaching methods to competencies’ development was assessed

Competences necessary for a social entrepreneur: a case study of Latvia

Social entrepreneurship as a specific kind of business has been developing in Latvia since 2018, and it is a little researched field. Achieving the goals of social entrepreneurship is facilitated by several factors, including the competences of the social entrepreneur him/herself. The present research aims to identify the general basic knowledge, skills and competences necessary for a social entrepreneur in Latvia. The authors made a review of theoretical literature on the role of managerial competencies in social enterprises and analysed the results of surveys of social entrepreneurs and their institutional partners – university teaching personnel – conducted in Latvia. The research found that there were areas of general knowledge, skills and competences of social entrepreneurs that were rated as equally important by both groups surveyed, yet the social entrepreneurs gave more importance to competences related to business goals and opportunities. The present research makes a scientific contribution in two aspects: 1) the identified general competencies required for a social entrepreneur could serve as a basis for further research to measure the actual competencies of social entrepreneurs; 2) the research contributes to an institutional framework for the social entrepreneurship ecosystem by developing recommendations for cooperation partners – those involved in adult lifelong learning, incl. universities, for the development of competencies in social entrepreneurs

ATTITUDE TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG STUDENTS : TESTING A MEASUREMENT SCALE

The overwhelming goal of the research is to evaluate the attitudes and behaviours of youth towards sustain-ability issues and sustainable entrepreneurship. The current paper reflects the results of the first research stage and aims at testing a measurement scale that consists of three groups of items: 1) statements about environmental attitudes and behaviours, 2) general intention to start a sustainable business, 3) intention to start a social business in the field of the circular economy. The reliability analysis to measure the internal consistency of the scale was performed in SPSS environment, using Cronbach alpha. A focus group discussion was organized among business students to evaluate the perceived quality of the questionnaire.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Attitudes Towards Sustainable Entrepreneurship among Students : A Pilot Study in Latvia and Lithuania

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Jelena Titko et al.Sustainable economic development is driven by sustainable entrepreneurial activities, generated by the personal attitudes of entrepreneurs. The present and future of sustainable entrepreneurship are shaped by the youth, including students, which is why it is important to understand their attitudes towards this type of entrepreneurship. Therefore, the key goal of the research is to evaluate the attitudes and behaviours of the youth towards sustainability issues and sustainable entrepreneurship. The current article reflects the results of the second research stage and aims at evaluating attitudes towards sustainable entrepreneurship among Latvian and Lithuanian students. The results reveal that gender/age affect personal environmental attitudes, however gender/age has no effect on personal willingness to start a sustainable business. The analysis results of the personal attitudes to sustainable entrepreneurship differ by age and gender. Gender has no effect and age strongly affects personal attitudes to sustainable development.Peer reviewe

Higher education students’ perceptions of ChatGPT: A global study of early reactions

© 2025 Ravšelj et al.The paper presents the most comprehensive and large-scale global study to date on how higher education students perceived the use of ChatGPT in early 2024. With a sample of 23,218 students from 109 countries and territories, the study reveals that students primarily used ChatGPT for brainstorming, summarizing texts, and finding research articles, with a few using it for professional and creative writing. They found it useful for simplifying complex information and summarizing content, but less reliable for providing information and supporting classroom learning, though some considered its information clearer than that from peers and teachers. Moreover, students agreed on the need for AI regulations at all levels due to concerns about ChatGPT promoting cheating, plagiarism, and social isolation. However, they believed ChatGPT could potentially enhance their access to knowledge and improve their learning experience, study efficiency, and chances of achieving good grades. While ChatGPT was perceived as effective in potentially improving AI literacy, digital communication, and content creation skills, it was less useful for interpersonal communication, decision-making, numeracy, native language proficiency, and the development of critical thinking skills. Students also felt that ChatGPT would boost demand for AI-related skills and facilitate remote work without significantly impacting unemployment. Emotionally, students mostly felt positive using ChatGPT, with curiosity and calmness being the most common emotions. Further examinations reveal variations in students’ perceptions across different socio-demographic and geographic factors, with key factors influencing students’ use of ChatGPT also being identified. Higher education institutions’ managers and teachers may benefit from these findings while formulating the curricula and instructions/regulations for ChatGPT use, as well as when designing the teaching methods and assessment tools. Moreover, policymakers may also consider the findings when formulating strategies for secondary and higher education system development, especially in light of changing labor market needs and related digital skills development.The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (research core funding No. P5-0093 and project No. Z5-4569)

A Review of the Monograph by T. Pimonenko, O. Lyulyov, N. Letunovska "Circular and Carbon-Free Economy: The Roadmap for Harmonizing National and European Standards for Energy Market"

Circular and carbon-neutral economic development are the topical areas of implementing the climate strategy in many countries. According to these concepts, the main basis for economic development is the growth of the renewable energy share in the structure of energy consumption. The fact that Ukraine has announced that in the future its evolution will be determined by the European integration vector of development means that a prerequisite for the transition to the next steps of development is the synchronization of the national energy policy in accordance with the strategic guidelines of the European region. To develop an effective roadmap for harmonising Ukrainian and European standards of energy market regulation, it is advisable to analyse the experience of implementing energy efficiency practices in the policies of other countries in the European region. The authors forecast the structure of energy production from renewable sources, based on empirical calculations. The development and implementation of modernized mechanisms for regulating the energy market in European countries is a prerequisite for the successful adaptation of the Ukrainian energy sector and the introduction of effective approaches to the management of local businesses and all industries that depend on energy resources.</jats:p