Entrepreneurial competence in agriculture : characterization, identification, development and the role of the work environment

In the last few decades, primary agricultural production in the Netherlands has been significantly influenced by firm expansion, innovation and diversification. These developments suggest that, increasingly, farmers and growers require entrepreneurial competence to continuously recognize and pursue new business opportunities. Though entrepreneurial competence is seen as a potentially promising concept, current research efforts i) have paid little attention to firms already in existence (like in agriculture), ii) provide few methodological starting points for studying entrepreneurial competence on the individual level, iii) and have paid little attention to social and task-related influences on entrepreneurial competence development. The objective of this thesis is to analyse how entrepreneurial competence can be characterized and identified, how it develops and how it can be fostered in small agricultural firms. In order to do so, entrepreneurial competence was studied using a comprehensive approach to competence, which implies that a multi-method methodology was adopted. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in four empirical studies which included a total of 500 participants. A first characterization was made by researching self-awareness and beliefs about improvability of general, but context-appropriate, descriptions of entrepreneurial competencies. The results show an almost consistent underestimation of entrepreneurial competencies and reveal that entrepreneurial competencies are seen as subject to at least some development. Conceptions of entrepreneurial competencies are not uniform within workplaces: elements of what is developed and can be developed further are partly idiosyncratic. Secondly, entrepreneurial competence was identified in more detail based on item-level descriptions which empirically define a competence domain. It was revealed that three domains constitute the heart of entrepreneurial competence, namely analysing, pursuing and networking. Thirdly, results obtained through comparing highand low-performing firms, focusing on the task itself and using concrete work activities as descriptors for competence, suggest that the relationship between entrepreneurial performance and competence is not only influenced by business goals but also by the owner-managers’ awareness. It is proposed that entrepreneurial performance is correlated with the development of competence associated with the beginning of the entrepreneurial process. Furthermore, the results suggest interdependence between existing competence and competence development within competence domains (horizontal development), and between competence domains (vertical development). Finally, four factors in the small-business work environment were identified as being crucial in the entrepreneurial learning process. In order of importance, these were: support and guidance, external interaction, internal communication and task characteristics, though differences in type of business opportunities represent slightly different dynamics. The results suggest a two-layered interaction between learner and work environment. Entrepreneurial learning of the owner-manager is influenced by the work environment, which is in turn shaped/defined by the owner-manager. The results of this thesis provide professionals active in sector development and (vocational) education with clear steppingstones for developing competence-based curricula and learning-oriented assessments, as well as general ideas for developing learning environments that better reflect small-business dynamics. <br/

Wageningse kennis(sen): doe er wat mee in het groene onderwijs

Op 25 mei 2011 organiseerde WUR in Ede de KennisMaakDag. Centraal stonden een groot aantal projecten die mede waren gefinancierd door het fonds WUR Knowledge Sharing (WURKS) en vanuit het beleidsondersteunend onderzoek (BO), maar ook voor andere initiatieven was aandacht. We staan nader stil bij de workshops in de sessie Plant: docententraining, lesmateriaal en gastlessen plantgezondheid; studentenonderzoek Leren met toekomst; leren op proefbedrijf Valthermond

Als ondernemer schep ik mijn eigen leeromgeving

Schaalvergroting en toenemende complexiteit leiden ertoe dat steeds meer glastuinbouwbedrijven door meerdere ondernemers wordt geleid. Om voeding te geven aan overheidsbeleid en onderwijsprogramma's is er een onderzoek gestart naar teamcompetenties. Daarin wordt op bedrijfsniveau onderzocht hoe competenties worden vastgesteld, of en hoe ze worden ontwikkeld en hoe taakverdeling tot stand kom

Nieuwe producten, processen en markten : op zoek naar ondernemerschap in de gewasbescherming

Ondernemen in de levenswetenschappen staat op dit moment volop in de belangstelling. Hoe staat het eigenlijk met het ondernemerschap in de gewasbescherming

Vergrijzing, aanvullende pensioenen en de Nederlandse economie

De vergrijzingsproblematiek betreft alle Westerse landen. De gecombineerde effecten van een lager geboortecijfer, een lager sterftecijfer en de naoorlogse geboortegolf leiden ertoe dat de bevolkingsopbouw aan het veranderen is. Volgens het CBS zal het bevolkingsaandeel van ouderen (met een leeftijd van 65 jaar of hoger) de komende jaren stijgen van 13% naar ruim 22%. Deze verandering zal zijn weerslag hebben in de hele economie, en bijzonder gevoeld worden in de pensioensector

Entrepreneurship Education and Training in a Small Business Context: Insights from the Competence-based Approach

The concept of competence, as it is brought into play in current research, is a potentially powerful construct for entrepreneurship education research and practice. Although the concept has been the subject of strong debate in educational research in general, critical analysis of how it has been used, applied and experienced in entrepreneurship education practice is scarce. This article contributes specifically to the discussion of entrepreneurial competence by theoretically unfolding and discussing the concept. Subsequently, the implications of applying a competence-based approach in entrepreneurship education are illustrated and discussed based on analysis of two cases t

How to predict transfer of training? Investigating the application of the unified model of task-specific motivation

Transfer motivation is an important factor influencing transfer of training. However, earlier research often did not investigate transfer motivation as a multidimensional construct. The unified model of task-specific motivation (UMTM) takes into account that (transfer) motivation is multidimensional by including both affective and cognitive motivational components and their antecedents. Prior research has provided evidence that the UMTM can predict self-reported transfer of training, but is unclear whether it also can predict transfer reported by expert external raters. Moreover, it is unclear whether controlling for prior knowledge matters for the relationship between transfer motivation and transfer of training. This study improves on existing research by accounting for both of these gaps in the literature. Data were collected among 299 participants who filled in a questionnaire about the UMTM components directly after attending a writing training. They also handed in written documents before, and 6 weeks after the training, which were rated on transfer by trainers. Outcomes showed that components of the UMTM positively predict externally reported transfer when prior knowledge was controlled for. The outcomes imply that the UMTM has predictive value for transfer of training and points out which factors influence whether transfer does or does not occur