Year: 2023
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The term entrepreneur originates in the 13th century to describe traders who wanted to make arbitrage profits at their own risk.It is derived from the French verb entreprendre and means "to undertake something" or "to do something" (Hekman 2005).For many centuries the concept of the entrepreneur has been interpreted differently, but in a narrow economic perspective (Mittelstädt and Wiepcke 2013, 87).As a representative of classical economic theory, Jan Baptiste Say (1803) placed the function of coordinating resources at the center of entrepreneurial activity.Knight (2014), as a neoclassicist, described the entrepreneur as a taker of unavoidable risk.Schumpeter (1934), as a representative of the modernist phase, sees the entrepreneur as a catalyst, an innovator.In economics, theorizing is important, but it was Sarasvathy, a cognitive scientist who devised a transdisciplinary approach.Sarasvathy sought a deeper understanding of real-life entrepreneurship and engaged practitioners.Her approach emphasizes the application of entrepreneurial thinking and action and understands it as a set of principles, decision-making logic, and techniques that anyone can learn to a certain extent (Sarasvathy and Venkataraman 2011, 115).A closer scholarly examination reveals that entrepreneurship is understood as creating value for others, whether by founding an innovative organization (Gartner 1989, 51) or within an existing organization (Shane and Venkataraman 2000).Entrepreneurship education, i.e. the promotion of entrepreneurial thinking and action, is defined very differently.A narrow definition refers to encouraging students to become self-employed (becoming an entrepreneur).A broad version (Lackeus 2015) focuses on empowering students to be more creative, opportunity-oriented, proactive, and innovative for all walks of life (becoming entrepreneurial).The narrow version is regularly justified regarding the economic benefits of entrepreneurship and is therefore often controversial.From a humanistic point of view, such a utilitarian view is incompatible with the public education mandate.The broad version is compatible with it, but an overextension of entrepreneurship as a
Source: transcript Verlag eBooks
Language: English
Subfield: Management of Technology and Innovation
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4386174233